Versions of this list appeared in the “What’s Up in YA?” newsletter last year. Sign up for the biweekly newsletter dedicated to all things young adult.
With a fresh new year comes a fresh new batch of awesome literary events throughout the USA. We’ve highlighted awesome annual literary events in each state before, but we’ve not yet focused entirely on young adult specific/heavy events. Let’s change that and talk all things YA literary events!
This list is far from comprehensive. There are events that are missing, particularly smaller events that happen at public libraries. Since not all conferences have announced dates, locations, or speakers yet for this year, some of the information you’ll find below is bare bones.
But the beauty of this is it’s a resource for you to keep returning to and planning around. Because even if you can’t actually attend one of these events, who doesn’t enjoy dreaming up a fantasy bookish trip?
I’ve stuck with specific to teen/YA lit events, except in cases which events were focused entirely on children’s literature more broadly and showed a wealth of YA events with it. If you know of other events fitting these parameters, drop a line. Know of great international YA lit–focused fests? Drop a line about those, too!
Get ready to get YA Lit across the USA.
YA Literary Events Across The USA
The African American Children’s Book Fair: February 2, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Teen Book Fest By The Bay: February 16, Corpus Christie, Texas
National Latino Children’s Literature Conference: February 28–March 2, San Antonio, Texas
Southeastern Young Adult Book Festival: March 7–9, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Ontario Teen Book Fest: March 9, Ontario, California
Children’s Literature Festival: March 17–19, Warrensburg, Missouri (at the University of Central Missouri)
North Texas Teen Book Festival: March 22–23, Irving, Texas
New York City Teen Author Festival: March TBA, New York City, New York
NoVA Teen Book Festival: March 30, Arlington, Virginia
Teen Book Con: March 30, League City, Texas
Chicago Young Adult Book Festival: April TBA, Chicago, Illinois
Colorado Teen Literature Conference: April TBA, Denver, Colorado
Southern Kentucky Book Fest: April 26–27, Bowling Green, Kentucky (They hold a teen and children’s day)
Twin Cities Teen Lit Con: April 27, Twin Cities area, Minnesota
Hudson Children’s Book Festival: May 4, Hudson, New York
Yall West: May 3–4, Santa Monica, California
Lit Up Teen Book Festival: May TBA, Kansas City, Missouri
Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival: May 18, Rochester, New York
YA Fest PA: Summer, Easton, Pennsylvania
Bookmarks Festival: September TBA, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Brooklyn Book Festival: September TBA, Brooklyn, New York
Pasadena Loves YA: September TBA, Pasadena, California
Boston Teen Book Festival: September 22, TBA, Boston, Massachusetts
Update:
Hey you might want to consider making an amendment to this article. @BTAFest is on hiatus and there will be no Boston Teen Book Fest in 2019. BTA will be back in 2020.
— Suzanne Lahna (@Vagabond_Sue) January 24, 2019
YA-hoo Fest: September TBA, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Texas Teen Book Festival: October TBA, Austin, Texas
Southern Festival of Books: October TBA, Nashville, Tennessee
Sheboygan Teen Book Festival: October TBA, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
YAS Book Con: October TBA, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Anderson’s Young Adult Literature Conference: October TBA, Naperville, Illinois
Books By The Banks: October TBA, Cincinnati, Ohio
Las Vegas Book Festival: October TBA, Las Vegas, Nevada
Read Up, Greenville: October TBA, Greenville, South Carolina
Pickerington Teen Book Festival: October TBA, Pickerington, Ohio
Colorado Teen Book Con: November TBA, Denver, Colorado
Epic Fest: November TBA, Charlotte, North Carolina
Yall Fest: November TBA, Charleston, South Carolina
Portland Book Festival: November TBA, Portland, Oregon
Source : YA Literary Events Across The USA For Your Bookish Road Tripping Needs
