FESTIVAL DAY SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2023
MAIN STAGE
8:30am - 9:30am Donuts & Coffee + Networking
10:00 AM ET - SO YOU WANT TO WORK IN PUBLISHING
Join publishing professionals who made a career out of books, how they got into publishing, what they love about the industry and how it could be made better, featuring: Melanie Iglesias, editor @ Atria, Chantelle Walker, marketing @ Crown, Latoya Smith, agent @ ArtHouse Lit, Gisela Ramos, sales @ Macmillan
Galley Grab / Advance Reader Copy Giveaway
11:00 AM ET - KEYNOTE: WRITING IN BLACK & WHITE with Christine Pride & Jo Piazza
Authors Christine Pride and Jo Piazza discuss co-authoring You Were Always Mine and We Are Not Like Them and what brought them together as a writing team considering their cultural differences and backgrounds.
Signing 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
12:00 PM ET - BLACK PAIN: Writing about Trauma
Critically acclaimed authors Monica Brashears (House of Cotton), Nana Kwame Adjei Brenya (Chain Gang All-Stars), Tyriek White (We are a Haunting), Tanya Kateri Hernandez (Racial Innocence), Sidik Fofana (Stories from the Tenants Downstairs) discuss the healing aspects of writing about trauma, navigating Black pain, and grief, especially in the world of white publishing and if writing about trauma is therapeutic or a form of protest. Moderated by Majora Carter (Reclaiming Community)
Signing 12:50 PM - 1:30 PM
1:30 PM ET - KEYNOTE with Elisabet Velasquez & Ibi Zoboi
Join best-selling and award-winning authors Ibi Zoboi (Nigeria Jones), and Elisabet Velasquez (When We Make It) for a reading and keynote address moderated by Sarai Merino Vega, New York Public Library .
Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed Tote Bag Giveaway
Signing 2:15 PM - 2:50 PM
2:30 PM ET - Calling All Horror Fans Sponsored by Tor Nightfire
Looking for your next horror book to devour? Join these debut and sophomore authors as they discuss all things horror featuring Anne Heltzel (Just Like Mother), Cassandra Khaw (The Salt Grows Heavy), Ness Brown (The Scourge Between Stars), and Johnny Compton (The Spite House), moderated by Danny Lore
Signing 3:15 PM - 3:45 PM
3:30 PM ET - LET’S FALL IN LOVE: Representation in Romance Sponsored by Reese’s Book Club
Acclaimed authors Noué Kirwan (Long Past Summer), LaQuette (Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man), and José Oliveras (Promises of Gold) discuss the importance of representation and diversity in romance, why they choose to write about love, and what inspires their creativity. Moderated by Tia Williams (Seven Days in June)
Giveaway of Seven Days in June Sponsored by Reese’s Book Club
Signing 4:15 PM - 4:45 PM
4:30 PM ET - We Can’t Be Banned Sponsored by Pen America + Banned Book Giveaway
A timely discussion with authors who have faced book challenges and bans. . . and how they stood up and used their voice with Kalynn Bayron (Cinderella is Dead), Janae Marks (From the Desk of Zoe Washington), Ibi Zoboi (American Street), Mark Oshiro (Each of Us Desert), and moderated by Kyle Lukoff (When Aidan Became a Brother).
Book Giveaway
Signing 5:15 PM - 5:45 PM
5:30 PM ET - WHAT IS BOOKSTAGRAM?
Ever wonder how readers become influencers? How do those pretty book shots come together? How do bookstagrammers work with publishing companies? Meet these social media mavens and hear them discuss their journey into the book world.
