We can’t wait to be hanging out in Santa Monica for YALLWEST 2026 this weekend! SO GET READY because here’s a comprehensive schedule of all our Simon Teen activities this year. Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram Stories for up-to-the-minute news and stay tuned for lots of fun video content from our authors at YALLWEST!

Saturday, April 25th

All day long at the Simon Teen Booth!

  • Stop by for giveaways all day, and enter our raffle for a chance to win a grand prize of signed books from the Simon Teen authors who will be attending the festival!
  • Get exclusive bookish swag and snag a ticket for each ARC drop one hour before the giveaway time! (With the exception of the 9:00 am ARC Drop)
  • Pick up a Simon Teen punch card and complete the tasks to claim an exclusive Simon Teen Diner enamel pin!

9:00am

  • Queen of the Spirit Woods ARC Drop (Simon Teen Booth) (Unticketed)
  • Snag a wristband for the 11:00 am Bookish Brunch with Simon Teen Diner event!

10:00am

  • The Annual YALLWEST Storyball with Scott Reintgen and Stuart Gibbs (Disco Quad)

11:00 am

  • Bookish Brunch with Simon Teen Diner Event (Cafe Patio) (Grab a wristband at 9:00 am, while supplies last)
  • Ship Happens: Balancing Relationships, Friendships, and Readerships with Emily Charlotte (Greek Theater)
  • Let’s Kick This Off With a Bang: Choosing an Idea, Starting a Story, and Filling the Blank Page with Chloe Gong, Emiko Jean, and Stuart Gibbs (Barnum Hall)
  • Debutantes: Releasing Your First Published Book with Katie Bernet and Ahmad Saber (Disco Quad)

12:00 pm

  • Local Gods ARC Drop (Simon Teen Booth) (Grab a ticket at 11:00 am)
  • (Don’t) Stick to the Status Quo: Writing in Different Genres, Formats, or Ages with Scott Reintgen (Cafeteria)
  • Scream Queens and Detective Teens: How to Build a Mystery without Revealing Too Much with Katie Bernet and Stacey Lee (Greek Theater)
  • If I Could Tell Teen Me…: Advice for Young Writers with Emily Charlotte and Gayle Forman (Disco Quad)

1:00pm

  • Night of Madness ARC Drop (Simon Teen Booth) (Grab a ticket at 12:00 pm)
  • Ogres are Like Onions: Writing Multilayered Characters Who Feel Real with Chloe Gong (Greek Theater)

2:00pm

  • Middle Grade ARC Drop (Simon Teen Booth) (Tickets available at 1:00)
  • MG Monopoly: Authors Work to Collect Books By Answering YOUR Questions with Gayle Forman (Cafeteria)
  • The Name Game: Choosing a Title, Character Names, and Everything Else! with Stacey Lee (Greek Theater)

3:00pm

  • Falling Like Snow ARC Drop (Simon Teen Booth) (Grab a ticket at 2:00 pm)
  • The Sky is Falling and I Still Have to Do My Homework: When Characters Have to Balance Saving the World and School and Authors Have to Balance Writing and Life with Ahmad Saber (Disco Quad)

4:00pm

  • Writing Contemporary in a Contemporary World: How Do Things Like Social Media and Technology Influence Characters and Authors with Emiko Jean (Greek Theater)
  • LGBTQIA+ AMA with Ahmad Saber (Disco Quad)