Infinite possibilities: top five SciFi YA books by Meaghan McIssac

As a reader, I don't limit myself to one genre. But if I did, it would probably be SciFi. Why? I think it boils down to possibilities. Every great SciFi story, no matter how outlandish, how wild, how improbable, is made extra exciting by the idea that it could, maybe, just maybe, happen. Luke Skywalker could have become a Jedi a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Elliot could have found an alien in his backyard who needed to phone home. Maybe we could bring dinos back to life using fossilized tree sap. The universe is infinite! What's inspiring about stories under the SciFi umbrella is they make you feel like anything — for better or worse — is possible. And when anything is possible, the adventures have no limits.

So, in order to celebrate all things SciFi, I thought I'd share my top five favourite SciFi YA.

1. The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness

I'd pick the whole glorious trilogy. But if I have to pick one of the three books for the purposes of this list, it would have to be The Knife of Never Letting Go. Todd Hewitt lives in a world occupied by men, and only men. He hears their Noise and they can hear his — every thought at all hours of the day. And not just the thoughts of men, but animals, even dogs. It's a loud life. Relentless. Until Todd discovers a lone patch of silence and his world changes forever. Spaceships. Aliens. Telepathy. Todd's world is one I love to visit over and over. Not least of all because Todd's voice is so unique, so honest, you trust him completely to navigate you through.

2. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

This is the book, guys. My childhood fave that started my love of all things SciFi. In a post apocalyptic world, mutations are considered blasphemies against God and must be destroyed. So when David discovers that he and a small group of other teens have telepathic abilities, they are forced to keep it secret. But like any good secret, it can't stay that way, and it's not long before David and his friends are on the run. This is one I'm desperate to see on the big screen — but I don't know how any movie could pull off the awesome "thought shape" parts and do it proper justice. If you haven't read it, go now, and together we can all come up with the best way to translate The Chrysalids to film, I just know it.

3. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

I love, love, LOVE Glow. Mostly because if there were a mission to populate another planet in another galaxy, I like to think I'd have the guts to go. But anyway, fifteen-year-old Waverly was born aboard the Empyrean, a ship with just such a mission. It's one of two ships sent to populate a distant planet. And teenage life aboard the Empyrean is just about as normal as life back home — chores, parents, boyfriends. But then their sister ship, the New Horizon sends out a distress call. Something is wrong. And its up to the Empyrean to save them. But Waverly and her shipmates don't know, is that the crew aboard the New Horizon is anything but friendly. The setting of Glow—trapped on a ship in deep space—and the threat that lurks inside, makes for one claustrophobic read. I read it in one sitting.

4. The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

Two words: alien invasion. I shouldn't have to explain. But I will. Cassie Sullivan has survived the first four waves of attacks from the aliens that have invaded earth. Everyone else on the planet hasn't been so lucky. And the few survivors that are left can't be trusted. Anybody could be one of them in disguise. And somewhere out there is Cassie's little brother Sam. And it's up to her to get him back. This action-
packed alien adventure is a major motion picture, and it's no wonder.

5. Red Rising by Pierce Brown

If SciFi is all about possibility, then let's do all we can to avoid the possibility of a future like the one sixteen-year-old Darrow was born to. Society is divided by a colour-coded caste system, with Golds at the top, and Reds, like Darrow, at the bottom. When a family tragedy forces Darrow to reject the system, he'll have to become the very thing he hates in order to bring it down. Brutal, dark and dangerous, Darrow's world is both exciting and terrifying. And it's just the first in the series.

So there you have just a few of my favourite SciFi YA offerings. It's time to get reading! And even if you think SciFi isn't for you, I have to insist that you're wrong — the endless possibilities means there's something in this genre for everyone. You can't not find a great story here. It's impossible! (See what I did there?) What are some of your favourite SciFi reads?

Tweet Meaghan your favourite SciFI reads

Find out more about Movers
Find out more about Shadows

About Meaghan:

Meaghan writes middle grade and young adult books. She loves to read them too. She used to draw a bit. When she was nine, she drew comics about a bird family who had a fuzzy orange caterpillar for a dog. They never ate him. After that, she gave a lot of embarrassing performances in her high school's musicals. She gave up on acting and decided to stick to telling stories. Meaghan packed up and left for the UK where she completed an MA in Children's Writing at the University of Winchester. Now, she's back in Toronto, reading and writing. Meaghan has one noisy beagle and one lab who doesn't stop eating. Meaghan is the author of an exhilarating, action-packed SciFi series. Movers is the first book in the series and Shadows, the second. Both are available online and from all good bookstores.

