Author, journalist, and podcaster Sarah Enni kicks off YA-hoo Fest! with a live taping of her critically-renowned podcast, First Draft with Sarah Enni.
The event will take place on Sept. 20, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Chattanooga State Community College’s Humanities Building.
Creator and host Sarah Enni will welcome some of YA-hoo Fest's most anticipated visiting authors, including Cindy Pon, Justin Reynolds, and Rick Yancey, to the stage to share their stories, play some games, and answer audience questions.
Tickets to attend the taping are $5 and can be purchased at yahoofest.org.
First Draft was started in 2014, and it has since been used as a vessel for honest conversations with writers. Originally focusing mainly on young adult fiction, host Sarah Enni spoke with YA authors such as Divergent’s Veronica Roth, The Red Queen’s Victoria Aveyard, and many others.
Recently, Ms. Enni has broadened the scope of her podcast to include essayists, podcasters, songwriters, and other storytellers. Now in its fifth year, First Draft has featured over 200 interviews, which can be streamed online via iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Following the First Draft taping on Sept. 20, the main events of the 2019 YA-hoo Fest! will take place at Chattanooga State Community College on Sept. 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The festival will feature 30 authors writing in the popular and growing Young Adult and Middle Grades genres of literature for pre-teens and teens. These writers will share their stories, their craft, lead discussions, participate in panel discussions, sign books and mingle with the participants. In addition, the festival environment will include food, music, book sales, vendors and other entertainment, all designed to celebrate literature and help kids cultivate a passion for reading. Readers and writers will connect at the event, offering a powerful experience on both sides. Over half of the authors will also be visiting classrooms in local middle and high schools to discuss their work and answer questions from the students.