St. Louis Teen Book Festival

St. Louis County Library will host the St. Louis Teen Book Festival on Saturday, at Ladue Horton Watkins High School.

This year’s line-up includes

-Neal Shusterman

-Kendare Blake

-Alexandra Bracken

-Justin A.

-Reynolds and more.

The festival is free and open to all readers.12:30pm - Doors Open

1:00–1:45pm - Opening Ceremony, Remarks by Keynote Author Neal Shusterman, Introduction of Authors (Multi-purpose Area)

2:00–2:45pm - Breakout Sessions

Enchanted to Meet You: Romantasy that is simply magical (Room: Auditorium)

Moderator: Haley Calvin, Novel Neighbor

There’s nothing better than falling head over heels into a fantasy romance and our favorite YA authors obviously do it best. Long live all the magic we made!

Panelists:

Alex Aster
Catherine Bakewell
Kendare Blake
Emma Mills
Lauren Roberts

Letter to an Old Poet: Literary influences and inspirations we love (Room: Library)
Moderator: George Jreije, local author

Who inspires us and how do they help us find our own ideas to put on the page? Let’s share and learn about literary influences big and small.

Panelists

Sharon Cameron
Soman Chainani
Kim Johnson
Samantha Markum
Lynn Painter

Bring Sun to the Darkest Days: Finding Balance and Hope in Tough Times (Room: Multi Purpose Room)
Moderator: Esme Symes-Smith, local author

Even in the toughest of times, we find bright spots. Let’s talk about the found family, jokes and love that help us discover hope when we need it most.

Panelists

Alexandra Bracken
L.L. McKinney
Doan Phuong Nguyen
Neal Shusterman

hope ur ok: Mental Health representation and discussions in YA (Room: 1303)
Moderator: Kassie King, Novel Neighbor

We all turn to books to make us feel seen, heard or understood when the clouds won’t iron out –– let’s discuss the importance of depicting mental health and neurodiversity in the YA space.

Panelists:

Adib Khorram
Rachael Lippincott
Lio Min
Laura Nowlin
Justin A. Reynolds

3:00 – 3:45pm - Breakout Sessions

Dear Reader: Writing process and advice for soon-to-be authors (Room: Library)
Moderator: Desiree Schumann, The Novel Neighbor

Who here wants to be an author? This is the panel for you! We’ll talk about process, craft and how to tell the story you want to tell. We’ve got plenty of advice!

Panelists:

Alex Aster
Catherine Bakewell
Soman Chainani
Laura Nowlin
Lauren Roberts

old Before and Told Again: Retellings of classics, myths and fairytales (Room: Auditorium)
Moderator: Stephanie Skees, The Novel Neighbor

Retellings of classics, myths and fairytales are more popular than ever. What draws us to familiar stories and how do we mix them up for a modern audience?

Panelists:

Kendare Blake
Alexandra Bracken
Rachael Lippincott
L.L. McKinney

Timeless: Past and present collide (Room: Multi Purpose Room)
Moderator: Jaer Armstead-Jones, Local Author

This panel is all about where historical fiction and contemporary fiction collide: reading historical fiction through a modern lens and history informing our contemporary fiction.

Panelists:

Sharon Cameron
Kim Johnson
Doan Phuong Nguyen
Justin A. Reynolds
Neal Shusterman

Love Galore: Contemporary romances we fell for (Room: 1303)
Moderator: Angie Rundle, St. Louis County Library

We all love a good romance, so let’s get into why Tropes, butterflies and all the beautiful ways love makes us swoon.

Panelists

Adib Khorram
Samantha Markum
Emma Mills
Lio Min
Lynn Painter

4:00-5:30pm - Author Book Signing (Cafeteria)
Books available for purchase from The Novel Neighbor

Schedule Of Events:

Date: December 2, 2023

Time: 1.00pm - 5.30pm

Location: Ladue Horton Watkins High School, 1201 Warson Rd  Saint Louis, MO 63124

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