Blogging resource: key tips to get you started

Here are some of the key things I learned when setting up my YAfictionados blog. If you have any suggestions or comments, let me know in the comments below or tweet me.

Before you set up your blog

Blogs can either be self-hosted or hosted on a third-party site. I would advise using a platform such as Wordpress or Blogger. Every blogger will tell you different things about the pros and cons of each but it is up to you which you choose. Think about the type of content you want to write and go with the platform that gives you more freedom to do what you want to do.

Planning

• Think about your post title. You want to draw in your reader. (How to…/Top 10…/Secrets of…/Why your…)
• Write your first paragraph. Follow on from your post title and tempt your reader. Ask a question. Comment on some recent controversy and share your thoughts. Note a fact. Tell an anecdote.
• Make your post scannable. Make it easy to read. Use headings, numbered lists and bullets, where possible.
• Add a conclusion. Invite interaction. Ask readers to comment and if you want, point to another resource or to another of your blog posts.

Before you publish

• Before you post anything, read through your article and edit, edit, EDIT.
• Use an online grammar tool.
• Ask a friend to look over it.
• Whatever you do, read through your blog post at least twice before you publish it.

General tips and tricks

• When you first start, content is more important than analytics.
• It’s fine to have a look at what other bloggers are doing but make sure you represent your views. This is your unique selling point.
• Ignore the haters.
• Get personal.
• Conquer one or two areas before you try to do it all.

Technical tips and tricks

• Consider an email subscriber list.
• If you’re hyperlinking outside your blog, make sure to click the box that opens it in a new window. You don’t want to encourage people to leave your site.
• Use Alt tags. When you hover over an image and you see some text, this is an Alt tag. You don’t have to include an Alt tag but without an alt tag, the image isn’t searchable by search engines and you’re potentially cutting yourself off from clicks and views by not including this.
• Make your hyperlinks descriptive.
• Include keywords in your title and the first sentence of your blog post.
• Install Google Analytics.
• Editing an old blog post can move it up in the Google rankings.

How to build your network

• Talk to authors. When you write a good review of their book, include them in the tweet. Get familiar with their publisher and include them also (can be found in the details on all book websites or by Googling it). Don’t link to a bad review. It can often back-fire on you and bring unwanted stress.
• Try to channel your energies into talking about what you enjoy. Ask them if they’d like to write for your blog or do an interview. Send them the questions and give plenty of time.
• Be mindful of who you ask. If you contact J. K. Rowling, it’s unlikely she’ll respond but don’t be discouraged. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Monitor local events at libraries, cafés and bookshops. Converse and engage with other bloggers and influencers. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.

Getting the books you want to review

• Bookshops
• Libraries
• Net Galley
• Publisher ARCs
• Blogger meet-ups

Publishers

Penguin Random House (@penguinplatform/@PuffinBooks)

Harper Collins (@HarperCollinsUK)

Simon & Schuster (@simonkids_UK/@hashtagreads)

Bloomsbury (@KidsBloomsbury)

Hachette (@BooksWithBiteUK/@HachetteKids)

Hot Key Books (@HotKeyBooks)

Old Barn Books (@oldbarnbooks)

Walker Books (@WalkerBooksYA/@WalkerBooksUK)

Electric Monkey/Egmont (@EMTeenFiction/@EgmontUK)

Macmillan (@MacmillanKidsUK)

Faber (@FaberChildrens)

Nosy Crow (@NosyCrow)

Usborne  (@Usborne)

Atom (@AtomBooks)

Bookstores to follow

Foyles (@Foyles)

Waterstones (@Waterstones and search for your local store’s Twitter handle)

Queen’s Park Books (@QPBooks)

7 Stories (@7Stories)

Christopher Moore:

 

Christopher is a co-founder of the YAfictionados blog (@YAfictionados) and is best known as the YAblooker. He is a twenty-five year old book blogger who has previously worked in marketing and consumer insight for various publishing houses and writes in his spare time. He loves to travel and will read anything YA-related and some general fiction and fantasy.

