Meeting the Newcomers to the ALAN workshop: Introducing Zach Smedley

10/14/2019

Last week when I introduced one of the newcomers to the ALAN Workshop it was someone I knew. This is not the case with the the author Zach Smedley. I can tell you that I can't wait to meet him. The sophisticated nature of his debut novel Disposing Nathan, might lead you to think you are dealing with an experienced author. I was surprised at how young Zach is and to find out how early he started writing.

This novel is fantastic! I can't wait to be one of the 500 attendees who get to say " I meet Zach shortly after the publication of his furst novel at ALAN." One of the great things about the ALAN Workshop is opening your box and browsing the covers. I am always interested in the books by authors I have never heard of before. You browse books a bit, you read the blurbs, you read a few pages and you settle in, waiting for the moment when you get to her a debut author talk about the new book.

As the current President, I have been fortunate to be able to read quite a few debut novel over the past year. Can I tell you a secret? You are going to love the debut authors that will be attending this year. In addition, I have asked
the publisher to put me in touch with some these authors in order to highlight a few "unknowns" before the workshop. Zach was one of the first to responded to my list of questions. Below the photos I have attached a pdf of his answers.

Have you registered for the conference yet. If you have registered for the ALAN Breakfast or the ALAN Workshop. Please follow the links found inside the ALAN webpage.

You will notice that I have given a review here, I have already based on the book to a local teacher. It needs to be in hands of kids. Besides, it is hard to be a starred review from Kirkus. Read the interview. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Get ready. He will be at the reception on the Sunday night before the workshop.

An Interview with Zach Semedly

Until next time.

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.

Blogs to Follow