The inaugural Young Adult Southern (YAS) Book Con will take place in downtown Bowling Green on October 20-21. Featuring 35 authors of Young Adult or Middle Grade titles, YAS Book Con will allow readers to come together and learn more about the books and authors they love in an interactive, open format. Young Adult fiction has grown in popularity over the last decade, resulting in many well-known and well-loved series, like Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, and others. YAS Book Con event will highlight YA literature, allowing opportunities for fans of the genre to come together and meet authors, purchase books and get them signed, play games, participate in fun activities, and learn more about the art of writing.

Sara Volpi, Literary Outreach Coordinator for WKU Libraries and chief organizer of the event says, “If you’re wondering if YA books are a good fit for you, remember, classifying a book as ‘young adult’ has more to do with the age of the main character than that of the reader; people of all ages read YA. There’s truly something in it for everyone!”   

Both days of YAS Book Con are free and open to the public, featuring panel discussions with authors, book signings, a Harry Potter trivia game, yoga, and all kinds of fun. On Friday, October 20 from 9am-2pm at SKyPAC, YAS Book Con will host Jay Asher, author of the international bestseller Thirteen Reasons Why, along with more than two dozen authors whose work ranges from historical fiction to romance and everything in between. Asher will also sign books at Yellowberri starting at 9am on Saturday, October 21. Other authors will be signing books at our pop-up Barnes & Noble bookstore in the D93 Radio Station parking lot starting at 9am (the event ends at 3pm Saturday). Authors will also be participating in an Author Hop (similar to a Gallery Hop), visiting multiple downtown businesses to talk about their work during interactive panel discussions. The Chamber of Commerce, Spencer’s Coffee, Art Matters Community Studio & Gallery, GFCB Fountain Square, Zest Juice, and The Spot Yoga are all hosting authors throughout the day.

Food vendors, including Hillbilly Grillers, Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Little Fox Bakery, WhitDogs, and the BG Cheesewagon (Friday only) will be on hand, serving up fantastic lunch options.

The full schedule, an interactive map, and information about each author can be found on the website, yasbookcon.org. YAS Book Con, sponsored by Jim Johnson Nissan, is brought to you by the SOKY Book Fest, a partnership of the Warren County Public Library, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and WKU Libraries.