The #YAtakeover Down Under

The #YAtakeover takes a turn Down Under this Saturday 26th November. The event will launch with a publisher panel including Old Barn Books (UK) and Allen & Unwin Australia, who will explore the appeal of Oz YA. We're also hosting exclusive video interviews, live Twitter author panels and our YA quiz as well as blog posts from some incredible authors leading up to the event and lots of giveaways on the day. Mark the date and don't miss it!





Schedule:

9.00-9.45am GMT (8.00-8.45pm AEDT) Old Barn Books and Allen & Unwin discuss the appeal and themes of Oz YA with host Emma (blogger at My Book Corner)


10.00-10.45am GMT (9.00-9.45pm AEDT) Twitter panel looking at Identity with Jaclyn Moriarty (author of the Ashbury/Brookfield series and the Colours of Madeline trilogy) and Will Kostakis (author of The Sidekicks) with host Michelle Toy (blogger at Tales of Yesterday)





11.00-11.45am GMT (10.00-10.45pm AEDT) Twitter chat on Oz YA themes and books


12.00pm GMT (11.00pm AEDT) Exclusive video interview with Glenda Millard (author of The Stars at Oktober Bend) with 5 book giveaways (courtesy of Old Barn Books)




12.15-1.30pm GMT (11.15pm-12.30am AEDT) Big Fat YA Quiz


1.30pm GMT (12.30am AEDT) Exclusive video interview with Krystal Sutherland (author of Our Chemical Hearts) with 5 book giveaways (courtesy of Hot Key Books)







GMT: Greenwich Mean Time
AEDT: Australian Eastern Daylight Time

Girl Power: fairy tales and feminism

Guest post by Katharine Corr

To begin with: I’m not an expert on myths or fantasy literature. I studied history at university, not English. But – like most people, I suspect – I was brought up on fairy tales. Ladybird ‘Well Loved Tales’ are some of the first books I remember possessing: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White & Rose Red. I fell in love with those illustrations long before I could read the words.               

One of the things I liked about fairy tales as a child was how many of them were about girls. Sure, some of them concerned boys (Jack and The Beanstalk), animals (The Little Red Hen) or baked goods (The Gingerbread Man). But on the whole I was reading about female protagonists. It didn’t really bother me that Cinderella’s main skills seemed to be subservience and looking pretty; it was her story and her name on the front of the book, not Prince Charming’s.

Then there were all the subsidiary characters. The men in the stories tended to be attractive place-holders (Prince Charming, again) or curiously weedy and pathetic (pretty much any King or father you’d care to mention). But the women… I read about witches (good and bad), fairies, stepmothers and Queens. Women with real power, even if they were misusing it.

As I got older, I realised that these women were often more interesting than the pure-as-the-driven-snow protagonists (though intrepid Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, is an exception to this). Who wouldn’t sympathise a tiny bit with side-lined Maleficent’s desire for revenge? Who wouldn’t at least understand the Evil Queen’s wish to be ‘the fairest of them all’? And there are fairy tales which give the Fairy Godmother a more robust and interesting attitude to granting wishes. A lot of tales, due to the ‘damsel-in-distress’ behaviour of the heroine, have the reputation of being anti-feminist. But I can imagine the creators of these stories (of which more below) slipping these strong supporting women into their tales, giving them powers and freedoms which women have been denied for so much of history. Could this not be an early form of feminism?

Not all fairy tales fit this mould, obviously. For every Clever Gretel, the Grimm’s hungry cook who tricks her master, there is a Little Mermaid: a story that, like The Wild Swans (another Hans Christian Andersen tale) seems to suggest that the ideal woman is a silent one.

Maybe I’m being a bit harsh on Andersen. But, I do wonder whether the best fairy tales – the ones with the powerful female villains that leap off the page at you – are the oldest ones. They may have been collected and recorded by men, but I’d be willing to bet that they were originally made up by women. I like to imagine a medieval mother, sitting in the shadows by the fire, laying aside her distaff and turning with a sigh to the insistent children sitting at her feet: ‘Very well, then. Once upon a time…’

Fairy tales have staying power: they endure. That’s why so many writers have chosen them as a starting point, reinterpreting characters and themes for their own times. And now my sister and I have done the same. Our Sleeping Beauty is an Anglo-Saxon prince, and his potential rescuer is an untrained, uncertain teenage witch. The story is inspired by the original tale, rather than being an exact retelling. But we still have curses, true love, and more than one powerful woman. We hope our fairy-tale-telling foremothers are looking on from somewhere with approval.

