BOOKCON

Sunday, June 3, 2018

SHOW
DAILY
 HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
!
CELEBRATE AT BOOTH #2121
with swag and sweet treats, and don’t miss our face painting,
button making, giveaways, and more throughout the weekend.

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ALL-DAY GIVEAWAY
Show your proof of pre-order for Bridge of Clay,
Catwoman: Soulstealer, Skyward, or The Dark Descent of
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BRANDON
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

2:30-3:30 PM 3:00-4:00 PM SANDERSON

GIVEAWAY: GIVEAWAY:
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some of our favorite reads New York Times bestselling
and make your own button! author Brandon Sanderson!
C L A I M T H E S TA R S

GET YOUR BOOKS SIGNED BY YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS!

1:30-2:30 PM 1:30-2:30 PM
LAURA SEBASTIAN DAVID LEVITHAN 2:00-3:00 PM
PRH Signing Table Autograph Area: NIC STONE
Get a sneak peek of Table 3 Autograph Area:
book 2, Lady Smoke, Table 7
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 CONTENTS

Welcome to Day 2 of BookCon! There 12 Renegade Superheroes

Marissa Meyer’s new trilogy pits supposed heroes against
are lots of amazing events and panels for supposed villains—but of course it’s not that simple.
you to choose from. Read all about some
16 Nicola Yoon from Page to Screen
of our favorite authors appearing today The YA superstar wants her books to help readers under-
at the show. stand themselves better.

20 You Can Judge a Book by Its Musical

4 Show Highlights The creators of the Broadway smash Dear Evan Hansen
Here are our picks for today’s can’t-miss events. have turned their story into a novel.

6 Wake-up Call for America: President Bill Clinton 24 Mega Middle Grade
and James Patterson Dork Diaries creator Rachel Renée Russell talks about
The former president and the world’s most prolific thriller the importance of creating characters her readers can
writer launch their collaborative novel. identify with.

8 Beyond Diversity 101 26 What If Harry Potter Had Been Black?

We Need Diverse Books has grown alongside BookCon, Tomi Adeyemi talks about activism, Harry Potter, and
working for greater inclusiveness in publishing. Children of Blood and Bone.

10 Vacation Like a Wimpy Kid

Join the Heffleys on their family trip in “The Getaway Experi-
ence” and meet Wimpy Kid creator Jeff Kinney.

Publisher Joe Murray, Editor Craig Teicher, Art Director Jamison Jones, Copy Editor
Sonia Jaffe Robbins, Contributing Writers Matia Burnett, Dianna Dilworth, Elyssa
East, Gabe Habash, Claire Kirch, Hannah Kushnick, Beth Levine, Addie Morfoot,
Diane Patrick, Calvin Reid, Bogi Takács, Production Manager Michele Piscitelli,
Sales Coordinator Deena Ali, Published by Publishers Weekly.

2 THEBOOKCON.COM
 The much anticipated new novel from the
#1 New York Times bestselling author of

THE BOOK THIEF

ON SALE
10.9.18

STOP BY BOOTH #2121

#BridgeofClay
TO LEARN MORE
 SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

From novels by presidents to novelized musicals, there’s a lot to

check out today. Here are our picks for the must-see events.
10–10:30 AM 11:15 AM–NOON ROOM 1E16
Meet Dog Man I’ll Take Quidditch for Sarah MacLean, K.M. Jackson,
FAMILY HQ $500, Please!: An Audio- Aya de Léon, and Roni Loren
Half man, half dog, all hero— book Game Show talk with Tina Jordan about how
come meet the star of the ROOM 1E10 romance writing can uplift and
popular Dav Pilkey series. Test your wits and book-learnin’ empower.
against authors Kiersten White,
10:15–11 AM 2:30–3:15 PM
Nic Stone, Renée Ahdieh, and
We Need Diverse Books Re-orientation: LGBTQ
Sabaa Tahir in this audiobook-
ROOM 1E10 Creators of Mass Media,
centered game show hosted
See p. 8 and p. 26. Culture and the Stories
by narrator Marc Thompson.
People Want to Read
11:15 AM–NOON ROOM 1E16
Dear Evan Hansen: Six LGBTQIA writers discuss
The Novel how they are expanding notions
ROOM 1E10 of identity in mass market
See p. 20. publishing.
1–1:45 PM
Fierce and Fabulous: 3:15–4 PM
Find Your Inner Jeff Kinney Live
Beyoncé! ROOM 1E10
ROOM 1E14 After checking out the Wimpy
See p. 16. Kid “Getaway Experience” on
the show floor (see p. 10),
1:30–2:15 PM
meet the creator of the hit
Romance and the
middle grade series.
Resistance

10:45–11:45 AM
Middle Grade Blowout
Room 1E14
See p. 24.

