YALLWEST 2024
YALLWEST 2024 is a full day of panels + a Friday preview and a week of giveaways and special events!
FRIDAY PREVIEW EVENTS, May 3rd
Fierce Friday
Friday, May 3rd, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM PDT
Santa Monica Public Library
Sponsored by Fierce Reads
DeadEndia: The Divine Order Launch Party
Friday, May 3rd, 6:00-7:00 PM PDT
Santa Monica Public Library
Sponsored by Union Square & Co.
DeadEndia: The Divine Order Launch Party - Come celebrate the release of the conclusion of the DeadEndia series with Hamish Steele! There will be a discussion, Q&A, signing, and free swag!
OFFICIAL YALLWEST PANELS
SATURDAY, May 4th
10 AM PDT
Opening Keynote: Jason Reynolds & Stephanie Garber
Saturday, May 4th, 10:00 AM PDT
Location: Barnum
Presented by Epic Reads
11 AM PDT
Shelving the Limits of the Single Shelf
Writing Across Genres, Formats & Ages
Saturday, May 4th, 11:00 AM PDT
Location: Barnum
Moderated by Veronica Roth with ND Stevenson, Yume Kitasei, Nia Davenport, Alexene Farol Follmuth, Victoria Aveyard, and Ava Reid
The Only Way Out Is Through
Real Talk About Writers Block
Saturday, May 4th, 11:00 AM PDT
Location: North Gym
Moderated by Brendan Reichs with Jordan Ifueko, Jade Adia, Tracy Wolff, Hamish Steele, and Aiden Thomas
Historical Frictions & Fictional Histories
Writing Outside the (Sometime) Lines
Sponsored by Penguin Teen
Saturday, May 4th, 11:00 AM PDT
Location: Cafeteria
Moderated by Renée Ahdieh with Alan Gratz, Hayley Dennings, Stacey Lee, Sara Raasch, and Ransom Riggs
YALLWEST Debuts
Class of 2024
Saturday, May 4th, 11:00 AM PDT
Location: Disco Quad
Moderated by Angela Montoya with Kate Chenli, Carolina Ixta, Ann Zhao, Jordan Morris, and Kamilah Cole
NOON PDT
Romantasy Rules (the World)
Presented by Simon Teen
Saturday, May 4th, Noon PDT
Location: Barnum
Moderated by Melissa de la Cruz with Stephanie Garber, Lauren Roberts, Tracy Wolff, Hafsah Faizal, and Alexandra Bracken
Authenticity & Originality
Finding Your Teen Voice
Saturday, May 4th, Noon PDT
Location: North Gym
Moderated by Gretchen Schreiber with Bethany Baptiste, Ayana Gray, Robbie Couch, Amélie Wen Zhao, and Racquel Marie
Re-Re-Retellings & Why We Love Them
Saturday, May 4th, Noon PDT
Location: Cafeteria
Moderated by Danielle Paige with Morgan Matson, Alexene Farol Follmuth, Sarah Henning, Kalynn Bayron, and Zoe Hana Mikuta
10th Annual YALLWEST StoryBall
Saturday, May 4th, Noon PDT
Location: Disco Quad
Moderated by Raphael Simon with Soman Chainani, Mike Johnston, Angie Thomas, Jorge Cham, Holly Goldberg Sloan, and Sarah Mlynowski
1 PM PDT
Writing, Reinvention, & Navigating the Creative Career
Saturday, May 4th, 1:00 PM PDT
Location: Barnum
Moderated by Victoria Aveyard with E. Lockhart, Judy I. Lin, Renée Ahdieh, Morgan Matson, and Soman Chainani
From Obscurity to the Oscars
The Rise of the Graphic Novel (And Why It Matters)
Saturday, May 4th, 1:00 PM PDT
Location: North Gym
Moderated by Ryan North with Alison Zai, Jorge Cham, Molly Knox Ostertag, and ND Stevenson
Pillars of Thrillers and Killers
Building Genre Suspense
Sponsored by Sourcebooks Fire
*Panel Giveaway*
Saturday, May 4th, 1:00 PM PDT
Location: Cafeteria
Moderated by Marie Lu with Lamar Giles, Ryan La Sala, Sarah Henning, and Nia Davenport
Family Feud at the Fest
Saturday, May 4th, 1:00 PM PDT
Location: Disco Quad
Moderated by Sarah Mlynowski & Stuart Gibbs with Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Buxbaum, Lewis Peterson, Holly Goldberg Sloan, Mike Johnston, Alan Gratz, Gordon Korman, and Kalynn Bayron
2 PM PDT
Big Fantasy on the Big Stage
Sponsored by PiqueBeyond
Saturday, May 4th, 2:00 PM PDT
Location: Barnum
Moderated by Ransom Riggs with Tracy Deonn, Adalyn Grace, Marie Lu, Namina Forna, Angie Thomas, and Adam Silvera
Read the Rainbow
Saturday, May 4th, 2:00 PM PDT
Location: North Gym
Moderated by Robbie Couch with Naomi Kanakia, Molly Knox Ostertag, Ann Zhao, and Ryan La Sala
Writing the Real, Still