Katharine and Elizabeth Corr are sisters.  They both read history at university, worked in London, took a break from work to raise their families and now live in Surrey.  The pair decided they wanted to write novels and it seemed obvious that they should do this together.  In addition to writing, Katharine loves playing the harp and learning dead languages.  When Elizabeth is not writing she enjoys sketching, dancing round the kitchen and hatching plans for free time away from children and cats.  

                 

Gothic Roots by Danny Weston

It never fails to make me smile.  

'Why?’ ask the concerned parents, ‘do our children have such dark imaginations? What attracts them to such sinister fiction? Is it healthy to be so preoccupied?’ 

 
My retort is invariably the same. I invite the parent to think about the first stories they ever gave to their children, long before they were able to read for themselves; the ones they read to them at bedtime. Little Red Riding Hood: Hansel and Gretel: Snow White. A dark twist of the gothic lies at the heart of all these stories – they are tales of murder and cannibalism and savagery and yet we deem them perfectly suitable for the youngest audiences. The dark seeds are planted early. 

As the children grow older, able to read for themselves, they’ll invariably fall for the stories of Roald Dahl, in which a succession of luckless youngsters are gleefully put through the mill by a series of evil adversaries. Dahl knew better than most authors, the attraction that the grotesque has for young readers. Little wonder that years after his death, his books still figure prominently in the charts.   

By the time the kids are into their teens and start to really look at the world in which they live, they see darkness all around them; in the daily news reports on television and social media, in the actions of corrupt governments that only ever put their own interests first. Here’s a generation of readers that aren’t old enough to vote but who are gleefully invited to massacre hundreds of strangers on their PlayStations and Xboxes whenever they’re in the mood for it.  

 
Little wonder that dark dystopias like The Hunger Games have become the order of the day. Little wonder that cheery escapist fiction is struggling to keep young readers hooked. 

When I came to write Danny Weston’s first novel, The Piper, I was looking to recapture some of the atmosphere that appealed to me as a teenage reader – the unsettling ghost stories of M.R. James, the cold brilliant satires of Saki (H.H. Munro) and the nightmarish qualities found in the writing of the legendary Ray Bradbury. I wanted to write scenes that would make the hairs on the back of a reader’s neck stand to attention… Danny, I decided, would only ever write about unsettling things. He would only ever see the glass half empty. Danny clearly was not going to be invited to many parties. 

Winning the Scottish Children’s Book Award for teen readers felt, somehow, like a vindication. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who liked my fiction dark. A lot of readers clearly agreed with me. 

And you know what? It’s all perfectly healthy for one very important reason. In fiction, we are able to ensure that after a long struggle, the powers of good will eventually triumph over the forces of evil – the sun will rise, vanquishing the darkness – the towers of the wicked will crumble and fall - our young protagonists will survive and will be immeasurably enriched by what they have experienced. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that real life is rarely like that. On a daily basis, massive companies that defraud millions of people walk away without a stain on their character. Corrupt politicians stab each other in the back before being voted into power. People that cheat, lie, steal, murder, all seem to get away with it.

It’s only in fiction that we can make them pay for their transgressions. And it seems to me, that is the most powerful and compelling reason for me to continue in the same vein.

 

 

About Danny Weston:

Danny Weston is the pen-name for Philip Caveney, author of the international bestselling Sebastian Darke series.  Philip has written two YA novels under the pen-name Danny Weston: The Piper, set during the Second World War and following the story of Peter and his younger sister Daisy and the unearthly music the pair hear...  Danny's second novel is the darkly comedic, Mr Sparks.  Based in Llandudno during the Great War, there is much suspicion in the town.  Danny has a third book due out 1st September, The Haunting of Jessop Rise. 

2016 has been a great year for Danny!  He won the Scottish Children's Book Prize with The Piper and has embarked on a terrific and terrifying tour of schools, talking about his latest book Mr Sparks.  Danny (or Philip) is also a highly experienced tutor in creative writing.  He has been writer in residence with the University of Central Lancashire, Worcester University and Lancaster University.  Philip is a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund.

