Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Monday 12 October
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
From dystopian epics to ‘sick lit’ tearjerkers, supernatural romances to works of steampunk sci-fi; the scope of quality coming-of-age stories pitched at teenage readers has never been more diverse. With blockbuster young adult books skyrocketing to prominence – netting film adaptations and unofficial fan-fiction spinoffs – young adult novels are increasingly serving as focal points for communities of readers who find solace in remarkable characters and their journeys to maturity.
In a contemporary society marked by a lack of obvious rites of passage, the best YA novels can act as roadmaps, guiding us on the path from childhood to adulthood. But is providing straightforward models for growing up really the point of the most compelling coming-of-age stories?
John Marsden (Checkers, Winter and the Tomorrow series), Will Kostakis (The First Third) and Alice Pung (Laurinda) will speak about stories exploring the universal – and often peculiar, embarrassing, and remarkable – experiences of growing up. Hosted by YA author Emily Gale.
Featuring
Emily Gale
Emily Gale has been involved in the children's book industry for nearly 20 years and has worked as an editor, reviewer, talent finder and literary award judge. She spent several happy years at independent bookshop Readings as a children's book buyer, during which time she was instrumental in establishing their Children's Book Prize.
Emily's writing includes two novels for teenagers – Girl, Aloud and Steal My Sunshine – and Eliza Boom's Diary for younger readers. Living on the other side of the world from the place she grew up (and most of her family) means that concepts of home, belonging and displacement have long occupied Emily's mind, inspiring her to write The Other Side of Summer.
John Marsden
John Marsden has written more than 40 books, mostly for teenagers and children, including Tomorrow When the War Began, So Much to Tell You, and Letters from the Inside. He has sold over five million books worldwide, and has won every major award in Australia for young people's fiction. South of Darkness, written for adults, won the Christina Stead Award for Best Novel of 2015. John's passionate interest in education led him to start two schools, Candlebark, on a vast forested estate near Romsey Victoria, and Alice Miller, at Macedon, a Year 7-12 school with a particular emphasis on the creative arts. The two schools enrol 380 students in 2019.
Will Kostakis
Will Kostakis is an award-winning author for young adults. He’s been at it fifteen years, but his mum insists it’s just a phase and any day now, he’ll pursue a real career. He is best known for his contemporary novels, The First Third, The Sidekicks, and the recently released We Could Be Something.
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Alice Pung
Alice Pung OAM is the author of the bestselling memoirs Unpolished Gem and Her Father’s Daughter, and the essay collection Close to Home, as well as the editor of the anthologies Growing Up Asian in Australia and My First Lesson ...