Ann Butler, moderator of the contemporary YA writers panel
Ann Butler has taught English for nearly thirty years, at both Montgomery High School, where she is Co-Chair of the English Department, and Santa Rosa Junior College. Ann was named “Teacher of the Year” by the California Association for the Gifted and “Hero in Education” by the Red Cross.

Gennifer Choldenko
Gennifer Choldenko's first novel, Notes from a Liar and Her Dog, was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and a California Book Award winner. Her second novel, Al Capone Does My Shirts, was a Newbery Honor Book and a School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Al Capone Does My Shirts was short-listed for the Carnegie in the United Kingdom and has been on the New York Times, Booksense, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Al Capone Shines My Shoes—a sequel to the beloved Al Capone Does My Shirts—was a Kirkus, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Chicago Public Library Best of the Best for 2009. Her newest novel, No Passengers Beyond This Point came out in February 2011. Gennifer is hard at work on the last book in the Al Capone trilogy right now.

Kim Culbertson
Kim Culbertson technically writes for teenagers, but some grown-ups like her work. Sourcebooks Fire published her award winning first teen novel Songs for a Teenage Nomad (2010) and her second teen novel Instructions for a Broken Heart (2011). Kim’s short fiction has appeared in Cicada, Canary, and The Smoking Poet. www.kimculbertson.com.

Lisa Desrochers
Lisa Desrochers lives in California with her husband and two daughters. An avid reader, she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise. She has a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and lectures internationally on a variety of health care topics as well as maintaining a full time practice. She is the author of the Personal Demons trilogy. The second book in the trilogy, Original Sin, will be released in July 2011.

Jody Gehrman
Jody Gehrman is the author of six novels and numerous plays. Babe in Boyland is her most recent Young Adult novel, published this year by Penguin's Dial Books. Her other novels include Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, Triple Shot Bettys in Love, Notes from the Backseat, Tart, and Summer in the Land of Skin. Her plays have been produced in Ashland, New York, San Francisco and L.A. She and her partner David Wolf won the New Generation Playwrights Award for their one-act, Jake Savage, Jungle P.I. She is a professor of English at Mendocino College.

Tanya Egan Gibson
Tanya Egan Gibson is the author of the novel How To Buy a Love of Reading (Dutton – 2009). Her short stories, articles, and essays have appeared in The Writer, Carve, Cicada, and Milk & Ink: A Mosaic of Motherhood.

Stacey Jay
Stacey Jay is a recovering workaholic (or at least working hard at recovering) with two small children, and a passion for playing pretend. She’s been a full time mom-writer since 2005 and can't think of anything she'd rather be doing. Her former careers include theatre performer, professional dancer, poorly paid C-movie actress, bartender, waiter, math tutor (for real) and yoga instructor. She is the author of the Megan Berry, Zombi Settler series and several other books for young adults. Her latest book, Juliet Immortal will be released in August 2011.

Nina LaCour
Nina LaCour is the award winning author of Hold Still and The Disenchantments (forthcoming in 2012). She has tutored and taught in various places, from a juvenile hall to Mills College, where she received an MFA in Creative Writing in 2006. She lives in Oakland, California.

Sophie Littlefield
Sophie Littlefield is the Edgar-nominated, Anthony Award-winning author of fiction in many genres. Her paranormal two-book series for young adults began with Banished in 2010 and concludes this October with the release of Unforsaken. Sophie lives in Northern California with her family. Find out more at www.sophielittlefield.com. 

Amy Reed
Originally from Seattle, Amy Reed currently lives and writes in Oakland, California. Her first Young Adult novel, Beautiful, was released in 2009 and was a 2011 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Her second novel Clean, described as “The Breakfast Club in rehab,” will be released July, 2011.

Kristen Tracy
Kristen Tracy writes young adult novels, Sharks & Boys, Lost It, A Field Guide for Heartbreakers, and middle-grade novels, Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus and The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter. She lives in San Francisco and volunteers as a gardener on Alcatraz.

Daisy Whitney
Daisy Whitney is the author of the young adult novel The Mockingbirds (Little Brown, Nov. 2010), which was named an NPR Best Teen Read, an ABC New Voices Pick, an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults, an NCIBA Book of the Year Honorable Mention, a Romantic Times Best of YA, and a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best. Little Brown will publish its sequel, The Rivals, in February 2012. When Daisy’s not inventing fictional worlds for teens, she reports on entertainment, media and advertising, and gallivants around San Francisco with her amazing family and fabulous dog.

The Teen Poetry Slam will be hosted by Juanita Martin, poet laureate of Fairfield, California; Sonoma County Library Slam Champion, 2005-06; and historian of the Redwood Writers.

The Poetry Slam will be held from 2-4 p.m. at the Literary Arts Guild (LAG) Tent on Courthouse Square. Teens age 13-19 are eligible to compete for cash prizes, including a $75 first prize! Please come prepared with a completed registration form and up to three pieces that you can perform at the Slam. We prefer advance registration – submit your completed Registration Form to bookfest@sonic.net. However, same day registration will be accepted.
Download an announcement for the Poetry Slam here.
Download the Poetry Slam rules here.
Download the Teen Poetry Slam Registration Form here .