Fierce Friday
Join Fierce Reads for an afternoon of book signings with your favorite authors!
Free Tickets are required, you can reserve one here on our Eventbrite
I Read YA Breakfast Hour
Stop by in the morning for awesome giveaways: upcoming galleys, fun swag, cool tote, and delicious donuts!
Opening Keynote with Veronica Roth, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Melissa de la Cruz
Opening Keynote with Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Melissa de la Cruz, and Veronica Roth
The Annual YALLWEST Storyball: Authors Create a Story...with YOUR HELP!
with Holly Goldberg Sloan, Jordan Ifueko, Leia Ham, Mike Johnston, Primo Gallanosa, Raphael Simon, Scott Reintgen & Stuart Gibbs
Underlined Sweet Treat Social
Join Team Underlined for a build-your-own candy mix station. All sugar-powered attendees will receive a tote and select romantasy ARCs. Ticket drop at 9:45 AM for the general public at our booth.
Ship Happens: Balancing Relationships, Friendships, and Readerships
with Emily Charlotte, Jasmine Guillory, K L Walther, Rebekah Weatherspoon, Shelly Page, and Sujin Witherspoon
Let's Kick This Off With a Bang: Choosing an Idea, Starting a Story, and Filling the Blank Page
with Chloe Gong, Emiko Jean, Jennifer Iacopelli, Ransom Riggs, Stuart Gibbs, and Victoria Aveyard
A Light in the Dark: Writing Darkness and Hope for Teen Audiences
with Adam Silvera, Alexis Henderson, Becca Coffindaffer, Kathleen Glasgow, Lee Knox Ostertag, and Tesia Tsai
Debutantes: Releasing Your First Published Book
with Ahmad Saber, Cindy Pham, Katie Bernet, Petra Lord, Raegan Revord, and René Peña-Govea
If I Could Tell Teen Me...: Advice for Young Writers
with Abdi Nazemian, Danielle Paige, Emily Charlotte, Gabriel Duckels, and Gayle Forman
Simon Teen Bookish Brunch
Stop by for pastries, an exclusive Simon Teen Diner bag, and a mystery ARC based on your reading taste!
Analog and Yap
Come unplug! Attendees will get an exclusive Stonefruit Studio tote bag with a Flickerstate ARC and deck of cards, various crafts, and activity books. Limited to 50 attendees. Wristbands given out 1 hour before at Pitch Space.
(Don't) Stick to the Status Quo: Writing in Different Genres, Formats, or Ages
with Holly Goldberg Sloan, Julia Riew, Kalynn Bayron, Raphael Simon, and Scott Reintgen
Scream Queens and Detective Teens: How to Build a Mystery without Revealing Too Much
with Chelsea Ichaso, E. Lockhart, Katie Bernet, Keala Kendall, Lily Anderson, and Stacey Lee
![The World According to [Insert Author Name Here]: Crafting a Bookish World That Characters Live in and Audiences Invest In](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ac675ae4b0da465dd529db/7d3041b8-d7e2-43b0-95d8-79dbd05a9320/Noon+Barnum.png)
The World According to [Insert Author Name Here]: Crafting a Bookish World That Characters Live in and Audiences Invest In
with Angela Montoya, Kelly Andrew, Stephanie Garber, Tahereh Mafi, Tracy Deonn, and Victoria Aveyard
ESCAPE INTO THE SECRET WORLD OF BRIAR ROSE
LET YOUR CREATIVITY BLOOM!
Join Penguin Teen and author/Youtube creator Cindy Pham for conversation, crafting, and treats!
(Attendees will receive an advance copy of The Secret World of Briar Rose.)
Afternoon Keynote with Aiden Thomas, Addie Thorley, and E. Lockhart
YALLWEST Afternoon Keynote -- Thomas | Lockhart | Thorley
YALLWEST's afternoon launches with this wonderful Afternoon Keynote featuring renowned authors Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys, The Sunbearer Trials), E. Lockhart (We Were Liars, Genuine Fraud), and Addie Thorley (Burn the Kingdom Down, Night Spinner)! This Keynote is sponsored by Fierce Reads and Sourcebooks Fire.
Keynote Tickets are explicitly for the Keynote talk only. Signings take place independently of the Keynote and may require a separate free ticket.
Please note, if you purchase a ticket and then are unable to attend, we are not able to refund the Eventbrite fee.
Ogres are Like Onions: Writing Multilayered Characters Who Feel Real
with Alanna Bennett, Chloe Gong, David Levithan, Marie Lu, & Romina Garber
When Words Aren't Enough: The Illustrative World of Graphic Novels
with Lee Knox Ostertag, Melissa de la Cruz, Mike Johnston, ND Stevenson, Primo Gallanosa, and Roseanne A Brown
Everything is Going According to Plan: Plotting, Planning, Making it Up as you Go, and What to Do When Stories Have a Mind of Their Own
with Becca Coffindaffer, Billy Ray, Danielle Paige, Farrah Penn, Lily Anderson, & Shelly Page
UNION SQUARE & CO. AND SUJIN WITHERSPOON PRESENT “TROPE TO MY HEART”
Join SEYOON AND DEAN, UNSCRIPTED author Sujin Witherspoon and Union Square & Co. for TROPE TO MY HEART – a celebration of all things YA romance.
Test your romance trope knowledge and design your own Seyoon and Dean-inspired carabiner keychain. Trope To My Heart door prizes will be available for the first fifty attendees! First come first serve.