The Big Fat YA Quiz

Our first-ever Big Fat YA quiz takes place on the 19th August at 8pm BST. There will be 40 questions divided up into six rounds:

• Round 1 - 6 questions: the emoji round. Six book titles told through emojis.
• Round 2 - 6 questions: the first-line round. Six first-line quotes. Can you guess which book they come from?
• Round 3 - 6 questions: the book cover round. I'll show you six book cover sections; can you guess the book they come from?
• Round 4 - 6 questions: the character round. I'll give you clues to YA characters and you need to match them to the book.
• Round 5 - 6 questions: the quote round. Six quotes from YA books.
• Round 6 - 10 questions: mix 'n' match. A little bit of everything to test you hardcore YA fans.

For each question, you'll need to tell me the book title AND the author (Twitter handle if you can) to win the point. You must also use the #YAtakeover hashtag to gain the point.

Each question is worth one point. That's a total of 40 points that are available on the night.

May the odds be ever in your favour.

The rules:

1. No Googling, Binging or asking Jeeves or Siri. Keep it fair and keep it exciting.
2. I will like, from the @YAfictionados, the person that answers the question correctly with the book title, author and accompanies it with the #YAtakeover hashtag and in the quickest time.
3. If the book title is abbreviated, I will accept this answer if it is clear you know the book. For example, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, answered as "Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender".
4. Reply to my question rather than quoting the tweet. It becomes more difficult to decipher who got the answer first.
5. This is open to UK and Ireland only BUT if any of our international friends want to join in and win, I will do my best to send you some book swag. I'm nice like that.
6. If you win, please DM me your full name and address and I will endeavour to post the books ASAP. In your DM, please mention the "Big Fat YA Quiz".

The #YAtakeover 2.0 Schedule

The #YAtakeover takes place from the 19th August until the 21st August 2016. All of the times are in BST (British Summer Time). Times will differ depending on country. +1 hour for GMT.

19th August 2016

Bullying in YA

 

Time: 7.00pm-7.45pm BST

Interview panel: E.R. Murray, Eve Ainsworth, Jenny McLachlan and Susin Nielsen

Host: @ChelleyToy

 

Some of your favourite YA authors will be discussing the various kinds of bullying from different viewpoints and the affects on the victim. 

The Big Fat YA Quiz

Time: 8.00pm-10.00pm BST

40 questions on YA lit including book cover questions, quotes, emojis and more. Be the first to reply to the question with the #YAtakeover hashtag, answer the most questions and you'll win a bumper YA prize (UK and Ireland only) which will include copies of:

• C. J. Skuse's The Deviants,
• Taran Matharu's The Novice,
• Manuela Salvi's controversial Girl Detached (advance copy),
• Leo Hunt's 13 Days of Midnight,
• Sarra Manning's London Belongs to Us and
• Lucy Saxon's Take Back the Skies

20th August 2016

LGBT: You Be Who You Want to Be

 

Time: 9.00-9.45am BST (+1 hour for GMT)

Interview Panel: Lisa Williamson
Host: @YAundermyskin

Lisa and Robin discuss sexual identity and being true to yourself as well as some of key themes in their award-winning books.

Supernatural Seduction

Time: 10.00am-10.45am BST

Interview Panel: Julia Gray, Katharine Corr and Lu Hersey

Julia, Katharine and Lu discuss the myths in their stories and how these shape their writing.

  

Where do you read?

Time: 11.10am-11.50am BST

Where do you read? Post pictures of your favourite reading spots across Instagram and Twitter, using the #YAtakeover hashtag. Bookshops, parks, beaches and more - we want to know! There will be a book prize for the most unusual reading spot and the most creative picture. We may throw in another spontaneous prize or two on the day. You can post as many times as you like. 

'It's Behind You': Horror in YA

Time: 12.00pm-12.45pm BST
Interview Panel: Alex Bell, Danny Weston and Dawn Kurtagich
Host: @HowlingReviews

Our panellists discuss the different kinds of horror and what inspires them to write for the genre.

Peer Pressure in YA

Time: 1.00pm-1.45pm BST

Interview Panel: Claire Hennessy and Patrice Lawrence
Host: @Jenny_books_art

Debut authors Claire and Patrice discuss peer pressure and the impact it has on their characters and stories, exposing and exploring issues that include body image, crime and drugs.
   

Unheard Voices

Time: 2.00pm-2.45pm BST
Interview Panel: Alex Wheatle, Jon Walter and Robin Talley

 
Two acclaimed authors discuss representation in YA fiction, covering the challenges and obstacles they have faced in their careers and those that exist in the wider field.