11–11:45 AM
President Bill Clinton
12:30–1:15 PM
and James Patterson:
Marvel: From Prose to
The President Is Missing
Panels
MAIN STAGE
MAIN STAGE
In what’s sure to be a packed
Authors Rainbow Rowell and
event—tickets for the book
Charles Soule discuss bringing
signing at 12:30 p.m. are
their writerly skills to bear in
already sold out—Clinton and
Marvel’s graphic novels.
Patterson will celebrate the
launch of their cowritten thriller. 12:30–1:30 PM
NaNoWriMo: The
Power of Writing with
Abandon This year’s WNDB panel moderator Dhonielle Clayton. ©Claire Kirch
ROOM 1E07
See p. 12.

4 PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM
VISIT BOOTH #1938 FOR ARC GIVEAWAYS, GAMES, AND EXCLUSIVE SWAG!

10:00AM ARC 10:30AM TAKE A CHANCE! WIN AN ARC!

DEAR EVAN HANSEN
@ BOOKCON

ALL-DAY
RAFFLE
ENTER TO WIN
THE #DEHNOVEL
RAFFLE BASKET
(INCLUDING
AN EXCLUSIVE
ADVANCE COPY) OCTOBER AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
BOOTH #1938

OCTOBER
11:30AM MASKS & MIRRORS 12:30PM BOOKMARKS
10:00AM
“YOU WILL BE FOUND.”
SWAG GIVEAWAY
SCORE YOUR COLLECTIBLE
BUTTON!
BOOTH #1938

12:15PM
HEAR HOW THE TEAM
WENT FROM STAGE TO PAGE!
OCTOBER JANUARY AVAILABLE OCTOBER
ROOM 1E10

1:30PM ARCs 2:30PM NOVL SWAG

1:45PM
MEET THE TEAM BEHIND
THE NOVEL AND THE
BROADWAY HIT SHOW!
PREORDER REQUIRED FOR ENTRY.
ROOM 1E03

LAINI TAYLOR
@ BOOKCON
OCTOBER OCTOBER
12:30PM
SIGNING
BOOKS AVAILABLE 3:30PM TAKE A CHANCE! WIN AN ARC!
FOR PURCHASE
AUTOGRAPHING
AREA, TABLE 10

2:15PM
YA FANTASY
PANEL
AVAILABLE ROOM 1E10

JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

Follow @TheNovl and @LittleBrownYR for daily SURPRISE giveaway alerts!

Limited quantities for all giveaways; while supplies last.

 E-
K H
U P
CALL
WA
FOR AMERICA: PRES
IDENT BILL CLINTON
AND J
AMES
PATTE
RSON

6 THEBOOKCON.COM
P
The former president and the world’s most prolific
thriller writer conjure a suspenseful—but, they say, entirely
possible—scenario in the White House
F
ormer president Bill Clinton
and James Patterson have
engaged in an unprecedented
collaboration, the coauthored
thriller The President Is Missing.
They’re launching the book today at
BookCon, and they talked about
collaborating, the job that is the presi-
dency, and the necessity of cherishing
our democracy.
What was your collaboration like?
Can you say a bit about how you
did it—in-person meetings? Brain-
storms? Passing a document back
and forth?
James Patterson: All of the above.
We went back and forth constantly—
we also both write in longhand, so we
were often exchanging handwritten
notes. I have to say, President Clin-
ton’s instincts are as sharp as those of
the best editors I’ve worked with.
I learned a lot from him.
President Clinton: The collabora-
tion was even more fun and illuminat-
ing than I could have hoped it would
be. I’ve admired Jim’s combination of
imagination, intense realism, and abil-
ity to develop a great plot for many
years, and it was a thrill to discuss it
all with him as we built this story. I
loved being able to say once or twice
when he thought something was too
farfetched: “You have no idea.”
Was it fun to fictionalize some-
thing you know so much about,
Mr. President?
Clinton: I think having in-depth
knowledge of any subject makes it
easier to fictionalize, not harder. You
can have confidence in the material
because you’re already so familiar with
it—then you feel freer to take risks with
the fictional parts. The trick is not to
cross the line from the improbable to
the impossible.
Mr. Patterson, did you gain in-
sights into some of the realities
of the presidency that you were
surprised by?
Patterson: I was surprised to see how
little freedom a president has living in
the White House bubble. In our novel,
the president does go missing, which I
learned could possibly happen, though
not for long...
How do you hope readers ob-
sessed with the current state of
American politics will receive
this book?
“Our democracy is under challenge from
within and without, and it’s up to everyone
to cherish and defend it.”
Patterson: So many movies and tele-
vision shows distort the presidency.
We wanted to reacquaint people
with how difficult, how stressful, how
vitally important the job is, and that’s
what I hope readers, whatever their
politics, take away from it.
James Patterson and President Bill Clinton
©David Burnett
Clinton: I hope readers will take from
the book that being president is a job,
that it’s important who holds it and
who helps him or her to do it, and
that our democracy is under challenge
from within and without, and it’s up
to everyone to cherish and defend it.
How different from a real presi-
dent is the fictional president?
Patterson: President Duncan is an
entirely fictional president, but what
I think will be most interesting for
readers is the idea that everything we
write about in the book could actually
happen. Everything! And how scary
that is. The President Is Missing is a
thriller, but it’s also a wake-up call
for the people of this country, and
especially our leaders.
Clinton: It was important to me that
the fictional President Duncan be pre-
sented as a real person with strengths
and weaknesses, who is called upon
to go far past what he thought he was
able to do physically and emotionally
to protect the nation. He’s not a super-
hero, just a human trying every minute
of every day to do his best, which is all
we can ask of any president.
Craig Teicher
Today, 11–11:45 a.m. Former president
Bill Clinton and James Patterson will speak
about their book on the Main Stage.
JUNE 3, 2018 7
 We Need Diverse Books:
Beyond Diversity 101
VISIT US AT
We Need Diverse Books has grown alongside
BookCon, working for greater inclusiveness

