9. Exploring Identity in Young Adult Fiction - School Group Event - The FOLD
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Home Festival & Events The Festival of Literary Diversity FOLD 2022 9. Exploring Identity in Young Adult Fiction – School Group Event

9. Exploring Identity in Young Adult Fiction – School Group Event

Virtual Event

Description

Whether a book is set in the real world or in a fantastical realm, figuring out who you are is a staple of plot in young adult fiction. Chasing your dreams, finding the person or people who understand you, and dealing with the anxiety of failure are all a part of growing up. Join authors Sarena and Sasha Nanua, H.N. Khan and Farah Heron as they explore that through their novels. This event is geared towards high school students.

Date: May 3, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET

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How to Register

Guests can choose from three types of passes for FOLD 2022:

  • Virtual Events Only Passes ($35)
  • Virtual Plus In-Person Events Passes ($45)
  • In-Person Only Passes ($15)

GET YOUR FESTIVAL PASS HERE

Secondary school educators can choose a special Educator pass (with the same virtual and in-person options), which allow them to create a Student Access Login which their students can use to log on to individual devices.

Bundle passes are available for groups of five educators who wish to reduce the price of their pass by buying in bulk.

School discounts and board discounts are available by request until early April.

GET YOUR EDUCATOR PASS HERE

On a Budget? Check out our Patron Pass program.

Featured Speaker(s)

A middle-aged Indian-Canadian woman with curly dark hair and glasses. She stands against a blue wall and wears a multi-coloured blouse and red lipstick. She is smiling widely.
Farah Heron
Bio
A middle-aged Indian man, balding, who wears blue jeans and a dark shirt under a dark blazer. He leans against a green pole.
H.N. Khan
Bio
Photo of two young identical Indo-Canadian women standing back-to-back with one another. They both have long dark hair, dark eyes, and are smiling. The sister on the left wears green and yellow and the sister on the right wears purple and pink.
Sarena and Sasha Nanua
Bio
A young Indian-Canadian woman with long dark hair and reddish glasses sits with her chin propped in her right hand.
Samantha Devotta
Bio
A middle-aged Indian-Canadian woman with curly dark hair and glasses. She stands against a blue wall and wears a multi-coloured blouse and red lipstick. She is smiling widely.

Farah Heron

Farah Heron is the critically acclaimed author of romantic comedies for adults and teens filled with family, food, and most importantly, brown people falling stupidly in love. She lives in Toronto with her husband, two children, a rabbit, and two cats. Farah’s romantic comedy, Accidentally Engaged, was named one of the best books of 2021 by Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, NPR, CBC Books, Kobo, and more. Her young adult debut, Tahira in Bloom, was named one of the best books of the year by USA today. Her recent adult release, Kamila Knows Best is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma.

A middle-aged Indian man, balding, who wears blue jeans and a dark shirt under a dark blazer. He leans against a green pole.

H.N. Khan

H.N. Khan is a first-time author. His debut novel Wrong Side Of The Court is set to be published in spring, 2022 by Penguin Teen. Born in Pakistan, he immigrated to Canada at age seven and grew up in Regent Park, a low-income community housing project. After graduating with a business degree he decided to drop out of law school to pursue a career in Toronto’s start-up scene before setting his sights on writing.

Photo of two young identical Indo-Canadian women standing back-to-back with one another. They both have long dark hair, dark eyes, and are smiling. The sister on the left wears green and yellow and the sister on the right wears purple and pink.

Sarena and Sasha Nanua

Sarena Nanua and Sasha Nanua are twin sisters living in Ontario, Canada. Born on Diwali ten minutes apart from each other, they grew up loving stories about twins and magic, and began writing books together when they were nine years old. They are graduates of the English and Professional Writing programs at the University of Toronto and are also the authors of The Pendant Trilogy. Their newest novel, Sisters of the Snake, is available now from HarperCollins.

A young Indian-Canadian woman with long dark hair and reddish glasses sits with her chin propped in her right hand.

Samantha Devotta

Sam Devotta (she/her) is the Senior Associate, Marketing & Publicity at Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers. She has a publishing certificate from Ryerson University and can most often be found behind-the-scenes on the Penguin Teen Canada social media accounts. Outside of work, Sam spends a lot of time talking about YA books and pop-punk bands (often at the same time).

The FOLD is a remarkable and wonderful event for authors and attendees alike. What an amazing community, dedicated to the vital need for inclusive stories and the critical role they play in building a better world.

Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her

Field Guide to the North American Teenager is my first novel and FOLD was my first Canadian literary festival. While American and Canadian culture overlap quite a bit, especially when it comes to bookshelves, Canadian literature is unique and I was very heartened by to be embraced by that community I consider home despite residing in the US. It was a homecoming I didn’t know I needed!

Ben Philippe, author of Field Guide to the North American Teenager

The Festival of Literary Diversity was an absolute joy–the organizers thought of *everything* and by anticipating authors’ needs, they freed us to focus on connecting with the audience and each other. There was no pretension, no posturing–just very genuine conversations with invested writers and engaged readers.

Zetta Elliott, author of Dragons in a Bag

I have been to a lot of writers festivals and the FOLD is definitely near the top of the list of those I want to be invited back to.

Harold Johnson, author of the memoirs Clifford and Firewater

Being part of such a clearly diverse, inclusive and mutually respectful group was thrilling and inspiring: a glimpse of a better world.

Kathy Page, author of Dear Evelyn, winner of the 2018 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize

Wherever I go in Canada and find another writer of colour, we eventually end up gushing about how great the FOLD is, how by normalizing diversity it liberates us to talk to audiences about craft. It’s hard to imagine the literary landscape returning to a prehistoric pre-FOLD era.

Ian Williams, Author of the Giller Prize-winning novel Reproduction

FOLD is a festival experience unlike any other I’ve had. The FOLD team strive to create a space that’s welcoming and engaging, while allowing for curiosity, ingenuity and the fostering of real community – and they succeed, every year.

Alicia Elliott, author of A Mind Spread Out On The Ground

The FOLD is one of the most important literary events on this continent. By focusing on diverse voices and giving authors space to share their stories and speak their truths, it is revolutionizing the writing and storytelling realm as we know it.

Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon Of The Crusted Snow

Being part of the FOLD community has provided me with a strong sense of belonging. Sharing diverse stories and listening to different voices that broaden my understanding of the world has impacted me as a person and motivated me as a writer.

Ann Y.K. Choi, author of Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety

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