Monday, August 24, 2015

#YAShot Programme

Have you guys heard of the #YAShot literary 'festival' being held in Uxbridge on 28th October?! It looks amazing. I thought today I might break down the official programme and let you know how excited I am for all of the panels and workshops. And yes, I'm included in the programme, but I promise you that I'd have been excited regardless.

The box office is now open, do buy your ticket while they last!

Uxbridge Library – Workshop Programme:
10.30am – 11.15am Faye Bird – Sitting on Both Sides of the Desk: Writing & agenting, novels & scripts
Faye will use her experience, both as a former agent for television scriptwriters and as a YA author, to inspire you to create your own characters and get them talking.
11.30am – 12.15pm Jason Rohan – Show, Don’t Tell To Reveal Character
Jason will draw on his experience of performing theatre and working with comics to show how to bring characters to life and how to convey important background information without lengthy narrative. [MG event, suitable for age 7-11 as well as adults]
12:30 – 1:15pm Siobhan Curham – True Face: Be Real. Be Fearless. Be You!
Siobhan will explore techniques for resisting pressure from the ‘perfection police’ to help you take off the masks you wear and proudly reveal your true self to the world. The workshop will provide a supportive environment to discuss how to be honest, dream big and create a life that is happy and fulfilling.
1.30pm – 2.15pm Taran Matharu – Creating Fantasy Worlds
Taran will explore how to create compelling original worlds and share his own experience of how to leverage social media and online opportunities to create modern avenues to traditional publication.
I love the sound of all of these workshops. Especially the True Face workshop with Siobhan Curham, because I've read True Face and I love how inspiring Siobhan Curham is. But the other workshops look fascinating too, exploring different aspects of writing and publication using the fascinating experiences of the authors to benefit everyone as widely as possible. I love that.

2.30pm – 3:30pm Vlogging Workshops
Workshop Bay 1: Benjamin of Tomes – Getting started with Vlogging
A star vlogger with over 43,000 subscribers on YouTube, Ben was shortlisted as Champion Vlogger in the inaugural UKYA Blogger Awards. Ben’s workshop will help you get started with vlogging and booktubing. Don’t know how to get a YouTube channel or how to hide your date of birth? Don’t know how to get comfortable in front of the camera or what to wear/what not to wear? Ben will answer your questions and explain how to create a safe, comfortable approach that suits you. Find Ben on Twitter @Benjaminoftomes.
Workshop Bay 3: Michelle of Fluttering Butterflies – Vlogging Group Projects
Shortlisted as Champion Adult Blogger in the inaugural UKYA Blogger Awards, Michelle blogs and vlogs, including as part of the brilliant Bookish Brits team. She’ll be talking about group projects, reading challenges and how to stand out from the crowd. Find Michelle on Twitter @cloverness (watch out for the autocorrect that quite understandably turns her handle into @cleverness).
3.45pm – 4.45pm Blogging Workshops
Workshop Bay 1: Chrissi of Chrissi Reads and Beth of Bibliobeth – Getting started with Blogging
Shortlisted for the Champion Newcomer category of the inaugural UKYA Blogger Awards, Chrissi and her sister, fellow ace blogger Beth, will help you develop the skills and confidence to build a great blog that is sustainable and enjoyable for you and your followers. The perfect workshop for those who are curious about starting a blog, those who’ve just done so and those still relatively new to blogging. Find Chrissi on Twitter @ChrissiReads and Beth at @Bibliobeth1.
Workshop Bay 3: Debbie of Snuggling on the Sofa and Daphne of Winged Reviews – Developing your blog’s brand and gaining followers
Debbie (shortlisted for the Champion of YA category at the inaugural UKYA Blogger Awards) and Daphne (winner of the Champion of Social Media category) will host a workshop perfect for people who’ve been blogging for a while and want to know more about how to create a brand, set themselves apart and grow their following. Find Debbie on Twitter @SnugglingonSofa and Daphne @wingedreviews.
5pm – 6pm Reviewing Diversity in Literature & MYSTERY WORKSHOP
Bay 1: Jim Dean and Wei Ming Kam – Reviewing Diversity in Literature: Probably the first and hopefully the last workshop needed
Ming and Jim (winner of the Champion of Diversity mantle at the inauguralUKYA Blogger Awards) will discuss some of the major questions about diversity in YA fiction and how they apply to bloggers and vloggers. How important is it to review diverse books and support diverse authors? What IS a diverse book, for that matter? Should reviewers talk about diversity when it’s not a key part of the plot, or isn’t obvious until some way into the book Do bloggers have a responsibility to call out problematic representations of diversity? The workshop will explore these issues and practical advice on how to discuss diversity in a positive way on your blog. WARNING: controversy and uncomfortable truths ahead! Find Jim on Twitter @yayeahyeah and Ming @weimingkam.
Bay 3: It’s a mystery – at least for now!
Find out more about how we’ll be filling our final workshop slot during #UKYAchat on Twitter 8-9pm Monday 26 August.

