EVENT SCHEDULE
• All panels and signings are free and open to the public except for the keynote talks and the YA Smackdown.
• All seating is general admission.
Saturday, November 12
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Kick Off Your Day with I read YA!I Read YA Booth
Kick Off Your Day with I read YA at their booth! Start your morning with I read YA for a sweet treat, galleys, and swag!
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Treat and Meet Our Fave Fantasy FemmesCharleston Museum — Courtyard
360 Meeting Street
Treat and Meet Our Fave Fantasy Femmes
Sponsored by Pique Beyond
created by Polish
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Join us for an exciting meet and greet with fantasy authors Alex Aster and Brittany Williams! BONUS, you’ll also get your hands on a tasty treat, an advanced reader’s copy of That Self-Same Metal, and a deluxe Lightlark enamel pin
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Opening Keynote with Angeline Boulley and Soman ChainaniCharleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Presented by Macmillan Fierce Reads in conjunction with Epic Reads
map → tickets →YALLFest is back for the ELEVENTH time. You will not want to miss the electric energy of the Charleston Music Hall as we kick off the 2022 festival with Angeline Boulley (Firekeeper’s Daughter) and Soman Chainani (The School for Good and Evil).
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Making Magic: Wordbuilding Magical WorldsCharleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Moderated by Margaret Stohl with Victoria Aveyard, Tracy Deonn, Adam Silvera, and Gina Chen
Sponsored by Underlined
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The Mechanics of the Modern Love StoryAmerican Theater — Ballroom
446 King Street
Moderated by Adam Sass with Nicola Yoon, Stephanie Garber, Jenna Evans Welch, Casey McQuiston, Susan Lee
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Myths, Legends & Death on the Page: Making the Universal Personal, presented by Blue Bicycle Books & Inky Phoenix Book ClubCharleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
Moderated by The Inky Phoenix founder Kathryn Budig with Chloe Gong, Ayana Gray, Neal Shusterman, Melissa Albert, and TJ Klune
*The Inky Phoenix book club proudly partners with Blue Bicycle Books. Visit www.theinkyphoenix.com for their picks, including titles from panelists Melissa Albert and T.J. Klune!map → -
The Craft of the RevisionAmerican Theater — Cinema
446 King Street
Moderated by Megan Whalen Turner with Lizz Huerta, Daniel José Older, Jas Hammonds, Maggie Stiefvater, and Cinda Williams Chima
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Cross Into the Spirit Realm with Union Square & CoCharleston Museum — Courtyard
360 Meeting Street
Cross Into the Spirit Realm with Union Square & Co – Union Square & Co. YA Author Meet & Greet and giveaway with free psychic readings! First come, first serve, and as supplies last!
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Puzzles, Riddles, and Competitions: Plotting IntricacyCharleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Moderated by Jennifer Lynn Barnes with Alex Aster, Casey McQuiston, Stuart Gibbs, Ryan North, and Neal Shusterman
Sponsored by Pique Beyond
Panel Giveaway: Limited That Self-Same Metal (ARCs) by Brittany Williams
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Banned BooksAmerican Theater — Ballroom
446 King Street
Moderated by Rose Brock with Margaret Stohl, Angie Thomas, Adam Silvera, David Levithan, and Nic Stone
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Middle Grade StoryballCharleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
Moderated by Raphael Simon with Claribel A. Ortega, David Bowles, Alex London, Samira Ahmed, Brendan Reichs, and Max Brallier
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Soul of the Story: Archetypes and Influences, from Lord of the Rings to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, presented by FSAAmerican Theater — Cinema
446 King Street
Moderated by Melissa de la Cruz with Victoria Aveyard, Kiersten White, Soman Chainani, Kylie Lee Baker, and Dhonielle Clayton
Sponsored by Foundation for Spirituality and the Arts
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Love is Sweet: Join the Joy Revolution!Charleston Museum — Courtyard
360 Meeting Street
Love is Sweet: Join the Joy Revolution! Join us for giveaways and a sweet treat to celebrate Joy Revolution, a new imprint dedicated to love stories about people of color by people of color.
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The Mundane, the Magical & the Monstrous: Writing the Extra and the OrdinaryCharleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Moderated by Dhonielle Clayton with Cinda Williams Chima, Angie Thomas, Kiersten White, Daniel José Older, and Max Brallier
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The World Outside Your Window: Why Realistic Stories StickAmerican Theater — Ballroom
446 King Street
Moderated by Sara Shepard with Matthew Dawkins, Maya Prasad, Nicola Yoon, Jade Armstrong, and Lio Min
Panel Giveaway: Limited Wait For Me Cookies
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Family FeudCharleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
Moderated by Sarah Mlynowski and Stuart Gibbs with Nick Brooks, Soman Chainani, Alyson Nöel, and Alex London
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All About the Journey: Stories of Progress, Travel, ChangeAmerican Theater — Cinema
446 King Street
Moderated by Naz Kutub with S. K. Ali, Jenna Evans Welch, Brianna Peppins, Adalyn Grace, and Brianna Joy Crump
Panel Giveaway: Limited ARC Giveaway of Whistleblower by Kate Marchant
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ARC Par-tea with Sourcebooks FireCharleston Museum — Courtyard
360 Meeting Street
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ARC Par-tea with Sourcebooks Fire: Snag some ARCs and a cup of tea inspired by BRING ME YOUR MIDNIGHT, the new romantasy from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Griffin! Don’t leave without getting your YALLFest exclusive sampler of THE SHADOW SISTER!