Keeping the Contemporary Novel Contemporary
Saturday, May 4th, 2:00 PM PDT
Location: Cafeteria
Moderated by E. Lockhart with Gordon Korman, Carolina Ixta, Jade Adia, Holly Goldberg Sloan, and Stuart Gibbs
3 PM PDT
Afternoon Spotlight
Saturday, May 4th, 3:00 PM PDT
Location: Barnum
with Tahereh Mafi, Aiden Thomas, Ava Reid, Adam Silvera, and Hafsah Faizal
Sponsored by Fierce Reads
*Panel Giveaway*
Writing Relationships
The Good, The Bad, and the Bestie
Saturday, May 4th, 3:00 PM PDT
Location: North Gym
Moderated by Alexandra Bracken with Bethany Baptiste, Alex Aster, Jordan Morris, Ryan North, and Hayley Dennings
The Origin of Stories
Inspiration, Concentration, & Imagination
Saturday, May 4th, 3:00 PM PDT
Location: Cafeteria
Moderated by Adalyn Grace with Naomi Kanakia, Kate Chenli, Racquel Marie, Tracy Deonn, and Jordan Ifueko
YALLTruth or Dare
Saturday, May 4th, 3:00 PM PDT
Location: Disco Quad
Moderated by Brendan Reichs with Lamar Giles, Alison Zai, Stacey Lee, and Julie Buxbaum
4 PM PDT
The Story of the Neverending Story
Reinventing the Series
Saturday, May 4th, 4:00 PM PDT
Location: North Gym
Sponsored by Get Underlined
*Panel Giveaway*
Moderated by Amélie Wen Zhao with Lauren Roberts, Zoe Hana Mikuta, Kamilah Cole, Alex Aster, and Hamish Steele
Protagonists and Propulsive Problems
Saturday, May 4th, 4:00 PM PDT
Location: Cafeteria
Sponsored by PiqueBeyond
*Panel Giveaway*
Moderated by Danielle Paige with Jason Reynolds, Tahereh Mafi, Namina Forna, and Veronica Roth
How Readers Become Writers
Five Writers’ Beginnings
Saturday, May 4th, 4:00 PM PDT
Location: Disco Quad
Moderated by Sara Raasch with Yume Kitasei, Ayana Gray, Gretchen Schreiber, and Judy I. Lin
5 PM PDT
YALLWEST Smackdown
Saturday, May 4th, 5:00 PM PDT
Location: Barnum
Hosted by Ryan La Sala and Angela Montoya
This all-star jam brings our cast of featured authors on stage as they play games and undertake shenanigans, all for your entertainment.
SIGNING GUIDELINES
Authors can sign up to three books per attendee
Limited, wristbanded signings are marked with an asterisk* on the schedule.
Wristbands will be distributed for designated authors per the listed schedule.
Queues for receiving wristbands can start 30 minutes prior to that distribution.
Wristbands will be distributed at a designated Information Table in the Signing Area.
Those who receive wristbands can start lining up 30 minutes before signing time.
For non-wristbanded signings: Lining up can start 20 minutes before signing time.
Attendees needing accomodations for signing lines can fill out the form on this page or email rachel@yallwest.com and amanda@yallwest.com
Signing with arc giveaway noted with a plus+, first 50 people in line will receive an arc
SIGNING SCHEDULE
11 am
Alex aster*
Melissa de la cruz
tracy deonn*
Namina forna
stuart gibbs
holly goldberg sloan
mike johnston
ryan la sala
e. lockhart
tahereh mafi*
sarah mlynowski
jason reynolds*
adam silvera*
raphael simon
amélie wen zhao
Noon
Jade adia
victoria aveyard*
hayley dennings+
Adalyn Grace*
jordan ifueko
yume kitasei
jordan morris
ava reid*
ransom riggs*
ann zhao
1 pm
alexandra bracken*
kamilah cole
hafsah faizal*
ayana gray
stacey lee
racquel marie
danielle paige
sara raasch
hamish steele
veronica roth*
aiden thomas*
tracy wolff*
2 pm
renée ahdieh*
bethany baptiste
soman chainani*
nia davenport/n.e. davenport
alexene farol follmuth/olivie blake*
morgan matson
zoe hana mikuta
lauren roberts*
gretchen schreiber
3 pm
Jorge cham
robbie couch
stephanie garber*
alan gratz
sarah henning
gordon korman
judy i. lin
marie lu*
angela montoya
nd stevenson*
angie thomas*
4 pm
Kalynn bayron
julie buxbaum
kate chenli
lamar giles
carolina ixta
naomi kanakia
ryan north
molly knox ostertag
brendan reichs
alison zai
SIGNING WRISTBAND DISTRIBUTION SCHEDULE
*denotes that distribution time has shifted since we originally posted this schedule. previous 10am drops now at 9:45am, previous 10:30am drops now at 10:45. We don’t anticipate any further changes!