BOOTH #1639 in publishing

If the We Need Diverse Books panel feels like a homecoming,

it’s because this weekend marks the literary organization’s an-

SPIN TO WIN
nual return to its birthplace. BookCon is the reason WNDB,
which promotes inclusivity and diversity in books, as well as
among those writing and publishing books, even exists in the

ALL WEEKEND LONG!

first place. Since BookCon made its debut in 2014, WNDB
has had a presence at the literary fanfest as diverse books
have exploded in popularity and now routinely perch at the
top of bestseller lists.
Spin e prize whhl for a WNDB began, like so many things do these days, as a

chance win bbks, prize hashtag. After ReedPOP, the company that puts on Book-

packs, and more from a our

Con, announced in April 2014 an all white and male author
lineup for its inaugural BookCon “Blockbuster Reads” panel,
imprints! a firestorm erupted on social media. #WeNeedDiverseBooks
went viral during a three-day campaign in which people were
urged to post online photos of themselves holding signs with
the hashtag. In response, ReedPOP didn’t just add a woman

SIGNING SUNDAY 6/3

of color to its “Blockbuster Reads” panel: it also invited the
grassroots group behind the hashtag to put together its
own blockbuster panel of diverse authors. The panel, “The
Sheryl Berk & Carrie Berk World Agrees: We Need Diverse Books,” featured Jacqueline
11:00 - 11:45 AM Woodson, Grace Lin, and Matt de la Peña, as well as WNDB
cofounders Ellen Oh, Lamar Giles, Mike Jung, Aisha Saeed,
Marieke Nijkamp, and I.W. Gregorio. It drew a standing-
room-only crowd of 300 people that year, with many more

Little BeeBooks BuzzPop Yellow Jacket

Weldon Owen Bluestreak Books

IglooBooks Bonnier Zaffre

8 THEBOOKCON.COM
 turned away once the room reached capacity. Now they use
larger rooms.
This year’s panel features a stellar lineup of middle grade
and YA authors, besides moderator Dhonielle Clayton (The
Belles). The panel includes Tomi Adeyemi (Children of Blood at BookCon
and Bone), Tracey Baptiste (The Jumbles), Zoraida Córdova
(Bruja Born), Anna-Marie McLemore (When the Moon Was Today’s Giveaways*
Ours), and Rebecca Roanhorse (Trail of Lightning).
WNDB panels cochair Sandie Chen says that this year’s
panel grew out of a conversation between the WNDB panels 11:15 a.m.
committee and Clayton about the #BlackGirlMagic move- Must-have YA Series Starters
ment that celebrates amazing black women, as well as the Booth #2339
popularity of fiction for both adult and young readers con-
taining elements of magical realism, folklore, and fantasy.
“We try to be thoughtful in our panelist invitations and 12:15 p.m.
brainstorm various authors who could speak, without being Book Bar
overly repetitive from previous panels we’ve hosted,” Chen Booth #2175
says. “This year, we were lucky that this particular slate of best-
selling and critically acclaimed young adult and middle grade
authors were all available to discuss the Latin American, Carib- 12:45 p.m.
bean, Native, and African roots and themes in their stories.” Buzz Books
WNDB does more than panels, though: three years ago, Booth #2339
WNDB launched the Walter Dean Myers Award for estab-
lished writers from diverse backgrounds whose work features
characters from a variety of backgrounds or addresses the 2:00 p.m.
issue of diversity or discrimination. It also established grants Read a Romance!
Booth #2339
“This year, we were lucky that this
particular slate of bestselling and 3:00 p.m.
critically acclaimed young adult and Too-Real YA Reads
Booth #2339
middle grade authors were all avail-
able to discuss the Latin American,
Today’s Author Signings
Caribbean, Native, and African roots
and themes in their stories.”
Sasha Alsberg
for up-and-coming writers and illustrators. More recently, Booth #2175
WNDB launched an internship program to encourage young 10:00 a.m.
people from minority backgrounds to consider publishing *Books will be available for purchase in
careers and a mentorship program pairing established writers booth #2339

with emerging ones.

