Pasadena Loves YA Festival 2024 Cancelled

PASADENA, Calif.- The Pasadena Public Library regrets to announce the cancellation of the annual Pasadena Loves YA Festival for 2024. The region's premiere book festival celebrating young adult literature will not be held this year due to the closure of Pasadena's Central Library, pending a necessary seismic retrofit.

Young Adult (YA) Fiction is one of the most popular literary genres and the basis for one of Pasadena Central Library's much anticipated fall programs, Pasadena Loves YA. This Teen Book Festival attracted lovers of YA Fiction who traveled from San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Sacramento, and as far away as Utah and Arizona to attend the event. YA literature, while advertised by publishers for ages 12-18, has traditionally attracted many young adults up to senior citizens. These tweens, teens and adults consistently showed up every year to hear from their favorite authors, purchase their books and have them signed as well and enjoy a "Book Blitz" giveaway at the end of the festival. Event attendance grew each year as more and more YA fans heard about the festival. Past attendees have reported discovering new reading materials and enjoying the event when they were teens at Central Library and have contacted the library staff years later to ask about the event and recall how much they enjoyed it and want to attend again.

The closure of the Library in May 2021 for necessary earthquake retrofitting and building repairs significantly impacted this program. The festival used the majority of space in Central Library for the event, taking over the Donald Wright Auditorium, Children's Wing, Story Room, Teen Central, Studio on 4^th, the library's courtyard and all other meeting space in the building. With Central Library temporarily closed, it is not possible to replicate the festival in the City's much smaller branch libraries. The festival will remain cancelled until further notice.

Senior Librarian and Festival Organizer Jane Gov said, "I often hear from authors who are participating that they really like the intimacy of our event (and also the organization). We do have a reputation of being very organized and thorough." Featured authors from prior festivals include Alja Mayrock, Evelyn Skye, Thomas Voorhies, Cecil Castellucci, Charlotte Huang, Dana Elmendorf, Elizabeth Briggs, Eric Laster, Frank Beddor, Ingrid Sundberg, Josephine Angelini, Julie Buxbaum, Kerry Kletter, Marisa Reichardt, Nicola Yoon, Robin Reul, Robyn Schneider, Shannon Messenger, Tobie Easton, Amerie, Audrey Coulthurst, Jeff Garvin, Maurene Goo, B.T. Gottfred, Emily Ziff Griffin, Aditi Khorana, E. Katherine Kottaras, Robin LaFevers, Stacey Lee, Cindy Pon, Chelsea Sedoti, Sherri L. Smith, Misa Sugiura, Daniel Sweren-Becker, Jessica Taylor, Mary Weber, Demetra Brodsky, Clare Di Liscia, Mary McCoy, Lauren Morrill, Nicole Mainardi, Julie Berry, Derek Milman, Abdi Nazemian, Catherine Linka, Alexa Donne, Maura Milan, Caitlin Seal, Andrew Smith, Jennifer Brody, Dana L. Davis, Christine Riccio, Amy Spading, Gretchen McNeil, Nikki Barthelmess, Raquel Marie, Patrick Ness, Jessica Parra, Yi Shun Lai, Vanessa Lanang, Robyn Schneider, Stephanie Kate Strohm, Brandie June, Alex Brown, Lily Sparks, Justine Pucella Winans, Elizabeth Foscue, Marisa Kanter, Edward Underhill, Rebekah Weatherspoon, Carrie Arcos, Samuel Miller, Farrah Penn, Aminah Mae Safi, Cory Doctorow, Mairghread Scott, Tillie Walden, Atia Abawi, Nicole Maggi, Sara Santana, Bree Barton, Gwen C. Katz, Mary E. Pearson, and Amy Trueblood. One author, Jessica Parra, shared that she was an annual attendee at the festival and recalled dreaming one day that she would be published and be able to be on a panel at the event. Achieving that dream brought it full circle for her.

The closure of Central Library has had a detrimental impact on library programs and events, especially teen events like Pasadena Loves YA, that are cancelled until the reopening of the library. To learn more about the Central Library Retrofit and Building Repairs Project, visit CityOfPasadena.net/Library/Central-Library-Earthquake-Retrofit/.