On July 20, HarperCollins Children’s Books hosted its first Epic Reads Day, welcoming teen readers to the publisher’s New York offices for a celebration of young adult literature. The sold-out event drew 100 fans for a day of games, giveaways, behind-the-scenes peeks, publishing panels, and more chances to connect with favorite authors. We’ve gathered a selection of photo highlights from the day.
Epic Reads Day included appearances by authors (from l.) Ibi Zoboi, Kendare Blake, Becky Albertalli, and Adam Silvera.
The “Team Epic Reads” panel featured (from l.) Gina Rizzo, Audrey Diestelkamp, Jane Lee, and Michael D’Angelo of HarperCollins, who shared their favorite upcoming fall reads, including The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth, Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand, When We Caught Fire by Anna Godbersen, and This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kheryn Callender.
Attendees took part in a round of Booknerd Questions.
National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi (l.) spoke with her editor, Alessandra Balzer, co-publisher of Balzer + Bray, about her upcoming novel, Pride, during their “Writing and Remixing” discussion.
Fans received copies of What If It’s Us, a new collaborative novel by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.
Games galore! In addition to photo opportunities with the Epic Reads book wall, teens had the chance to vote in polls for beloved titles, including their “Favorite OTP” (One True Pairing).
Kendare Blake, author of the Three Dark Crowns series, participated in a game of “Rip It or Ship It.”
Fans waited to have authors sign the books they received in their Epic Reads totes.
Albertalli and Silvera wrapped up the day with a discussion about writing solo, collaborating, and the origin story of What If It’s Us.
