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Know Your Book Riot Live Speakers: Round 1

Jenn Northington

Director, Editorial Operations

Jenn Northington has worked in the publishing industry wearing various hats since 2004, including bookseller and events director, and is currently Director of Editorial Operations at Riot New Media Group. You can hear her on the SFF Yeah! podcast nerding out about sci-fi and fantasy. When she’s not working, she’s most likely gardening, running, or (obviously) reading. Find her on Tumblr at jennIRL and Instagram at iamjennIRL.

We may be nine months out, but we’ve already got 16 amazing speakers booked for Book Riot Live (happening November 7 & 8 at Metropolitan West in NYC, in case you missed the announcement!). Our goal was to bring together a diverse group of super-interesting people, who also might be willing to get into some shenanigans with us, and I’d say we’re off to a roaring start.

So without further ado, I present to you Round 1 of Know Your Book Riot Live Speakers!

Alvina Ling, VP and editor-in-chief at Little, Brown Young Readers: got to edit a book in which she was one of the main characters.

Amanda Brennan, meme librarian: seeks out meme origin points to help us understand our own culture better.

Andrew Losowsky, journalist/editor: talked with our own Jeff and Rebecca, on the Book Riot Podcast, about what to do when you love an author but hate their politics.

Beverly Jenkins: is one of Jessica Pryde’s go-to authors when recommending romance novels to newbies.

Daniel José Older, author of Half-Resurrection Blues: talked The Iliad, among other things, with Jeff on the Reading Lives Podcast.

Danielle Henderson, creator of Feminist Ryan Gosling: is a big Y: The Last Man fan.

Ellia Bisker, songwriter: once wrote a song inspired by Anais Nin’s Henry and June that then led to a photograph, which inspired a short story, which then led to another song, which led to another photograph.

Lauren Bird, communications director for the Harry Potter Alliance: is on a quest to answer the all-important question, Will It Waffle?

Laurie Halse Anderson, YA novelist: started describing her books as “Resilience Lit” after a high-school teacher sent her a photo of the whiteboard after a classroom discussion of Speak.

Mark Oshiro: not only has his own TV Tropes page, but is a Hugo Award nominee.

N.K. Jemisin: writes fiction that unflinchingly explores “power, religion, sexuality and the Other, in worlds inspired from cultures and mythologies around the globe are what set her apart from the norm,” says Rioter Martin.

Peter Mendelsund, cover designer and author: talked about reading above your grade-level, the cultural world of the Warsaw Ghetto, listening to Dylan Thomas poems on records, and more on the Reading Lives Podcast.

Ryan Chapman, author of Conversation Sparks: has five favorite books that all contain insanity as a minor theme (but we’re not judging).

Sarah MacLean, romance novelist: talked about why literary characters stick with us, her parents’ reading habits, her first time reading contemporary romance, and more on the Reading Lives Podcast.

Sona Charaipotra, author and We Need Diverse Books team member: once got to interview Jhumpa Lahiri, and her favorite book quote is from Anne of Green Gables.

William Johnson, managing editor of Lambda Literary: knew he wanted to be a writer from age 10, and started his memoirs in grade school.

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Book Riot Live is coming! Join us for a two-day event full of books, authors, and an all around good time.

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