So on Saturday 28th Feb I attended the first ever UKYA Extravaganza at Waterstones Birmingham, organised by the formidable Kerry Drewery and Emma Pass. There was a staggering collection of 33 authors with an avid audience of bloggers, vloggers, booksellers, librarians and book enthusiasts of all kinds.
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First off, thank you to @LibwithAttitude for my ticket. I missed out on the sale of tickets, but Lib sadly couldn't attend so she was very kind to send it on to me, with a lovely little note too. My phone died so no tweets, but this write up is for you Lib, and George who I also promised tweets. My bad...
Sadly I missed the first half hour (traffic in Birmingham... quel nightmare!) but lovely Jim from YAYeahYeah caught me up. There format of the event was mini panels of 5 authors and one minute each to summarise their books, followed by a Q&A. According to Jim, the first panel attempted short readings each, but it soon became clear this wouldn't work. Which was a shame, because I would have been keen to hear more from all the authors. If the event were to be repeated, I personally think it could have done with either being smaller or longer, giving more time to each author. I really won't complain though, because it was brilliant to hear about so many fantastic books and meet so many booklovers.
If like me, you looked at the line up and saw amazing authors you'd heard of but never picked up, here were some of my highlights and new discoveries:
I was very keen to meet Keren and was lucky to have a conversation with her about her inspiration. Interesting fact -she didn't speak to any adopted children before writing this story. She spoke to adoptive parents, social workers and other people involved in adoption, but not an actual adopted child themselves.
As she is not adopted herself, Keren wanted to avoid the story becoming too biographical of any child she spoke to. As someone effected by adoption, I'm curious to see what my reaction to the rest of the story will be and have promised Keren to give her my reaction when I'm finished. I will definitely be reviewing it here in due course.
Books I picked up on the day (because they sounded awesome
and I couldn't resist!)
Christina Banach, author of Misty
One morning, Christina woke up to a sugary smell. It was exactly the smell her father a baker, would bring home with him every day from work. She then heard the happy panting of her rescue dog. Trouble is, both had been dead for several months.
And then suddenly, the entire story of Misty where one identical twin watched the other from beyond the grave came straight into her head. Christina's story was so inexplicable and she told it with such conviction that I ran to the table and snapped up one of the last copies.I'm really glad this comes from indy publisher Three Hares Publishing, and it's right at the top of my TBR pile. Check out Christina's full story here http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life
Books I brought along with me
Keren David, author of Salvage
I am slowly but surely making my way through the YA Book Prize Shortlist, so Keren was the only author I had read before this point. Salvage is the story of Cass and Aidan, brother and sister separated by an adoption. On a personal note, I was adopted by one of my parents and I do not know anything, by choice, about the other side of my parentage. So this subject is very close to me, whilst also being something that I have not really thought much about which makes it a weird but really provoking read for me. I am currently 50 pages in, and I'm really enjoying it thus far.
Keren David, author of Salvage
I am slowly but surely making my way through the YA Book Prize Shortlist, so Keren was the only author I had read before this point. Salvage is the story of Cass and Aidan, brother and sister separated by an adoption. On a personal note, I was adopted by one of my parents and I do not know anything, by choice, about the other side of my parentage. So this subject is very close to me, whilst also being something that I have not really thought much about which makes it a weird but really provoking read for me. I am currently 50 pages in, and I'm really enjoying it thus far.
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| Lovely dedication from Keren |
As she is not adopted herself, Keren wanted to avoid the story becoming too biographical of any child she spoke to. As someone effected by adoption, I'm curious to see what my reaction to the rest of the story will be and have promised Keren to give her my reaction when I'm finished. I will definitely be reviewing it here in due course.
and I couldn't resist!)
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| Lovely dedication part 2 from Christina |
One morning, Christina woke up to a sugary smell. It was exactly the smell her father a baker, would bring home with him every day from work. She then heard the happy panting of her rescue dog. Trouble is, both had been dead for several months.
And then suddenly, the entire story of Misty where one identical twin watched the other from beyond the grave came straight into her head. Christina's story was so inexplicable and she told it with such conviction that I ran to the table and snapped up one of the last copies.I'm really glad this comes from indy publisher Three Hares Publishing, and it's right at the top of my TBR pile. Check out Christina's full story here http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life
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| My haul for the day |
Eve Ainsworth, author of 7 Days
I've heard a lot about this book and the fact that it's a dual narrative told both the victim and bully's point of view made it impossible not to buy. Especially when Eve was the first person I spoke to and she was so incredibly nice.
I've heard a lot about this book and the fact that it's a dual narrative told both the victim and bully's point of view made it impossible not to buy. Especially when Eve was the first person I spoke to and she was so incredibly nice.