WNDB’s goal with its BookCon panels, Chen says, always
Amanda Foody
has been “to move beyond Diversity 101 and have conversa-
tions that dig deep into various issues surrounding representa-
Booth #2339
tion and inclusiveness in children’s and YA literature.” 10:15 a.m.
When it comes to this year’s panel, Chen says, “We hope
the authors will help make clear that magic in books isn’t
limited to stories with European roots.”
Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
Claire Kirch Booth #2339
10:15 a.m.

Today, 10:15–11 a.m. The “We Need Diverse Books” panel is in

*While quantities last
Room 1E10.

JUNE 3, 2018 9
 Vacation Like a
Wimpy Kid
Join the Heffleys on their family trip
in “The Getaway Experience” and meet
Wimpy Kid creator Jeff Kinney

10 THEBOOKCON.COM
Y
ou may not be a stick figure, but for a few min-
utes at least, you can vacation like one on the
show floor. “The Getaway Experience,” created
by Abrams Books, is an interactive walk-through
recreation of the Heffleys’ trip from the recently released
12th Wimpy Kid book. It features in-flight entertainment
videos, a plinko game with prizes, a photo op with Greg
Heffley, the Wimpy Kid himself, and a sneak peak at
The Meltdown, book 13 in the series, due out in October.
“Wimpy Kid is an iconic brand and one that we
know a wide array of readers love to engage with,” says
Brien McDonald, event director of BookExpo and Book-
Con. “ ‘The Getaway Experience’ that Abrams built is
exactly the type of immersive brand interaction attendees
look for at BookCon and one we know will make a mem-
orable experience for fans of the series.”
Families should also check out the show floor Fam-
ily HQ, where they’ll find other book-related interactive
sessions, including a Brain Quest challenge, a Klutz Mini
Bake-Off, a chance to meet Dog Man, an Art Force 5
Hero Craft session, and more.
Craig Teicher

Today, 3:15–4 p.m. Diary of a Wimpy Kid creator Jeff Kinney will appear for a q&a session with
fans in Room 1E10.

JUNE 3, 2018 11
 RENEGADE
SUPER
HEROES
Meyer’s new trilogy pits supposed heroes
against supposed villains—the Renegades versus the
Anarchists— but of course it’s not that simple

12 THEBOOKCON.COM
 FIRST TIME IN PUBLIC
Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts
Visit Booth 1648 on Saturday, June 2, at 2 p.m.

Meet New York Times best-selling paper engineer

Matthew Reinhart at booth 1648

Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts is the latest masterpiece from genius
paper engineer and New York Times best-selling author Matthew Reinhart.

Arriving in October 2018 and published by Insight Editions, Harry Potter: A Pop-Up
Guide to Hogwarts features spectacular pop-ups of Hogwarts castle, the Quidditch
pitch, the Forbidden Forest, and beyond.

Come to booth 1648 to see this showstopper pop-up book alongside our selection of
books and merchandise celebrating the Harry Potter films.

Copyright © 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. HARRY POTTER

characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment
Inc. WB SHIELD: © & ™ WBEI. WIZARDING WORLD trademark and logo © &
/INSIGHTEDITIONS WWW.INSIGHTEDITIONS.COM ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s18)
 L
ast November Marissa Meyer, best known

BOOTH #2038
for her series the Lunar Chronicles, intro-
duced fans to the world of Renegades. It’s the
first book in a trilogy about superheroes and
supervillains who battle over the future of a city
where morality is never as simple as good versus
FREE W
ITH evil—as Nova (an Anarchist aka Insomnia) and
R C H A SE
PU Adrian (a Renegade alias Sketch) know all too
W H IL E
SUPPLIE
S well. Book two, Arch Enemies, will be out next
LAST! November. Meyer talked about flipping the super-
hero script and balancing multiple projects.

What inspired you to write ‘Renegades?’

Visit booth #2038 for author signings,
photos in a GIF booth, giveaways,
and discounted books!
I’ve loved superhero stories since I was a kid. I can remember
sneaking into my brother’s room and stealing his X-Men com-
ics. That was my first introduction to superheroes and this
genre. I really love the vicarious nature of superheroes stories.
So, when I got the idea a few years ago about writing a book
with superheroes, I wanted to write a story in which a girl
raised by supervillains fell in love with a boy raised by super-
heroes. I loved that idea of playing with their alter egos and
secret identities, and what could happen when they started to
uncover who they really were.

10:00am
Tote bag giveaway

11:00am
FREE ARC Signing: Gabrielle Moss
Paperback Crush

1:00pm
FREE ARC Signing: Grady Hendrix
We Sold Our Souls

quirkbooks.com | /quirkbooks
Marissa Meyer ©Julia Scott

14 THEBOOKCON.COM
In January 2018, just two months after ‘Renegades’
Find the miracle
Promethius Books

was published, your second graphic novel, ‘Wires and in the mundane
Nerve, Volume 2,’ was published. Did you work on
both books at the same time? with these poetry collections from
Yes. I started writing Renegades back in 2013. So I would work
on it for a couple of months and then switch over and write
Tyler Knott Gregson
Heartless, and then I’d work on Renegades a little bit, and then ( @TylerKnott; creator of
I worked on Stars Above [part of the Lunar Chronicles series the typewriter series)
published in 2016], and then Renegades, and then the Lunar
Chronicles graphic novels. I’m kind of always bouncing
between projects.