YA Thrillers 

Time: 3.00pm-3.45pm BST

Interview Panel: Emma Haughton, Liz Flanagan and Sue Wallman
Host: @ohhiimjosh

We unearth the relationships between friends and family and the emotional aspects of Liz's and Sue's stories and how they channel this into pulse-pounding, thrilling narratives.

Let's Talk Depression in YA

Time: 4.00pm-4.45pm BST

Interview Panel: Jay Asher
Host: @HowlingReviews

'13 Reasons Why' was published almost a decade ago and it's never been more relevant. We'll look at depression in this panel and try to unearth why this iconic book has stood the test of time. 

Hope and Resilience

Time: 05.00pm-05.45pm BST
Interview Panel: Eliza Wass and Jeff Zentner
Host: @HowlingReviews

Eliza and Jeff explore hope in their stories and the resilience of their characters.

Blood is Thicker than Water
 

Time: 6.15pm-7.00pm BST

Interview Panel: Clare Furniss, Ellen Hopkins, Liz Kessler and Sarah Crossan
Host: @AnnaliseBooks

Our panel discusses four very different family portraits.

'To Infinity and Beyond'
 

Time: 7.15pm-8.00pm BST
Host: @yablooker

 

Join us for a Twitter chat on Sci-Fi in YA with our special guest, Meaghan McIssac.

21st August 2016
 

Dazzling Debuts

 

Time: 9.00am-9.45am BST

Interview Panel: Alwyn Hamilton and Lauren James
Host: @demoniqueshadow

 

Alwyn and Lauren take us through 'Rebel of the Sands' and 'The Next Together',  their writing techniques and their experiences as debut authors.

 

 

Growing up and Moving out

Time: 10.00am-10.45am BST

Interview Panel: Alexia Casale and Keris Stainton

Host: @ChelleyToy

Alexia and Keris explore university and beyond (and the challenges their protagonists are faced with) in this discussion on coming-of-age YA.

Tech in YA

Time: 11.00am-11.45am BST
Interview Panel: Amy Alward and Keren David

Our panel discusses technology in their work and how this impacts on their stories and themes.

Rude, Crude and Uncouth: The Shouldn'ts, Couldn'ts and Wouldn'ts of YA Lit
 

Time: 12.00pm-12.45pm BST

Interview Panel: Jess Vallance, Manuela Salvi and Moira Fowley-Doyle

Our panel looks at taboo and censorship in YA.

Ha ha ha: The Funny Side of YA
 

Time: 1.00pm-1.45pm BST

Join us for a Twitter chat on humour in YA; why it's important and reading recommendations with special guest

Everybody Say Love!
 

Time: 2.00pm-2.45pm BST

Interview Panel: Joss Stirling
Host: @cityofyabook

Our panel discusses love in YA.

#SundayYA book club

Time: 3.00pm-3.45pm BST

Host: @_babblebooks

Rachel leads this joint book club with the YAfictionados. Our first YA read is 'Paper Butterflies' by Lisa Heathfield. Join in using the #SundayYA hashtag (just for this book club segment).

Keep your Friends Close

Time: 4.00pm-4.45pm BST

Interview Panel: C. J. Skuse and M. G. Reyes

C. J. and M. G. discuss lies, betrayal and friendship in this nail-biter panel.

The Affects of War

Time: 5.00-5.45 BST
Interview panel: Brian Conaghan and Michael Grant
Host: @ChelleyToy

Our panel looks at war, the affects and the scars it leaves behind.

What is Normal?

Time: 6.00pm-6.45pm BST

Interview Panel: Eric Lindstrom, Louise Gornall and Siobhan Curham
Host: @zarinatweets

Is there such a thing as 'normal'? And if so, what does it mean to be anything but 'normal'? Join our panel as they provide insight into an incredible deconstruction on the idea of 'normal'.

Fantastic Fantasy

Time: 7.00pm-7.45pm BST

Interview Panel: Melinda Salisbury, Samantha Shannon and Taran Matharu
Host: @Lottie_LovesB

Why fantasy? What inspires you? How do you create your worlds? Join our panel as they share their passion and enlighten us to some of the challenges associated with writing fantasy.

There will be tons of giveaways throughout the event across Twitter and Instagram. To be in with a chance of winning, follow us on Twitter @YAfictionados and on Instagram yafictionados. We will feature blog posts, giveaways, Twitter chats and interviews so be sure to mark this event in your calenders.