Finding the Words: Teen Poet Protagonists & Their Journeys Through Hope and Love

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

Saturday, November 16

YA HQ Tent

Witness the vastness of self-expression through verse in these two poignant stories of teenage poets. In Parisa Akhbari's Just Another Epic Love Poem, Mitra navigates her growing love for her best friend and never-ending poem collaborator, Bea, as she grapples with complicated feelings surrounding her absent mother's sudden reappearance in Mitra's life. Sarah Mughal Rana's Hope Ablaze foregrounds Muslim teen Nida after one of her poems goes viral, leaving her to navigate the controversies, family and community expectations, and additional aftermath. Join Akhbari and Rana for a talk about family bonds, self-confidence, and the power of poetry.