Main Stage

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KEYNOTE

Time: 9:50 AM - 10:40 AM

Keynote Speakers: Daniel José Older (Shadowshaper Cypher & Star Wars: Last Shot), and Elizabeth Acevedo (The Poet X)  in conversation with Saraciea Fennell, Bronx Book Festival Founder

Description: Authors will be in conversation with Saraciea Fennell discussing their ties to the Bronx, why it’s important to have access to literature and poetry in underserved communities, each author will read a short passage from their current books, discuss their work, the push for diversity, and why it’s so important to write for a black and brown audience.

Signing: 11:00 AM - 11:40 AM

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ADULT

Time: 11:00 AM - 11:40 AM

Panel: The Immigrant Experience

Panelists: Rakesh Satyal (No One Can Pronounce My Name), Ibi Zoboi (American Street)

Moderator: Whitney Hu (National Book Foundation)

Description: Like the Bronx, America was founded on and comprised of immigrants--families who emigrated from their respective countries to America in search of the American dream. In The Immigrant Experience authors Ibi Zoboi and Rakesh Satyal will speak on the immigrant experiences of themselves and/or their families and how it influences their writing. This panel is moderated by the National Book Foundation's director of public programs Whitney Hu.   

Signing: 12:00 PM -12:40 PM

MIDDLE GRADE

Time: 12:00 PM - 12:40 PM

Panel: Kid Tested, Mother Approved: Authors Discuss Writing for Middle Grade Readers

Panelists: Coe Booth (Kinda Like Brothers), Booki Vivat (Frazzled), Karuna Riazi (The Gauntlet), Sayantani DasGupta (The Serpent's Secret), David Barclay Moore (The Stars Beneath Our Feet)

Moderator: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Two Naomis)

Description: Middle-grade authors of contemporary and fantasy fiction discuss transporting readers to vibrant worlds, whether it's into a board game or down the block. They'll talk about their work, how they chose to write for a middle grade audience, their favorite middle grade reads from childhood to now, and how they recreate the spirit of childhood—with all its curiosity and fears—in their characters.

Signing: 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM

ADULT

Time: 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM

Panel: Evolving Stories of the Bronx

Panelists: Arlene Alda (Just Kids from the Bronx), Charles Rice-Gonzalez (Chulito)

Moderator: Kem Joy Ukwu

Description: The Bronx is home to the Yankee Stadium, and is known for many things, including the original "Little Italy" neighborhood, the largest park in NYC, Pelham Bay Park (over 3x bigger than Central Park), and many would argue it's where hip hop got its origin story. Two Bronx authors from different generations discuss the generational shifts in the Bronx, what has changed and what continues to be the heartbeat of this borough.

Signing: 2:00 PM - 2:40 PM

YOUNG ADULT

Time: 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM

Panel: YA Rising: New Voices of Young Adult Fiction

Panelists: NoNieqa Ramos (The Disturbed Girls Dictionary), Lilliam Rivera (The Education of Margot Sanchez), Arvin Ahmadi (Down and Across), Ismée WIlliams (Water in May), Mark Oshiro (Anger is a Gift)

Moderator: Tiffany Jackson (Allegedly and Monday is Not Coming)

Description: Authors who’ve recently published their first young adult novel will discuss their books, their paths to publication, the current trends in YA publishing, how to write for teens in today's world, and how they stay connected to the voices and lives of their audience

Signing: 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM

ADULT

Time: 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM

Panel: Resistance Through Art

Panelists: Raquel Cepeda (Some Girls & Bird of Paradise), Sofia Quintero (Show and Prove), Ron Kavanaugh (Mosaic Magazine), Emi Valerio (Say Yes to You)

Moderator: Henry Obispo, founder of Born Juice  

Description:  Since the last presidential election in America, the term “resistance” has appeared in our daily lives with an added sense of urgency and potency. To be a part of the resistance means many things—resistance to anti-immigration policy, racism, queer-antagonistic, ableist, and misogynistic ideology and rhetoric. In this panel authors will discuss how this term has risen to the forefront of nearly every conversation about our identity and the ways in which they engage in resistance through their art.

Signing: 4:00 PM - 4:40 PM

YOUNG ADULT

Time: 3:50 PM - 4:35 PM

Panel: Coloring the Intersection: Queer Authors of Color in Discussion

Panelists: Adam Silvera (They Both Die at the End), Mark Oshiro (Anger is a Gift), Heidi Heilig (The Ship Beyond Time), K. Arsenault Rivera (The Tiger’s Daughter)

Moderator: Patrice Caldwell, Associate Editor, Disney-Hyperion, and founder of People of Color in Publishing

Description: Queer authors of color, discuss their work, from the art and craft of writing generally to how their identity does or does not impact what and who they choose to write about. Panel topics will include the authors' paths to publication, being multiply marginalized in an industry that struggles to get past Diversity 101, as well as finding their voices in a culture that hasn't been listening.

Signing: 4:45 PM - 5:30 PM