YA Author Talks for Ages 12+
Adolescence can be difficult to navigate, but YA authors and poets create worlds of fantasy and intrigue that help us cope with problems we face growing up. Poet and author Benjamin Zephaniah will discuss the social and political issues of his new book Terror Kid, and the way the passion of a young man can take a deadly turn.
We’re also joined by two authors with their fingers on the pulse of current affairs. Robert Muchamore and Sophie McKenzie will talk about both of their latest adventure novels for young adults: Muchamore’s Rock War and McKenzie’s Split Second. These bestselling authors will also talk about writing suspenseful and stimulating plots in YA novels. Bestselling fantasy writers Garth Nix and Joe Abercrombie will also discuss their latest novels: Nix’s prequel to his Old Kingdom series, Clariel, and Abercrombie’s debut into YA fiction with Half a King.
In the works of Sally Green and Marcus Sedgewick fantasy and magic take a darker turn. Sedgewick’s The Ghosts of Heaven took years of preparation to write and delves into humankind’s past, while Green’s Half Bad relates the story of rival groups of witches in the modern world.
The darker side of fiction continues with Michael Grant discussing his new series, Messenger of Fear, and he’s joined by Moira Young, author of the best-selling dystopian trilogy Dust Lands. Lucy Mangan from The Guardian will join Grant and Young as they talk about their books.
To cap off the Festival, join our Guest Artistic Director, David Almond, and fellow authors Melvin Burgess and Mal Peet, as they talk with publisher David Fickling about the YA genre, and whether authors, publishers, and readers all view this fairly new category with the same fondness.