“I can remember sneaking into

my brother’s room and stealing
his X-Men comics.”
How do you keep all these worlds and stories straight?
Lots of file folders full of little notes and tidbits. And it’s really
important once I’m nearing the end of a book that I go back
and reread all of the previous books in the series because
there are always going to be things I forget. I make it a point
to make sure I haven’t contradicted myself anywhere.

‘Wires and Nerve, Volume 2’ was the last book you

wrote connected to the Lunar Chronicles. Is that
series complete?
I think I’m done, but I’ve thought that I was done before. At
this point I’m not working on any Lunar Chronicles books or
graphic novels. But if an idea were to come to me that I was
really excited for, then I would definitely be willing to pursue it.

The second book in the Renegades series, ‘Arch

Enemies,’ comes out in November. Is there anything
that you can reveal about it?
There’s going to be more of everything. All of our favorite
characters will be returning and in this book, I had a lot of
fun playing with Adrian, who starts to uncover more of his
vigilante dreams and tries to determine who he wants to be, “His words
and how is he going to fit into this world of superheroes. At slip past
the same time, we see Nova torn even more so than she was the defenses
in the first book between her Anarchist and her Renegade reminding readers
loyalties. So both characters are kind of being torn in different
why we love, yearn
ways, which has been playing out in some really fun dialogue
and some action sequences that I’ve really enjoyed. for connection, and
bare our souls.”
Addie Morfoot tarcher
—The Hiding Spot perigee

Today, 11 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Marissa Meyer will be in the Autograph- Enter for a chance to
ing Area. Today, 12:30–1:30 p.m. Meyer will appear on the panel WIN ALL THREE B O OKS
“NaNoWriMo: The Power of Writing with Abandon,” in Room 1E07. at bit.ly/tkgbookconsweeps

JUNE 3, 2018 15
 NICOLA
YOON from

PAGE to

SCREEN
The YA superstar wants her books to help readers
understand themselves better

16 THEBOOKCON.COM
Instantly borrow eBooks, audiobooks, comics,
and more, 24/7 with your library cards.

hoopladigital.com

Meet the Authors Today

SARAH MORGAN SCOTT WESTERFELD
10:00am - 11:00am 1:00pm - 2:00pm

BOOTH #2539
 N
ew York Times bestselling YA What is it like to have your books adapted into film?
It is thrilling and surreal. It gets nerve wracking when I know
author Nicola Yoon (Everything, the script is coming in, because I know it is going to be a dif-
Everything and The Sun Is Also ferent thing. But I hope it is still a true thing. After you know
the script is great, then you have to worry about the actors,
a Star) has been nominated for because writers have no say, despite what the internet thinks.
a National Book Award, has had two You are hoping for your luck to hold.

books optioned for film—and here at How was script development?

BookCon she will be on two panels, as
well as autographing. She discusses how
she crafts stories featuring strong female
protagonists and what it is like to see a
novel adapted for the big screen.
MGM and Warner Bros. have been very kind to me. They
give me the scripts and let me make notes. In lots of cases
that just doesn’t happen, because they don’t have to ask for
your opinion on anything. I’ve been pretty lucky in that I
could give notes on the script. But I have also been really
lucky that the scripts have been coming in strong, because
that is not always the case with an adaptation.

How do you approach writing strong female protagonists?

I approach it like women are people. We have the same
strengths and foibles and weaknesses and desires as anybody
else. People are multidimensional and well-rounded. Women
have qualities that make them strong and qualities that make
them vulnerable. The way to create a strong female character
is to create a real one and lean away from female stereotypes,
trying for truth. The vapid vixen is not really true or it is not
the only thing that is true about a character. The problem is,
that is a stereotype, which is only one layer of something, and
it is not complete.

Do you ever fall into a trap of writing stereotypes?

Definitely. When I catch that, I usually try to press the other
way and go against the trope or to go deeper into it, like she is
sassy and she is something else. Characters, as I conceive them,
are usually big talkers and big thinkers. I tend to write those
girls who question the meaning of life, and that makes them
seem strong because they trust their own brains. They trust the
way they see the world, and they are open to asking questions. Nicola Yoon ©Sonya Sones

“The way to create a strong female What was the production like?
It is a miracle that any movie gets made. A movie involves
character is to create a real one thousands of people, and all of their schedules and personali-
ties have to mesh, and the actors have to have chemistry. It’s
and lean away from female ste- ridiculous. I didn’t believe it was really going to be made until

reotypes, trying for truth.”
What do you hope readers learn from these characters?
I really want everyone to get a sense of themselves. Young
women especially get fit into boxes and told what to like, and
then they are told the things they like are trivial. Obviously, I
think all of that is nonsense. I want people to fall a little bit in
love with themselves and trust the way they see the world. I
want them to feel like they are valid, equal people in the world.
I saw the call sheets, and that cameraman one has to be on
set at 8 a.m. at this location. Then I knew they really are go-
ing to make this thing.
Dianna Dilworth
Today, 2–3:30 p.m. Nicola Yoon will be signing in the Autograph-
ing Area. Today, 1–1:45 p.m. Yoon will be on the panel “Fierce and
Fabulous: Find Your Inner Beyoncé,” in Room 1E14.
Today, 4–4:45 p.m. Yoon will also participate in the panel “Book-to-
Film,” in Room 1E14.

