Would You Rather Battle a Supervillain Chicken for a Day or Work for a Grumpy Squid for a Week?
And Other Important Middle Grade Questions
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
With Brandon Mull, Gail Carson Levine, Lily Berlin Dodd, Rajani LaRocca, and Camryn Garrett
It's a Thrill to Be Here
Page-Turning Thrillers That Keep Us Guessing
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
Moderated by Maureen Johnson with Lamar Giles, Kendall Annette, Soman Chainani, Ryan La Sala, and E. Lockhart
Friends, Romans, Besties, Countrymen
Building Character Relationships Across Friends, Family, and Love Interests
Sponsored by Hyperion
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
Moderated by Camryn Garrett with Sarah Dessen, Kelly Quindlen, Alaa Al-Barkawi, and Paula Chase
ROMFEST Keynote with Sarah Beth Durst
American Theater—Ballroom, 446 King St.
Sarah Beth Durst in conversation with Tricia Levenseller
Wow, This Escape Room is Really Hard
Reading for Escapism and Why We Get Lost in Our Favorite Worlds
Sponsored by Penguin Teen
American Theater—Cinema, 446 King St.
Moderated by Julian Winters with Sasha Peyton Smith, Gloria Munoz, F A Davidson, and I V Marie
(Re)Starting Over
Coming Up With New Ideas and Knowing Which to Follow
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
Moderated by Allison Saft with Lynn Painter, Ayana Gray, Anna Bright, Ava Reid, and Lauren Blackwood
B-I-N-G-O
Authors Who Write for Teens, Tweens and Younger Battle It Out in an Epic Bingo Battle!
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
Moderated by Paula Chase with Kiara Valdez, Amanda Foody, E L Shen, and Shannon Messenger
To Infinity and Beyond the Page
Storytelling Across Mediums
American Theater—Cinema, 446 King St.
Moderated by Margaret Stohl with Tochi Onyebuchi, Brandon Hoàng, Shannon J Spann, and Shannon Lee
No Worries, I Got This!
How to Be a Teen While Also Dealing with Creatures, Magic, and the Vastness of Space
Sponsored by Wednesday Books
American Theater—Ballroom, 446 King St.
Moderated by Ashley Poston with Robyn Schneider, C L Herman, Lola StVil, and Noelle Monét
It's Not Rocket Science (Fiction)
Droids, Dystopias, and Superpowers
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
Moderated by Margaret Stohl with Kami Garcia, Chloe Gong, Tahereh Mafi, Ashley Poston, and Veronica Roth
Meeting the Moment
Portraying Modern Teens in Fiction
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
Moderated by Keala Kendall with Maureen Johnson, Alaa Al-Barkawi, DeAndra Davis, Natasha Diaz, and Page Powars
ROMFest: Balancing the Dragon Scales
Romance, Fantasy, and Making Sure Everything Feels Cohesive
THIS PANEL IS DESIGNED FOR READERS 18 & OVER AND MAY CONTAIN ADULT CONTENT
American Theater—Ballroom, 446 King St.
Moderated by Tricia Levenseller with Melissa de la Cruz, Ann Liang, Brigid Kemmerer, Olivia Wildenstein, and Mary E Pearson
A Strong Foundation
Building a Story from the Ground Up
American Theater - Cinema, 446 King St.
Moderated by David Levithan with E L Shen, Marisa Churchill, Emily Varga, and Ransom Riggs
Middle Grade Monopoly
An Interactive Game Where YOU Ask the Questions
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
With Brandon Mull, Gail Carson Levine, Lily Berlin Dodd, H D Hunter, and Julian Winters
A Whole New World
Crafting a Magical and Intriguing Fantasy World
Sponsored by Mayhem Books
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
Moderated by Shannon J Spann with Fonda Lee, Kristen Ciccarelli, Stephanie Garber, Ikwo Ntekim, and Shannon Lee
State of the Art
Blending Pictures and Words Into Graphic Novels
American Theater—Ballroom, 446 King St.
Moderated by Jarrett Krosoczka with Tochi Onyebuchi, Kami Garcia, Kiara Valdez, Miles Toriko Burks, and Brandon Hoàng
The Brain Game
Neurodivergence and Mental Health in YA
American Theater - Cinema, 446 King St.