Books I wish I could have bought *if it weren't for my self-impossed limit*
Both of Kerry's books are set in hostile places she has never been able to visit, Afghanistan and North Korea. So I asked her how she could properly represent these places she had never been to. She pointed out that no-one has ever been to the places written about in a lot of fantasy and science fiction, but that as these were real places with real problems she felt a big need to portray them right. So she read lots of different kinds of books on all the places and immersed herself as much as she could into the place. Little writer's note: Kerry writes in an attic room with no windows and a slopped roof. So she covers the slopped wall in front of her desk with pictures of the place she is writing about to really get a feel for it.
Emma Pass, also an organiser and author of Acid
Acid is a dystopic novel about a girl who is busted out of prison by a rebel group, and our heroine has to find out why, and why she was there in the first place. This sounds a lot like a terrible novel I wrote when I was 14, so this is really a curiosity/self-flagulation thing.
Alan Gibbons, author of Hate
This book to me sounded really interesting as it about the murder of a girl by four ignorant lads because she is a goth. The vilification of subcultures like 'goth' is something I find really horrible and sad, so I'm sure this book is going to touch me. Also, Hate is inspired by Alan's meeting with the mother of a girl who was murdered for dressing as a goth. So this is going to be really raw and truthful hopefully.
Alan also went on something of a 'middle aged man rant' - his words, not mine - about libraries shutting down in Birmingham. Good to have another warrior on the scene.
Sarah Naughton, author of The Blood List
This story was inspired by a programme Sarah watched about medieval folk stories, where Sarah heard about how parents used to leave their babies out in the woods in the hope that the fairies would replace them with perfect babies. The Blood List is a story about a family this happens to, and the repercussions afterwards when the 'perfect child''s origins start to unravel. This sounds to me akin to Half Bad, which I really enjoyed, so will pick this up next pay day for sure.
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| Swag |
The Wanderers sounds like a trippy, YA version of The Night Circus. I LOVED THE NIGHT CIRCUS so I am really looking forward to this, but why is September so far away? Time to read The Dark Days in the meantime I guess...
Kendra Leighton, author of Glimpse
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees.
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas.
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
Glimpse was inspired by Alfred Noyes's poem 'The Highway Man', which I loved in high
school, so that may just have to go on the TBR pile too.
Caroline Green, author of Cracks
Cracks is the story of a girl who can see actual cracks forming in the world that no-one else can see and how she deals with this. Caroline had a moment of inspiration when she saw a crack in one of her bathroom tiles while brushing your teeth. Moral of the story, brush your teeth more. That's where the magic happens.
Lou Morgan, author of Sleepless
Sleepless is a horror/thriller about what happens when students take performance enhancing drugs. I love the concept, but probably won't pick it up because I am a big chicken and can't read horror without being up for days, rocking in my bed clutching a flashlight.
Bryony Pearce, author of The Weight of Souls
Ghost stories seemed a strong theme at this event, and Bryony's 2nd novel fit in very well. I loved the idea of ghosts marking you and having to find the murderer. I'll be keen to give this a read, because I think the balance of darkness in this could be really interesting.
Sarah Sky, author of Code Red Lipstick
I didn't get to hear Sarah talk, but I did discover she went to Nottingham Uni, just like myself and Lauren E. James. So it would be just plain rude of me not to pick up her book. Looking forward to this one, and Lauren's The Next Together coming in September.
Honourable mentions
Honourable mentions
CJ Daughtery, author of The Night School Series
I had heard of CJ and her series before but not picked it up. I was very interested to hear it was inspired by the Bullingham Club and a picture she saw of Eaton.
I had heard of CJ and her series before but not picked it up. I was very interested to hear it was inspired by the Bullingham Club and a picture she saw of Eaton.
Rose Mannering, author of Roses
Roses is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and is part of a wider trilogy inspired by fairy tales. I always like the sound of these allegorical sort of books, and intend to read around them quite widely - handy goodreads list in anyone is keen to do the same.
Overall, I had a really good time at the event and as you can tell from the above, discovered some fantastic books and authors. I met some great new people, including Olivia who is a fellow newbie blogger - check out her great blog Write for Real here.
Roses is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and is part of a wider trilogy inspired by fairy tales. I always like the sound of these allegorical sort of books, and intend to read around them quite widely - handy goodreads list in anyone is keen to do the same.
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| Author line-up (this is only half of them!) |
Overall, I had a really good time at the event and as you can tell from the above, discovered some fantastic books and authors. I met some great new people, including Olivia who is a fellow newbie blogger - check out her great blog Write for Real here.
I want to say a massive well done to everyone involved, it was a great day and I would love to go to another event like this. And I'm in luck because... *drum roll*...
There is to be another UKYA Extravaganza event in October in Nottingham!
My university town, yay!
Find out all the details of this second event and watch videos of the event on Saturday
over at Chelle's lovely Tales of Yesterday.
Bookish love!
Rachel
Fab write-up of the day, well jell :)
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