Man, alive! Doesn't that look like an amazing line-up for blogging/vlogging workshops? I love all of these bloggers and vloggers and I cannot wait for these. The one I'm most looking forward to, obviously, is Jim and Ming's workshop on blogging and diversity. Because it sounds ace. The mystery blogging workshop hasn't been announced yet but I hope it got some good entries! 
‘UKYA’ Hall (Civic Hall, Civic Centre):
10:10am – 10:15am YA Shot Opening: News About the Year-Long Legacy Programme
10:15am – 11.15am Surviving Secondary School: The joys of High School and other myths – Chaired by Eve Ainsworth with RJ MorganAlice Oseman and David Owen
11.30am – 12.30pm Playing with Time: Historical fiction and historical settings – Chaired by Natasha Farrant with Lucy CoatsRhian Ivory and Alison Rattle
12.45pm – 1.45pm Crime and Punishment: Fictional wrongdoing and human rights – Chaired by Laura Jarratt with Cat ClarkeKeren David and Emma Haughton
2pm – 3pm Trigger Warning: Exploring sensitive issues in ethical ways – Chaired by Alexia Casale with Holly BourneTanya Byrne and Louisa Reid
3.20pm – 4.20pm The Stuff of Nightmares: Using dystopia and horror to explore social issues – Chaired by Laure Eve with James DawsonAntonia Honeywell and Emma Pass
4.40pm – 5.40pm Make ‘Em Laugh: Using humour to create empathy and understanding – Chaired by Matt Whyman with Ben DavisAndy Robb and CJ Skuse
6pm– 7pm Women Re-writing Worlds: Heroines of Fantasy – Chaired by Ellen Renner with CJ DaughertyGary Meehan and Melinda Salisbury
7.20pm – 8.30pm In conversation: Tom Pollock and Samantha Shannon
8.30pm – 8.40pm That’s a wrap!
Oooh! I love these panels. The sound of 'Surviving Secondary school' 'Crime and punishment' and 'Trigger Warning' especially. Plus, I just think each of these authors are in such perfect panels. Love the way that everyone is given a chance to play to their strengths and hopefully really shine. This is going to be SUCH an exciting day.
MG Central (Waterstone’s Uxbridge) Events:
10am – 10.45am Workshop with Ian Johnstone
11am – 12noon Daring Do!: High stakes versus safety nets in MG adventures – Chaired by Sally Nicholls with Emma Trevayne and Kiera O’Brien
2pm – 2.45pm Workshop with Susie Day
3pm – 4pm Weird and Wonderful: The familiar and the fantastical in MG fiction – Chaired by Abi Elphinstone with Nigel McDowell and Tatum Flynn
4.15pm – 5pm Workshop with Giancarlo Gemin: Cows to Cowgirl 
5.15pm – 6.15pm Into the Past: Exploring history in MG fiction – Chaired byEmma Carroll with Katherine Woodfine and Anne Booth
All the MG Central events are suitable for children aged 7-11 as well as adults.
I'm not a massive reader of middle grade fiction but this looks like a really exciting line-up of events! Particularly intrigued by Daring Do!: High Stakes versus safety nets in MG adventures and Into the Past: Exploring history in MG fiction. 

‘YA/MG’ Hall (Hall CR6, Civic Centre) Events:

10.15am – 11.15am Intrepid Girls: Adventure heroines – Chaired by Sam Oseman (Sam Hepburn) with Sarah Sky and Kerry Drewery
11.30am – 12.30pm Diverse Lives: Looking beyond labels – Chaired by Sarah Benwell with Lisa Williamson and Keris Stainton
12.45pm – 1.45pm Treasured Land: Nature as a character and concern in YA – Chaired by Piers Torday with Lisa Heathfield and Anna McKerrow
2pm – 3pm In conversationTim Bowler and Frances Hardinge 
3.20pm – 4.20pm No Escape: The enduring fascination with horror – Chaired byLou Morgan with Dawn Kurtagich and Sangu Mandanna
4.40pm – 5.40pm Tragedy! Tackling sadness in fiction for younger teens – Chaired by Candy Gorlay with Jane Elson and Aoife Walsh [MG event, suitable for children aged 7-11 as well as adults]
6pm – 7pm Subverting Stereotypes: Transforming myths, legends and pop culture – Chaired by Lu Hersey with Liz de Jager and Stefan Mohamed
7.20pm – 8.20pm Hopeless Romantic: Doomed lovers and ideals of romance – Chaired by Lauren James with Cat Doyle and Lucy Saxon

I think this portion of the programme looks like my favourite. All the panels/workshops look ace. I read this part and thought to myself 'all of them. I want to go to all of these panels.' Will really have to schedule myself well beforehand and prioritise because I know so many things will clash :( But I love the sound of the Hopeless Romantic panel, the Horror panel, Nature as a character and Subverting Stereotypes especially.

Let me know what you think of the YAShot programme!

1 comment:

  1. Ooh thank you for bringing this to my attention! I love how I can actually attend these events now that I live in the UK! Squee! :)

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