18 THEBOOKCON.COM
Any one ca n b e t h e h er o in
h is or h er own life

MEET
IZZY EZAGUI
(and his dog, Punch, too!)

Sunday, June 3
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Autographing Area Table 1
1:15 PM – 1:45 PM Downtown Stage
An inspirational panel with Izzy Ezagui, moderated
by Mary Pilon, author of The Kevin Show and
The Monopolists

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM Exhibit Booth 1607

PROMETHEUS BOOKS • WWW.JUSTIZZY.COM
 You can judge
a book
by its musical

Karen LeFave

20 THEBOOKCON.COM
 The creators of the six-time Tony Award-winning
musical Dear Evan Hansen have collaborated with
a novelist to turn their story into a book

L
ike Rent and Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen has
become that rare Broadway phenomenon, a hit
musical that has entered the popular conscious-
ness in a big way. It’s the story of Evan Hansen, a
high school senior with severe social anxiety. After
the death of a classmate, Evan lies about how close
they were, which has profound effects on his place in
his community and his sense of himself. The musical
has broken new ground in musical theater by dealing
with the topic of mental illness head-on and present-
ing a story set entirely in a teenage world.

JUNE 3, 2018 21
 The story is based on
an experience that cowriter
“Then, as the momentum grew, we
Benj Pasek (along with Justin
Paul and Steven Levenson)
had in high school. “A kid
that I did not know very
well had passed away. And I
remember the entire school
community kind of glom-
ming on to his tragedy, and
I glommed on to it, too,”
says Pasek. In their early
conversations about creating
the musical, Paul pointed
out that a similar kind of
response occurred among
his fellow teenagers after
9/11. Pasek says their con-
versations hovered around
“wanting to understand why
in particular our generation
was so eager to find a place
Meet author
Su n d ay, Ju n e 3 @ 1 1 : 0 0 A M
Soho Press Booth #2433
[G et a ga lle y
wh ile th ey las
t!]
sohoteen.com
22 THEBOOKCON.COM
were able to bring the show to
Broadway, which was the dream
of a lifetime.”
for themselves in a tragedy
that they had no part of and
didn’t earn.”
“What was intended
as a condemnation of our
generation,” Paul contin-
ues, “becomes a look at
what loneliness, especially
in contemporary society,
might drive one to do.”
While that may sound like
an unlikely premise for a
musical—though Dear Evan
Hansen proves it’s not—it
has the obvious makings of
a novel.
The huge success of the
show was a surprise to its
creators. It began in Wash-
ington, D.C., then came to
New York off-Broadway.
“Then,” says Paul, “as the
momentum grew, we were
able to bring the show to
Broadway, which was the
dream of a lifetime. Once
that happened, there was
the question of what could
happen next with this story,
and these characters, and
this little world that had
been created.”
The inspiration for the
novel came from an unlikely
source. Levenson chimes
in: “What we discovered,
much to our surprise, was
that people really related
to these characters and this
show, and the score. We
started to find fans of the
show who were creating
their own narratives about
the characters. There was a
lot of fan fiction emerging.
And a lot of imagining what
these people are like outside
of the events that we show.”
Even more surprising was
that many of these fans
hadn’t even seen the musi-
cal. “It began to occur to
us that you can only get a
certain number of people
into a Broadway house
every night,” says Levenson.
Suddenly, a novel
seemed like the best way to
bring Evan’s story to a wider
audience. “It turned out that
there were publishers who
were interested in going on
this journey with us,” Lev-
enson continues. “The first
thing we knew we needed
was somebody who actually
knew how to write a novel,
which none of us did.”
Enter Val Emmich—song-
writer, actor, and author of
the 2017 novel The Remind-
ers. Could there be a more
qualified person to novelize
a musical than a singing ac-
tor who writes? According
to Emmich, after seeing the
show for the first time, “I
thought, man, this is going
to be hard to do. It’s a credit
to the story the guys created
that it can sustain a novel. A
novel has different limita-
tions, just like a musical has
its own set of limitations.”
And while the novel follows
the story of the musical
 Val Emmich, Benj Pasek, Steven Levenson, and Justin Paul ©Sasha Illingworth

“We started to find fans of the

show who were creating their
own narratives about the char-
acters. There was a lot of fan
fiction emerging.”