You Got Here Not a Moment Too Swoon: Tropes and More in Romantic Scifi and Fantasy
with Jamie Pacton, JD Myall, Shannon J. Spann, Stephanie Garber, Sunya Mara, and Tahereh Mafi
The Name Game: Choosing a Title, Character Names, and Everything Else!
with Carolina Ixta, Cory McCarthy, Keala Kendall, Stacey Lee, and Sujin Witherspoon
MG Monopoly: Authors Work to Collect Books By Answering YOUR Questions
with Gayle Forman, Jordan Ifueko, Julia Riew, Leia Ham, and N D Stevenson
Being Heard and Being Yourself: Identity and Activism Across the Century
with Abdi Nazemian, David Levithan, Gabriel Duckels, Jonnie Park, and René Peña-Govea
![Bedazzle While You Listen [To Audiobooks!]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ac675ae4b0da465dd529db/41434902-8c85-4bc3-aff8-304674b33548/Yallwest+2026_thumbnail.jpg)
Bedazzle While You Listen [To Audiobooks!]
Join authors Angela Montoya and Cindy Pham in a bedazzle while you listen to audiobooks event. The first twenty five attendees will receive a pair of headphones to bedazzle. Attendees should also feel welcome to bring their own item to bedazzle.
The Creative Well: Where New Ideas Come From and How to Know Which Ones to Nurture
with Alexis Henderson, Marie Lu, Jasmine Guillory, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Margie Stohl, & Romina Garber
Let Me Tell You a Story: How Journalism, Performing, Screenwriting, & Content Creation Influence Book Writing
with Alanna Bennett, Billy Ray, Cindy Pham, Jonnie Park, Raegan Revord, and Shannon J. Spann
I'm a Big Fan(tasy Reader): Why Magical Worlds Draw Us In
with Addie Thorley, Angela Montoya, Jamie Pacton, JD Myall, and Petra Lord
The Sky is Falling and I Still Have to Do My Homework: When Characters Have to Balance Saving the World and School and Authors Have to Balance Writing and Life
with Ahmad Saber, Carolina Ixta, Chelsea Ichaso, Cory McCarthy, and Farrah Penn
One in a Million: How to Make a Story Unique When There Are So Many Stories Out There
with Adam Silvera, Aiden Thomas, Margie Stohl, Ransom Riggs, Roseanne A Brown, and Veronica Roth
Writing Contemporary in a Contemporary World: How Do Things Like Social Media and Technology Influence Characters and Authors
with Emiko Jean, Jennifer Iacopelli, K. L. Walther, Kathleen Glasgow, and Rebekah Weatherspoon
Decay, Destruction, and Deadly Games: Immersing a Reader in a Story
with Kalynn Bayron, Keala Kendall, Kelly Andrew, Sunya Mara, Tesia Tsai, and Tracy Deonn
LGBTQIA+ AMA
with Abdi Nazemian, Ahmad Saber, Becca Coffindaffer, David Levithan, Petra Lord, and Shelly Page
YALLWEST Smackdown
YALLWEST Smackdown
YALLWEST--we are pleased to announce the return of the annual Smackdown, in which our spectacular hosts, the returning Dani and Lane Lyle, shall lead a courageous assemblage of authors through trials.
(aka, they're gonna play silly games and there will be lots of laughs)
Please note, if you purchase a ticket and then are unable to attend, we are not able to refund the Eventbrite fee.
I Went Through a Third Act Breakup and All I Got Was This T-Shirt
Tropes We Love, Tropes We Hate, Tropes we Love to Hate or Hate to Love
Moderated by Morgan Matson with Eric Geron, Maurene Goo, E. Lockhart, and Lio Min
I Love This So Much, But Also I Need Money
Spotlight on Careers in Writing and How They Evolve Over Time
Moderated by Adam Silvera with Zakiya N. Jamal, Racquel Marie, Scott Reintgen, and Julia Riew
Sad Songs, Power Ballads, and Pump Up Playlists
Tuning into the Emotions of Tween and Teen Characters
Sponsored by PiqueBeyond
Moderated by Brittany N. Williams with Nidhi Chanani, Auriane Desombre, Sarah Kuhn, Elba Luz, and Janae Marks
Holding Space for Defying Gravity
Insurmountable Odds and Teen Resilience in Sci-Fi and Dystopia
Sponsored by Entangled
Moderated by Jill Tew with Lily Braun-Arnold, Chloe Gong, Tahereh Mafi, E. L. Starling, and Andrew Joseph White
Epic Pride Bingo with Epic Reads
It's never too early for Epic Pride! Stop by the Multipurpose Room for a fun queer time of Epic Pride Bingo and prizes, and receive an early copy of Becky Albertalli's next book, AMELIA, IF ONLY!
this is a sponsor-run event and space may be limited, we suggest following the sponsor on social media as sponsors usually share how to get tickets the week of the festival.
Becky Albertalli
THIS SIGNING IS TICKETED
Reserve free ticket here starting 4/19 at 1:00 PM
GUESS WHO? Audiobook Edition with PRH Audio
If you love JEOPARDY!, join Penguin Random House Audio and Listening Library for GUESS WHO? Audiobook Edition, a special gameshow featuring classics, as well as brand new listens. Get ready to show off your best trivia skills and discover your next favorite audiobook! Hosted by actor and narrator Oscar Emmanuel Fabela.
this is a sponsor-run event and space may be limited, we suggest following the sponsor on social media as sponsors usually share how to get tickets the week of the festival.
Tracy Deonn
THIS SIGNING IS TICKETED
All tickets have been claimed!
Reserve free ticket here starting 4/19 at 1:30 PM