9:00 Jason Reynolds
9:30 Alex Aster
9:30 Tracy Deonn
9:45 Adam Silvera*
9:45 Tahereh Mafi*
9:45 Ava Reid*
10:45 Ransom Riggs*
10:45 Tracy Wolff*
10:45 Victoria Aveyard*
11 Soman Chainani
11 Adalyn Grace
11:30 Alexandra Bracken
11:30 Hafsah Faizal
12:00 PM Aiden Thomas
12:00 PM Veronica Roth
12:30 PM Marie Lu
12:30 PM Renée Ahdieh
1:00 PM Lauren Roberts
1:00 PM Alexene Farol Follmuth
1:30 PM Angie Thomas
2:00 PM ND Stevenson
2:00 PM STEPHANIe garber
SPECIAL EVENTS
These events are generously put on by our amazing sponsors. Some events may be limited, so make sure you follow the sponsor on social media for information on how to get a wristband/ticket if required.
Entangled Teen Presents: IG Live with Tracy Wolff
Monday, April 28th, 5:00 PM PDT
Location: VIRTUAL!
Live with #1 New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff as she discusses Sweet Nightmare, the first book in her highly anticipated Calder Academy series, with author and Entangled Publicity Director Lizzy Mason!
Book Crush with Simon Teen
Saturday, May 4th, 11:00 AM PDT
Location: Humanities Building
Sponsored by Simon Teen
Meet I read YA Authors!
Saturday, May 4th, 11:00 AM PDT
Location: I Read YA Booth
Sponsored by I Read YA
Meet Molly Knox Ostertag and Lamar Giles and get advance signed copies of their upcoming titles, The Deep Dark and Ruin Road!
SO, YOU THINK YOU CAN NARRATE? The Audiobook Voice Challenge!
Saturday, May 4th, Noon PDT
Location: Choir Room
Sponsored by PRHAudio
Penguin Random House Audio invites YALLWEST attendees to join us for an interactive experience with audiobook narrators Vikas Adam (Sky’s End) and Kristen DiMercurio (Hearts Still Beating) to show off their voice acting skills, live and in-person. Pick an audiobook out of a hat and let the pros hear your best improv.
This Ravenous Fate Speakeasy
Saturday, May 4th, 1:00 PM PDT
Location: MPR
Sponsored by Sourcebooks Fire
Reading Romance with Love, Underlined
Saturday, May 4th, 1:00 PM PDT
Location: Humanities Building
Sponsored by Underlined
Join fellow romance readers for a Q&A and game of romance bingo with romance writers Kaitlyn Hill, Angela Montoya, and Sabrina Fedel!
Crafting Community with OwlCrate
Saturday, May 4th, 2:00 PM PDT
Location: Disco Quad
Sponsored by OwlCrate
Hey Book Owls! Join OwlCrate's Own Jordan Fleming and some very special guests; Ava Reid, Robin Alvarez, Angela Montoya, Jarrod Shusterman, and Sofía Lapuente as they talk about Crafting Community.
Dive into the world of book subscription boxes and their pivotal role in bringing together readers worldwide. Featuring insights from OwlCrate's team and iconic authors. Whether you're a long-time bookish fan or new to books, this panel will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how OwlCrate curates not just books, but a community that brings us all a little closer.
Penguin Teen Fantasy Hour
Saturday, May 4th, 3:00 PM PDT
Location: MPR
Sponsored by Penguin Teen
Join Penguin Teen for an hour of fantasy-themed bingo, Ember in the Ashes trivia, special treats, and galley giveaways*
*Limited tickets available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
OwlCrate Book Swap & Games!
Saturday, May 4th, 4:00 PM PDT
Location: Humanities Building
Sponsored by OwlCrate
Hey Book Owls, are you ready to hang out with Team OwlCrate?
Come join the OwlCrate Book Swap on Saturday, May 4th, 4:00 PM PDT inside the Humanities Building.
Come hang out with Team OwlCrate and trade books you may have gathered throughout the day with other bookworms as well as snag some awesome OwlCrate Exclusive books for yourself! We'll also be playing several rounds of Et Cetra, OwlCrate's own bookish game. The winner of each round will win fabulous prizes!
The team cannot wait to see you!