closely, Levenson says novel. I think Val has done

Emmich has been able to what we had always hoped
follow threads the musical for, which was really almost
couldn’t get deeper into, lead you to believe that the
like particular characters musical could have been
and backstories, and “add adapted from this. That is
completely new layers.” really exciting for all of us.”
As for whether “the
Craig Teicher
guys” would prefer you to
see the show or read the
book first, they don’t really
care. Once the book has
Today, 12:15–1 p.m. the
made its way in the world,
creators of Dear Evan Hansen:
says Pasek, “We don’t want
The Novel will appear on a
the audience to know which
panel together in Room 1E10.
came first, whether it started
with the stage show or
whether it started with the

JUNE 3, 2018 23
 Dork Diaries creator Rachel Renée Russell talks about the
growing world of middle grade books and the importance of
creating characters her readers can identify with

©Suna Lee

24 THEBOOKCON.COM
MEGA Middle Grade
Today’s “Middle Grade Blowout”
panel welcomes these authors: Rachel
Renée Russell, creator, along with her
daughters, of the Misadventures of
Max Crumbly series and the Dork Di-
aries series; screenwriter John August,
who made his middle grade debut
this year with Arlo Finch in the Valley
of Fire; YA author Daniel José Older,
whose middle grade novel, Dactyl Hill
Squad, releases this summer; and Vine
star Zach King, author of Zach King:
My Magical Life and its sequel, Zach
King: The Magical Mix-Up. The panel-
ists will discuss the ever-broadening
middle grade category with moderator
Soman Chainani, author of the School
for Good and Evil series.
Russell, whose Dork Diaries 13:
Tales from a Not-So-Happy Birthday
(Aladdin) will be released this sum-
mer, reports seeing exciting recent
growth in the middle grade realm. “It
has been wonderful to see an array of
diverse voices getting more atten-
tion,” Russell says. In terms of creating
characters from diverse backgrounds,
Russell is personally “compelled to be
a catalyst for change by doing more
and saying more; our children deserve
it,” she adds. A couple of Russell’s
recent middle grade favorites include
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
and Marley Dias Gets It Done and So
Can You by 13-year-old literacy activist
Today, 10:45–11:45 a.m. Rachel Renée Russell, John August, Daniel José Older, Zach King,
and Soman Chainani will appear on the “Middle Grade Blowout” panel, in Room 1E14.
Dias, whose work Russell calls “amaz-
ing and inspirational.”
For Russell, one of the keys to
connecting with middle grade readers
is creating characters who face the
same dilemmas readers see in their
own lives: “At some point, we can all
probably recall an awkward period
in our lives when we just didn’t fit in,
when we had our first crush, or we
felt insecure—I want my readers to see
themselves in my books and identify
with the characters by way of experi-
ences, race, gender, ethnicities, culture,
and religion,” she says.
Russell adds that stories featur-
ing characters who represent dif-
ferent kinds of readers often serve
as gateway books: reluctant readers
often become avid ones after seeing
themselves for the first time in a book.
Russell believes that making readers
laugh is important, too: “I make sure
there’s lots of drama and humor to
keep fans entertained, laughing, and
wanting to read more.”
As a seasoned middle grade author,
Russell could not be more enthusiastic
about the middle grade landscape
today, with many inspiring stories on
the horizon: “It is a wonderful time to
be a middle grade author!” she says.
Matia Burnett
JUNE 3, 2018 25
 Rooted in West African mythology, Tomi Adeyemi’s
YA debut is a colossal hit. She talks about activism,
Harry Potter, and writerly perseverance.

What If
Harry Potter
Had Been
Black?
26 THEBOOKCON.COM
November 11-18, 2018
MIAMI, FLORIDA
MIAMIBOOKFAIR.COM
/miamibookfair #MiamiBookFair2018

POETRY, FICTION & NONFICTION FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

STREET FAIR / PUBLISHERS & BOOKSELLERS / CHILDREN’S AUTHORS & ACTIVITIES
 N
igerian-American Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel, Children of Blood and
Bone, is the first volume of the Orïsha Legacy trilogy. The book follows
an African teen, Zélie, as she attempts to restore magic to her homeland,
Orïsha, after an evil king killed all those who wielded it, including Zélie’s
mother. Despite Adeyemi’s youth—she’s just 24—her novel was arguably the most
buzzed about YA book to be released this year. Holt acquired Adeyemi’s manu-
script in 2017 for a reported seven figures, one of the biggest deals in YA history.
Children of Blood and Bone was released in March, and the first installment of the
film adaptation of the trilogy is in the works.