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Antici….: How do you build suspense?Charleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Moderated by Tiffany D. Jackson with Cynthia Leitich Smith, Angeline Boulley, Melissa de la Cruz, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Sara Shepard
Sponsored by Pique Beyond
Panel Giveaway: Limited Lightlark Enamel Pins Giveaway
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The Future of Comics: From Manga to Marvel & Webtoons to Indie GNsAmerican Theater — Ballroom
446 King Street
Moderated by Ryan North with Laura Gao, Jade Armstrong, Claribel A. Ortega, Shannon Hale, and Samira Ahmed
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Our Favorite Tropes: Romance is a friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, one pajama for two people storyCharleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
Moderated by Stephanie Garber with Ashley Woodfolk, Susan Lee, Alyson Nöel, S. K. Ali, and Kat Cho
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Build-A-Quest: Crafting Epic JourneysAmerican Theater — Cinema
446 King Street
Moderated by Nic Stone with Alex London, Julian Randall, Brendan Reichs, and Ryan Graudin
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Last Violent Call Pop-upAmerican Theater — Stars Bar
446 King Street
You’re invited to the world of Chloe Gong’s Last Violent Call! Come to the Riveted by Simon Teen booth at the festival to secure your wristband entry!
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Penguin Teen’s YA SoiréeCharleston Museum — Courtyard
360 Meeting Street
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Penguin Teen’s YA Soirée: Join Penguin Teen for drinks and treats as we give away ARCs of three of our highly anticipated Spring 2023 YA novels!
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Worlds Without End: Keeping long running series and format-spanning worlds aliveCharleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Moderated by Maggie Stiefvater with Cassandra Clare, Sarah Mlynowski, Melissa de la Cruz
Sponsored by I Read YA
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The Flawed Protagonist: Making Characters Make MessesAmerican Theater — Ballroom
446 King Street
Moderated by Raphael Simon with Mark Oshiro, Ryan Graudin, Mary Alice Monroe, Angela May, and Julian Randall
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AMA Mental Health: Depression, Anxiety and WritingCharleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
Moderated by Claribel A. Ortega with Lio Min, Max Brallier, Amanda Glaze, and Brianna Peppins
Presented by Bloomsbury
Panel Giveaway: Limited Galleys for If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude, Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton, and No Perfect Places by Steven Salvatore
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AMA CraftAmerican Theater — Cinema
446 King Street
Moderated by Melissa Albert with Tracy Deonn, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Rachel Griffin, and Kylie Lee Baker
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Beyond Bridgerton: The Cool Kids Table of Historical FantasyCharleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Moderated by Adalyn Grace with Sasha Peyton Smith, Brittany N. Williams, Amanda Glaze, and Chloe Gong
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AMA: LGBTQIA+American Theater — Ballroom
446 King Street
Moderated by David Levithan with Lizz Huerta, Naz Kutub, Jas Hammonds, Raphael Simon, and Mark Oshiro
Panel Giveaway: Limited ARC Giveaway Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker and Into the Light by Mark Oshiro
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Allowing for AngerCharleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
Moderated by Samira Ahmed with Shannon Hale, Victoria Aveyard, Ashley Woodfolk, and Laura Gao
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Debuts: How to navigate your first book?American Theater — Cinema
446 King Street
Moderated by Jason June with Maya Prasad, Matthew Dawkins, Sofía Lapuente, Nick Brooks, and Jarrod Shusterman
Sponsored by Disney Publishing Worldwide
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Bookish Bingo with Inkyard PressCharleston Museum — Courtyard
360 Meeting Street
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Join Inkyard Press with authors Susan Lee (Seoulmates), Kylie Lee Baker (The Keeper of Night), Ivelisse Housman (Unseelie), and Ananya Devarajan (Kismant Connection), as they host bookish bingo! Play for some free swag and ARCs of upcoming Inkyard books. Event will be limited to the first 50 guests.
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Closing Keynote with Cassandra Clare and Dhonielle ClaytonCharleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Presented by Riveted by Simon Teen
Come close out YALLFest 2022 with Cassandra Clare (Chain of Thorns, City of Bones) and Dhonielle Clayton (The Marvellers, Whiteout).
Giveaway: Limited CHAIN OF THORNS fans
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Feet of Clay, Eyes on the Stars: Juggling the Super and the NaturalAmerican Theater — Ballroom
446 King Street
Moderated by Ayana Gray with Sasha Peyton Smith, Rachel Griffin, Gina Chen, Brianna Joy Crump, and Jason June
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Main Character Vibes: What Makes a Character Stick?Charleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
Moderated by David Bowles with Alex Aster, Megan Whalen Turner, Kat Cho, Mary Alice Monroe, and Angela May
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Ensemble Stories and Why We Love ThemAmerican Theater — Cinema
446 King Street
Moderated by Cynthia Leitich Smith with Adam Sass, Tiffany D. Jackson, TJ Klune, and Brittany N. Williams
Panel Giveaway: Limited ARC Giveaway of Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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YA SmackdownCharleston Music Hall
37 John Street
YALLFest’s most beloved tradition, the Smackdown, is back for the ELEVENTH TIME!
That’s EE-leven years of Golden Pie Awards, Juvenilia, Tiger Beat, LivingTableau Book Covers, Hollywood Squares, Borderline-Inappropriate Sketches Based on Picture Books and Epic Lip Sync Battles.
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