This Week:
Conference season is here! We are getting all excited for BEA (Book Expo America) and ALA (American Library Association's conference), and we want to know: What authors would be on your dream author panel?
I'm lucky that I've seen so many great authors already! I live close to Anderson's Bookshop, who brings in just about every YA and kidlit author short of J.K. Rowling. They've hosted top-notch authors of all genres, like Neil Gaiman, Jodi Picoult, and soon JUDY BLUME! (She will speak prior to a viewing of Tiger Eyes at a local theatre).
I've ended up buying books from authors I wasn't familiar with simply because they were so entertaining on a panel with other writers. Sarah Rees Brennan comes to mind--she is a delight! Libba Bray is hilarious in person, and I was fortunate to see her with Meg Cabot and Maggie Stiefvater when they did the This Is Teen tour in 2011. I've seen a panel moderated by David Levithan, who is just--how does he have time to write books, edit books, put together a teen conference, and then, oh you know, fly around the country to moderate bookstore panels? Amazing. That panel he moderated included Andrea Creamer, who he now has collaborated on for a new book, Invisibility, which just came out this month.
So, I don't really have a dream panel. I do love seeing authors interact and support each other. Beth Revis is another YA author who I found wonderfully engaging in person, as well as Simone Elkeles. I was able to see John Green last year as he accepted an award from the Chicago Tribune at Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago. He would be great to see with any other writer.
Who is on your dream author panel, or who is an author you'd love to meet someday?
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I'm with you - I've seen and met a number of amazing authors already. YA-wise, I heard Lauren Oliver speak and she was just wonderful and encouraging of the kids - and adults! - to write, to keep at it. (Oh, and I read Levithan's YA novel EVERY DAY and just loved it!)
ReplyDeleteThis summer, I'm looking forward to hearing Khaled Hosseini speak and sign his new book.
Working for many years for a large bookstore and attending book festivals has allowed me to witness some great writers as well. So I can see where you're coming from. My dream panel is made up of my "DREAM" writers like Lewis Carroll, Theodor Geisel, and Dante Alighieri. Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteLibba Bray and Maggie Stiefvater would be AWESOME on a panel! Those two would be top choices for me. And how could I forget John Green? Basically, if you were to throw Maureen Johnson, Stephanie Perkins, and Laini Taylor in the mix too, it would be my perfect dream panel. :-)
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm super jealous of you. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm dying a little inside of jealousy right now. I don't really live in an area that gets a lot of visits by authors so I haven't met any in person yet.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see Libba Bray in person -- she's just so creative and hilarious.
ReplyDeleteYou can find me here: Jen @ YA Romantics
Just going with the living: Jeffrey Eugenides, Amy Hempel, Haruki Murakami, Daniel Handler, Kelly Link, and John D'Agata.
ReplyDeleteYou're so lucky to have had these opportunities! Britain isn't great for major conferences and my local bookstore usually don't have many authors coming in to sign or talk. Such a shame.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I am so envious of you living near Chicago, and being able to meet all these charismatic authors. So cool.
ReplyDeleteStephanie, I'm giving you the Sunshine Award. Should you choose to participate, please stop by my blog and get it. I'd love to read your answers, and get to know you a little better.
Let's see... for living novelists, let's have Diane Duane, Jim Butcher, Neil Gaiman, Larry Niven, Elizabeth Moon, and Iain M Banks.
ReplyDeleteIf it's writers in general, I'd be tempted to cut Elizabeth and Iain and replace them with Stuart McLean and Joss Whedon. ;)