I’ve read that ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ was
inspired by racist Hunger Games fans, the Black Lives
Matter movement, and the Charleston church shoot-
ing. Is that accurate?
It’s accurate to say that they all inspired my mission as a
writer, but this book started the way every book starts—from
a creative place. I knew I wanted to write something about
police brutality, and I also had this big African fantasy idea. I
asked my boyfriend, “Which one should I write first?” And he
said, “I think it’s actually the same book.” He was right.
Is writing a form of activism for you?
I’ve always written for myself, and I’ve always written the
stories I want to read. So writing really is just a part of me
and it’s what I would do no matter what. But it definitely has
become my sword and my way of fighting back. This book
also came from a place of hopelessness and fear, and I’m still
given reasons to feel that way
every single day. But writing
fulfills me—and I’m lucky that
it has become this thing that
helps me fight back against all
those horrible things, and all
those things that make me feel
so scared and afraid, or make
me feel like I won’t live to finish
the trilogy.
but it wasn’t like, “Oh, yay! Everything’s just coming to me.”
There was a lot of pain involved.
So you don’t consider ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ an
overnight success story?
No. When I talk to writers, I’m like, “Let’s remember. I spent
four years on a book [her unpublished novel The Keepers]
that went nowhere. I spent four years to just get rejected.”
At the time, I wasn’t like, “Yeah, girl, you’ll get it. You’ll get it
with the next one.” I was desperate with my first book. I was
crushed for a really long time that it wasn’t published.
You grew up reading Harry Potter and now you are be-
ing compared to J.K. Rowling. How does that feel?
I’m still kind of getting used to it. But a friend and I were talk-
ing about Harry Potter the other day, and she was like, “What
if Harry Potter had been black?” And that made me think,
“Would we have kids like Tamir
Rice shot in a park?” No. Not if
everyone had grown up loving
this black child and wanting
him to live. With Children of
Blood and Bone and movies
like Black Panther, it’s a little
bit easier for people to picture
what that looks like now, but
there’s so much room for more.

Addie Morfoot
Is it true that it took you just
one month to write ‘Chil-
dren of Blood and Bone?’
I wrote the first draft in a
month, the second draft in a Today, 10:15–11 a.m. Tomi
month, and then it was roughly Adeyemi will participate in the
a new draft a month for about “We Need Diverse Books” panel,
18 months. It came together in Room 1E10. Today, 11:15
weekly, but not fast. I wrote it a.m.–12:15 p.m. Adeyemi will be
really fast. I revised it really fast, in the Autographing Area.

28 THEBOOKCON.COM Tomi Adeyemi ©Elena Seibert

 H A P P E N I N G T O D AY
DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE
BOOTH #1921

MEET
DHONIELLE
C L AY T O N
11:30 AM
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HARPERCOLLINS LOUNGE (NEXT TO BOOTH #2338) PANELS

Epic Reads Meet-Up Middle Grade Blowout
11:00am-12:00pm Meet your favorite authors and get your books signed! Soman Chainani and Zach King
a rd s oto
g ra p hy
Room1E14 • 10:45am–11:45pm
ch r Ph
u Ri te ls
This middle grade mega panel features beloved
as

ho
n
d

ayo
fe n

km

Nic
ie I

yR

B uc

H.
best-selling authors and a new emerging voice.
S t ep h a n

Ph oto b

S h aw n
Ad rian

Zach King Meet and Greet

Room1E03 • 12:30pm–1:30pm
ELIZABETH TIFFANY D. HEIDI MACKENZI KENDARE
ACEVEDO JACKSON HEILIG LEE BLAKE
The Real Reel
Angie Thomas, Becky Albertalli,
Soman Chainani, Lauren Oliver
COME VISIT THE HCCB BOOTH #2338 ALL DAY Room1E10 • 1:15pm–2:00pm
Join these authors as they talk about their epic
SCORE AN ADVANCE COPY OF OUR HOTTEST * tales being turned into fantastic films.

UPCOMING BOOKS AT 12PM AND 3PM! PBS: The Great American Read
Veronica Roth
The Main Stage • 2:15pm-3:15pm
Watch best-selling authors and other luminaries pit classic books
against each other to determine which book they think should be
deemed America’s best-loved book of all time.

Re-orientation: LGBTQ Creators of Mass

Media, Culture, and the Stories People
STOP BY THE LOBBY ALL DAY Want to Read Beyond the Books
Heidi Heilig, Mackenzi Lee
Room1E16 • 2:30pm–3:15pm
These emerging queer authors in YA get together to share how their
personal experiences lend themselves to the written page.

Yet to Be: Bravery

Adam Silvera
Room1E12 • 3:00pm–3:45pm
Accomplished, beloved authors discuss how bravery and
fearlessness are not only invaluable in everyday life, but
they’re imperative in the writing process as well.

Discover the world's leading online Explore the lush world of the bestselling Beyond Books
entertainment platform for imagination, Three Dark Crowns series!
Tiffany D. Jackson, Zach
creation, and play, in immersive,
user-generated 3D worlds! TAKE PART IN AN King, Elizabeth Acevedo
INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE Room1E16 • 3:30pm–4:15pm
ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO
AND WIN PRIZES! Slam poetry, stories ripped from the headlines, YouTube
WIN ROBLOX SWAG! sensations and more are discussed at this panel!

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