Moderated by DeAndra Davis with Taylor Grothe, Andrew Joseph White, Christina Ferko, and Kat Cho
Writing, In Spite of it All
Writing, In Spite of It All: Everyday Distractions, AI, and the World
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
Moderated by Soman Chainani with M J Hastings, Ikwo Ntekim, Kelly Quindlen, and Ava Reid
Expansion Packs
Building, Broadening, and Evolving the World of a Series
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
Moderated by Ransom Riggs with Tracy Deonn, Cassandra Clare, Kristen Ciccarelli, Chloe Gong, and Adalyn Grace
ROMFest: Well Matched
Creating Complimentary Love Interests That Readers Swoon Over
THIS PANEL IS DESIGNED FOR READERS 18 & OVER AND MAY CONTAIN ADULT CONTENT
American Theater—Ballroom, 446 King St.
Moderated by Stephanie Garber with Melissa de la Cruz, N E Davenport, Brigid Kemmerer, Sarah Beth Durst, Kaylie Smith, and Allison Saft
A Star is Born
Main Characters and the Stories They Fit In
American Theater - Cinema, 446 King St.
Moderated by Anna Bright with Lola StVil, Rajani LaRocca, E. Lockhart, Ryan La Sala, and Teri Dederer
I Feel Conflicted
I Feel Conflicted: Creating Friction for the Good of the Plot
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
Moderated by Adalyn Grace with Kendall Annette, Shannon Messenger, I V Marie, Gloria Munoz, and Teri Dederer
A Most Enchanting Romance
Teen Love Across Genre
Sponsored by Listening Library
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
Moderated by Emily Varga with Lynn Painter, Page Powars, Kat Cho, Sasha Peyton Smith, Miles Toriko Burks
Making a Page a Portal
How the Written Word Becomes a World That Feels Real to the Reader
American Theater—Ballroom, 446 King St.
Moderated by Tracy Deonn with Amanda Foody, C L Herman, Marisa Churchill, Natasha Diaz, and Allison Saft
I Can’t Look Away
The Everlasting Appeal of Getting Scared
Sponsored by Peachtree Teen
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
Moderated by H D Hunter with Andrew Joseph White, Taylor Grothe, Lamar Giles, Christina Ferko, and Keala Kendall
ROMFest: I See the Vision
I See the Vision: Balancing Author Intent with Audience Expectations
THIS PANEL IS DESIGNED FOR READERS 18 & OVER AND MAY CONTAIN ADULT CONTENT
American Theater—Ballroom, 446 King St.
Moderated by Lauren Blackwood with Tricia Levenseller, Olivia Wildenstein, Mary E Pearson, N E Davenport, and Kaylie Smith
Kill Your Darlings
Edits and Taking a Story from Written to Refined
American Theater - Cinema, 446 King St.
Moderated by David Levithan with Noelle Monét, M J Hastings, Fonda Lee, and Robyn Schneider
Story/Telling
INFERENCES, DESCRIPTIONS, AND HOW MUCH TO TELL YOUR READER
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
With Brendan Reichs, Victoria Aveyard, Joelle Wellington, Lyla Lee, Page Powars, and Jamie Jo Hoang
Staring at the Blank Page Before You
GROWING AN IDEA INTO A BOOK
American Theater - Ballroom, 446 King St.
With Danielle Paige, Codie Crowley, Gayle Forman, Idris Goodwin, Jamie D'Amato, and Jennifer Iacopelli
Building Off the Blueprints
HOW FORMAT CHANGES A STORY, FROM GRAPHIC NOVELS TO VERSE
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
With Olivia A Cole, Ashley Woodfolk, Ngozi Ukazu, Trung Le Nguyen, Hannah V. Sawyerr, and Amber McBride
There’s Something About Magic
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MAGIC
Sponsored by PiqueBeyond
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
With Victoria Aveyard, Tracy Deonn, C L Herman, Hafsah Faizal, Amanda Foody, & Marissa Meyer
And I Would Have Gotten Away With It, Too
IF IT WASN’T FOR THIS MEDDLING PANEL
Sponsored by Wednesday Books
American Theater - Ballroom, 446 King St.
With Diana Rodriguez Wallach, Helena Haywoode Henry, Grady Hendrix, Tiffany D Jackson, Joelle Wellington, Mia Manansala
Most Likely To
CRAFTING A CAST OF CHARACTERS
American Theater - Cinema, 446 King St.
With Alanna Bennett, Max Brallier, Alexandra Brown Chang, Codie Crowley, Stuart Gibbs, and KA Linde
No One Write Way
JOURNEYS TO AUTHORHOOD
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
With Shannon Spann, Taylor Simonds, Marie Lu, Ebony LaDelle, Abdi Nazemian, and Axie Oh
LGBTQIA+ AMA
American Theater - Ballroom, 446 King St.
