The Panels at the 2019 ALAN Workshop are exciting!

10/30/2019

Hi all! the ALAN Workshop is just around the corner. In fact, in four short weeks from the time I am writing this, I will be sitting on an airplane trying to sleep as I fly home. In all reality, I won't be sleeping. I will be reading my way through one of the books I pick up at ALAN Workshop.

I previously shared keynotes, individual speakers, and authors in conversation in an earlier post. (If you missed it check it out now.) Now, it is time to share the panels. Panels are tried and true tradition at the ALAN Workshop. in fact, most new authors are on a panel for their first ALAN workshop appearance. I have heard some wonderful authors for the first time as part of a panel. For example, I heard Matt de la Pena, Coe Booth, Kekla Magoon, Cody Keplinger, Varian Johnson, Adriana Mather and David Lubar as panelist. I love their books and a small conversation sparked my interest. I pulled their book from the pile and started reading.

This year we have limited panels to only three authors. Sure, it would be great to have more authors, but I wanted to make sure new voices are heard. Some well established authors will be on panels this year. Not to marginalize them by any means, but to allow them to nurture and support some of the new authors or to share with authors who write in their genre, their style, or who share similar themes in their writing.

We have ten panels, thirty authors and the list includes some of my very favorite authors. More important, some of these authors are some of my favorite people and prized members of the ALAN community. Do you know them all? I doubt it? Check them out and get ready for a great at the ALAN Workshop.

All pictures are linked to the author's web page. Click on the link. Follow them on Facebook. Welcome them to the ALAN Workshop on twitter and include #ALAN2019. You can start to get to know them right now!

Deborah Heiligman, Marc Aronson, and Cynthia Copeland

Gilly Segal, Kimberly Jones, and Brittney Morris

Zach Smedley, NoNeiqa Ramos, Ismee Williams

Laurie Halse Anderson, Zetta Elliot, and Cyndy Etler

Lauren Mansy, Annie Sullivan, and Courtney Moulton

Adam Gidwitz, Pablo Cartaya and January LaVoy

Ginny Rorby, Nicole Melleby, and Meredith Russo

Rory Power, Kim Liggett, and Marie Lu

Emily X. R Pan, Jillian Boehme, and Amelie Wen Zhao

Matt Mendez, Chris Crutcher, and Mark Oshiro

Until next week.

Dr. Steve Bickmore
Creator and Curator

Dr. Bickmore is a Professor of English Education at UNLV. He is a scholar of Young Adult Literature and past editor of The ALAN Review and a past president of ALAN. He is a available for speaking engagements at schools, conferences, book festivals, and parent organizations. More information can be found on the Contact page and the About page.

Dr. Gretchen Rumohr
Co-Curator

Gretchen Rumohr is a professor of English and writing program administrator at Aquinas College, where she teaches writing and language arts methods. She is also a Co-Director of the UNLV Summit on the Research and Teaching of Young Adult Literature. She lives with her four girls and a five-pound Yorkshire Terrier in west Michigan.

Bickmore's
Co-Edited Books

Meet
Evangile Dufitumukiza!

Evangile is a native of Kigali, Rwanda. He is a college student that Steve meet while working in Rwanda as a missionary. In fact, Evangile was one of the first people who translated his English into Kinyarwanda.

Steve recruited him to help promote Dr. Bickmore's YA Wednesday on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media while Steve is doing his mission work.

He helps Dr. Bickmore promote his academic books and sometimes send out emails in his behalf.

You will notice that while he speaks fluent English, it often does look like an "American" version of English. That is because it isn't. His English is heavily influence by British English and different versions of Eastern and Central African English that is prominent in his home country of Rwanda.

Welcome Evangile into the YA Wednesday community as he learns about Young Adult Literature and all of the wild slang of American English vs the slang and language of the English he has mastered in his beautiful country of Rwanda.

While in Rwanda, Steve has learned that it is a poor English speaker who can only master one dialect and/or set of idioms in this complicated language.

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