YALC 2018 (and other bookish events)

I have attended many bookish events this year, but I realised I haven't properly talked about them here yet! I am obsessed with bookish events and I have been trying to pack as many of them in 2018 as I can. I love that I never feel much pressure to talk to people, but that knowing I have something in common with those around me makes me feel more confident in talking to them and making new friends. I hope that I get to attend many more in the future.

Angie Thomas The Hate U Give Event - Saturday 24th March

Angie Thomas' UK event was an impactful discussion on her novel The Hate U Give. Her debut novel is an extraordinary masterpiece that tackles a topical issue with such grace, and it was great to hear her talk about it in more depth. Thomas discussed the lives of the real-world victims of police brutality and what it is to live as a black person in America at this political moment. She talked about seeing pictures of Emmett Till's body when she was only six years old, and how black children have to learn from a young age that those who are supposedly there to protect them see them as inhuman and disposable. However, the message of this event was ultimately one of hope. Thomas explained that she saw her young readers as people who will shape the world. Writing The Hate U Give was her investment in a better future, and it is incredible to see the impact her words are already having on the world.

A Monster Calls play - Thursday 19th July

The stage performance of A Monster Calls at The Old Vic theatre was truly breathtaking. Based on Patrick Ness' novel of the same name, the play stayed true to its source material whilst modernising it in a way perfectly suited to contemporary theatre. The play was an entirely different experience to the novel or the film adaptation. It felt sharper and edgier, and the way they created the Monster was brilliantly creative. Being quite familiar with the story, it took me a while to adjust my perception, but once I did it was an incredibly powerful experience. This was the third time I had experienced this story, yet it was still able to leave me sobbing by the end.

YA Prom with Katherine Webber - Friday 20th July

This was one of the most quirky yet wonderful book events I have ever attended. In celebration of Katherine Webber's upcoming book, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Walker Books hosted a YA Prom-themed party. I attended with my book-nerd friends Juliet, Abi, Ellie, Willow, Ruth, Jenny, and Sophie and it was so much fun. The venue was gorgeous and the dresses were stunning. There were quizzes and goodie bags and a huge number of loved YA authors, plus I got to meet the prom queen Katherine Webber herself and get my advanced copy of her gorgeous novel signed. As with most parties, for me, it took me some time to get over my own social anxiety, but by the end of the night my friends and I were dancing and singing and genuinely having a great time.

YALC - Friday 27th July and Sunday 29th July

This was the first year I attended Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) for two days rather than one, and it was a whirlwind of excitement and exhaustion! It was kind of a last-minute decision to attend on the Friday, but I thought it would be fun to go with my family as my siblings would like the London Film and Comic Con (LFCC) side of things. On that Friday I attended the Can We Be Friends? talk which featured Alice Oseman, Gayle Forman, Lauren Price, and David Owen discussing the deliberate shift towards platonic love in YA. I also got to meet Alice Oseman and tell her how much her books mean to me, which was a really lovely experience. Later in the day I also bought three books and got to talk to a bunch of people working at the different book stalls who were either working in the publishing industry or interning with the publishers. Getting into publishing has been an aspiration of mine for some time now, and these girls were so lovely and helpful in sharing how they made their starts in the industry.

On Saturday I had work, but I was back to YALC again on Sunday. Travel was a bit of a struggle, but I made a train buddy and we managed to get into YALC together. On the YALC floor I met up with my book nerd group (same girls that I went to YA Prom with, minus Abi but plus my friend Sam). Going as a group of 8 at such a large event probably wasn't the best idea, and I felt bad that I didn't get to spend enough time with them all, but I think overall everyone had a good time. In the afternoon I went to the Real World, Real Me talk with Akemi Dawn Bowman, Eve Ainsworth, Holly Bourne, Lisa Williamson, and Lydia Ruffles. They had a really interesting discussion on the major issues that YA is currently dealing with, and there was a lovely message of spreading kindness. Whilst waiting for Akemi Dawn Bowman's book signing, I met the lovely Eve who blogs over at Twist in the Taile and we queued up together to get our books signed. Akemi was incredibly sweet and like with Alice I told her how stunning and important her book was to me.

The rest of that Saturday was dedicated to buying books. And I mean, a lot of books. Way more than I needed. Over the weekend I purchased a total of 10 books which cost me £42.98 in total. I have many regrets and my book buying problems count for half of them. But I was having fun so I'm going to let it slide, because what are cons for if not wasting all your money? All in all it was a great weekend.

What are some of the best bookish events you have attended? Do you have plans for any in the rest of 2018?