With David Levithan, Lyla Lee, Jamie D’Amato, Mark Oshiro
Déjà Vu
RETELLINGS AND NEW TAKES ON FAVE TALES
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St
With Sarah Mlynowski, Danielle Paige, Allison Saft, Trung Le Nguyen, Ashlee Latimer, and A B Poranek
There’s a Demon in My Backpack
AND OTHER ISSUES WITH MIXING ACADEMICS AND MAGIC
American Theater - Ballroom, 446 King St.
With Ava Reid, J. Elle, Elise Kova, Claribel Ortega, and Scott Reintgen
Marvel, Magic and Modern Myth Making
WRITING AS BEING A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
With Margaret Stohl, Tracy Deonn, Ryan North, Mark Oshiro, Allison Saft, and Elizabeth Lim
Things I Wish I Knew When I Was Shorter
MIDDLE GRADE AUTHORS TALK WRITING FOR KIDS
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
With Alyson Gerber, Melissa de la Cruz, Amber McBride, Donna Barba Higuera, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lakita Wilson
Crushin’ It
ROMANCE, LOVE, AND HAPPILY EVER AFTERS
American Theater - Cinema, 446 King St.
With Ashley Woodfolk, Olivia A Cole, KL Walther, Lyla Lee, and Page Powars
Don’t Let the Author Fly the Spaceship
SCIENCE FICTION AND THE FUTURE
Sponsored by Simon Teen
American Theater - Ballroom, 446 King St.
With Ryan North, Chloe Gong, Taylor Simonds, Jill Tew, Scott Reintgen, and Donna Barba Higuera
One for the Ages
WRITING ACROSS AUDIENCES AND EXPECTATIONS
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
With Marie Lu, Melissa de la Cruz, Mia P. Manansala, Margaret Stohl, Alex Aster, and Rebecca Ross
We Have to Be Realistic (Fiction) About This
American Theater - Cinema, 446 King St.
With David Levithan, Idris Goodwin, Jamie Jo Hoang, Jennifer Iacopelli, and Gordon Korman
“Does This Count as Writing?”
THE WRITING PROCESS, BEYOND WORD COUNT
Sponsored by Underlined
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
With Jesmeen Kaur Deo, Diana Rodriguez Wallach, Katie Gilbert, Elise Kova, Alanna Bennett, and KL Walther
I Turned Pretty in Autumn
(AND OTHER TEEN PROBLEMS WE WRITE ABOUT)
Sponsored by Sourcebooks Fire
American Theater - Cinema, 446 King St.
With Lakita Wilson, Ebony LaDelle, Hannah V. Sawyerr, Katie Gilbert, Ashlee Latimer, and Axie Oh
MGnopoly
MIDDLE GRADE MONOPOLY
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
With Claribel A. Ortega, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Gordon Korman, Mark Oshiro, Max Brallier
The Vibes Are Immaculate
THE AESTHETICS OF STORYTELLING
Sponsored by Disney Hyperion
American Theater - Ballroom, 446 King St.
With Alexandra Brown Chang, Freddie Kölsch, Hafsah Faizal, Michelle Jabès Corpora, Kate Christensen, & Rachel Griffin
Maps are Stories and Stories are Maps
WORLD BUILDING AND WORD BUILDING, AND WHY BOTH MATTER
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
With Renée Ahdieh, Ngozi Ukazu, Isabel Ibañez, Dustin Thao, Chloe Gong, and Adam Silvera
My Genre-fied Romance
ROMANTASY & ROMANTASCI-FI
Sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
With Jill Tew, A B Poranek, Jamie D'Amato, Isabel Ibañez, Elizabeth Lim, and Dustin Thao
Plotting (and Losing the Plot)
HOW THE MACHINE OF STORYTELLING WORKS
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
With Grady Hendrix, Jesmeen Kaur Deo, Michelle Jabès Corpora, Helena Haywoode Henry, KA Linde, and Renée Ahdieh
Neverending Stories, Stories Without End
THE ART OF THE SERIES
Sponsored by Epic Reads
American Theater - Ballroom, 446 King St.
With Soman Chainani, Ava Reid, Amanda Foody, Adam Silvera, C L Herman, and J. Elle
That’s Freaking Teamwork
WHY WE EDIT BOOKS
American Theater - Cinema, 446 King St.
With David Levithan, Brendan Reichs, Victor Piñeiro, Abdi Nazemian, Freddie Kölsch, and Kate Christensen
Middle Grade Jeopardy
Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.
With Soman Chainani, Gayle Forman, Stuart Gibbs, Victor Piñeiro, Alyson Gerber, and Christina Diaz Gonzalez