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Young adult books are incredibly popular for their entertainment value, but they’re also incredibly important for the impact they can have on readers. This makes YA Day a great idea. YA books are often not considered to have literary merit – they’re not in the VCE curriculum after all – but this is absurd. Young adults need young adult books so they can read about relatable characters. This is also why we need diverse books. Relatable characters help teens learn about themselves, discover who they are, and feel assured and confident in who they’re becoming. For all these reasons and more, I was so excited when I found out about YA Day.
What is YA Day?
YA Day was held for the first time last year. It has a huge program of Australian young adult authors who speak about a range of topics to do with their books. There are opportunities to get books signed, giveaways, quizzes, and a raffle. You also get to hear from agents about what they’re looking for, how to get your book published, and the latest news surrounding the YA market.
Who is YA Day hosted by?
The YA Room hosts YA Day. They’re a Melbourne young adult book club hosted by Sarah Robinson-Hatch, Shaun Goodhue and Bianca Breen. I haven’t attended any of their book club sessions yet, but I plan to go to their next meet up. As well as their once-a-month book club they host book launches, movie nights and picnics. You can find out about them and see what they’re up to here.
The event
On Saturday (9th February) I attended the 2019 YA Day. I’ve been trying to be more involved in writing events and get to know people with similar interests to me, especially now I’m not studying full-time. I had some fantastic conversations with like-minded people and learnt more about writing and young adult books. The program was packed full of panels.
Program for the day
10.00 – Welcome! Hello from The YA Room and Writers Victoria.
10.15 – Panel 1: Keep Them in Suspense, with Fleur Ferris, Anna Snoekstra, and Sarah Epstein.
11.15 – Panel 2: It’s Alive! with Danielle Binks, Nina Kenwood, and Ellie Marney.
12.15 – Panel 3: Spectacular SF/F, with Amie Kaufman, Astrid Scholte, and Jodi McAlister.
1.05 – Book signing with authors from first three panels and lunch. Books available from The Younger Sun and merch from Nook & Burrow.
1.50 – #LoveOzYA video. Hear all about some exciting upcoming releases from the authors.
2.00 – Panel 4: Ask an Author Anything, with Michael Earp, Alison Evans, and Katya de Becerra.
3.00 – Panel 5: First Drafts Suck, with Will Kostakis, Jay Kristoff, and Lili Wilkinson.
3:45 – Book signing with authors from the last two panels.
Australian authors
As you can see, there were fifteen incredible Australian authors to hear from! It’s great it was an Australian event that allowed authors to promote their books. Our community’s often flooded by well-known American authors and media such as Netflix, and while this isn’t a bad thing, it means Aussie authors may not get as much publicity.
I’ve only read books by two of the authors on the list, but I definitely have plans to pick up more of their books. I haven’t read many thrillers in comparison to fantasy, but all the authors made me want to dig into their books right away.
I managed to get two books I took with me signed by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. They were super lovely. I was super awkward. But I did it and now I have two more signed books on my shelf to treasure!
Writing and book events
YA Day has made me want to be more involved in events and get to know more people. I think that’s what all writing events should aspire to make attendants feel. They often achieve this because readerships have such friendly fanbases! Everyone just wants to make everyone feel welcomed, so writing and book events are such inclusive spaces!
What’s your favourite writing or book event you’ve attended? I also attended YA Day 2020.