Plucky Young Heroes in YA Science Fiction & Fantasy

Name: Plucky Young Heroes in YA Science Fiction &amp; Fantasy
Start: 2024-9-28T11:30-5:00
End: 2024-9-28T12:15-5:00

28sep11:30 am12:15 pmPlucky Young Heroes in YA Science Fiction & FantasyM.T. Khan, Matteo L. Cerilli, Mikaela Lucido, moderated by Kenneth Oppel11:30 am - 12:15 pm(GMT-04:00)

Event Details

The world of a teen is full of transformations, both physical and emotional. Even more so when you throw ghosts or monsters or spaceships into the mix. Why is speculative fiction such a perfect playground for exploring the questions teens are asking themselves? Join some of the biggest names in YA science fiction and fantasy, M.T. Khan, Matteo L. Cerilli, and Mikaela Lucido, plus Canadian legend Kenneth Oppel as moderator, as they discuss writing young protagonists for young readers—and how those readers can be heroes too.

Speakers for this event

Kenneth Oppel

Kenneth Oppel

Moderator
Kenneth Oppel is the bestselling author of numerous books for young readers. His award-winning Silverwing trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide and was adapted into an animated TV series and stage play. Airborn won a Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award and the Governor General’s Literary Award; its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller and was named Children’s Novel of the Year by the Times (UK). Kenneth Oppel is also the author of Half Brother, This Dark Endeavor, The Boundless, The Nest, Every Hidden Thing, Inkling and the Bloom trilogy. His latest novel is Ghostlight. Ken Oppel lives with his family in Toronto.

Moderator
M.T. Khan

M.T. Khan

M.T. Khan is a speculative fiction author with a penchant for all things myth, science, and philosophy. She focuses on stories that combine all three, dreaming of evocative worlds and dark possibilities. When she’s not writing, M.T. Khan can be found travelling the world or cracking physics equations as she graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, she currently resides in Toronto, Canada, with a hyperactive cat and an ever-increasing selection of tea.
Matteo L. Cerilli

Matteo L. Cerilli

Matteo L. Cerilli (he/him) is a transmasc author and activist specializing in speculative fiction for all ages. His work features the YA horror novel LOCKJAW (Tundra, 2024), a featured short story in BURY YOUR GAYS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF TRAGIC QUEER HORROR (Ghoulish Books, 2024), and poetry in Augur magazine. His activism has included setting up gender care for trans students at York University, helping to found the Students for Queer Liberation—Tkaronto, and organizing with the No Pride in Policing Coalition.
Mikaela Lucido

Mikaela Lucido

Mikaela Lucido is a Filipina-Canadian storyteller, fangirl, and amateur birdwatcher. She was born in Manila, Philippines, and raised in Mississauga, on the Treaty and Traditional Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and The Huron-Wendat and Wyandot Nations. She studied Creative Writing & Publishing at Sheridan College and was the 2021 recipient of the Ampersand Award. Her words have been featured in Ricepaper Magazine, Cambio & Co., Living Hyphen, and Augur Magazine. She writes for the awkward and anxious.