Members of the public are invited to meet 19 young adult and middle grade Authors at this free event, as well as learn about publishing.
The Burlington County Library will kick off 2018 by presenting a new program entitled “YA Authorfest” featuring appearances by 19 young adult and middle grade authors who will discuss their work and offer books signings to the public.
Sponsored by The Friends of the Library, Inc., YA Authorfest is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the library in Westampton and admission is free.
Readers of all ages, particularly teen fans and aspiring writers, are encouraged to attend.
In addition to meet-and-greet opportunities with the list of authors, fans will be invited to purchase copies of their books, which will be made available that day through the support of The Friends. (Cash and check purchases only.)
Two Authorfest panel discussions are also planned:
• The Ins and Outs of Getting Published — Set from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., this panel will feature insider tips for getting your work published and a question-and-answer session. Panelists will include:
· Megan Atwood, author of the young adult novel “The Devils you Know.” Learn more at www.mc-atwood.com
· Julie Eshbaugh, author of young adult novels “Ivory and Bone,” and “Obsidian and Stars.” Learn more at www.julieeshbaugh.com
· Jeffry Johnston, author of the young adult novels “Fragments,” and “The Truth.” Learn more at www.jeffrywjohnston.com
· Sabrina Ramoth, author of “The Curse of the Bruel Coven.” Learn more at www.sabrinaramoth.com
• Diversity in YA Lit — Set from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m., this panel will feature authors who have personal and professional experience writing about people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and other marginalized groups. Panelists will include:
· Maria Andreu, author of the young adult novel “The Secret Side of Empty.” Learn more at www.mariaeandreu.com
· Shveta Thakrar author of short fiction and poetry that have appeared in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Learn more at www.shvetathakrar.com
· Maggie Thrash, author of the graphic memoir “Honor Girl,” “Strange Truth,” and “Strange Lies.” Learn more at www.maggiethrash.com
· And Ismee Williams, author of the young adult novel “Water in May.” Learn more at www.ismeewilliams.com
Additional young adult and middle grade authors expected to be in attendance include:
· Charlotte Bennardo, the author of both YA and MG books, whose titles include “Blonde OPS,” the “Evolution Revolution” trilogy, “Sirenz” and “Sirenz Back in Fashion.” Learn more at www.charlotteebennardo.blogspot.com
· Melanie Conklin, author of the middle grade novel “Counting Thyme.” Learn more at www.melanieconklin.com
· Michelle Courtney, author of the “The Garden City Rules” series.
· J.A. Culican, author of the middle grade fantasy series “Keeper of Dragons. Learn more at www.jaculican.com
· Claire LeGrand, author of “Some Kind of Happiness,” “The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls,” “Winterspell” and other books for children and teens. Learn more at www.Claire-legrand.com
· April Lindner, author of the young adult novels “Jane,” “Catherine,” and Love, Lucy.” Learn more at www.aprillindnerwrites.blogspot.com
· Katherine Locke, author of “The Girl with the Red Balloon” and the forthcoming “The Spy with the Red Balloon.” www.katherinelockebooks.com
· David Neilsen, author of the middle grade books “Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom,” and “Beyond the Doors.” Learn more at www.david-neilsen.com/
· Jackson Pearce, author of multiple books for young readers, including the new “Ellie, Engineer” series, the “Pip Bartlett” series, the “Doublecross” series, and the “Sisters Red” series. Learn more at www.jackson-pearce.com
· Meghan Rogers, author of the young adult spy series “The Raven Files.” Learn more at www.meghanrogersbooks.com
· And Yvonne Ventresca, author of the young adult novel “Black Flowers, White Lies” and “Pandemic.” Learn more at www.yvonneventresca.com
The Burlington County Library is located at 5 Pioneer Blvd., off Woodlane Road in Westampton. For more information, call (609) 267–9660, or visit www.bcls.lib.nj.us.
