YALC 2016 Wrap-Up

YALC Wrap-Up

I’m not really sure how YALC has already been and gone. And that it’s nearly been an entire week since it all happened too. I’m a bit confused by it all but all I know is I had an amazing time and I cannot wait to do it all over again next year!

Now I’ve been umming and ahhing about how I want to do this wrap-up but I’ve decided to just highlight the few things that I absolutely loved about the event. Sadly I don’t have any photos to add as the one thing I completely forgot to do was take good photos!!

So… here’s what I enjoyed the most…

Getting Books Signed

Now, I know I get books signed all the time but there’s still something so wonderful about meeting or re-meeting favourite authors and having a little chat – if I can! – with them while they dedicate and sign their book to me. It makes the book special in a way that only fellow booklovers would understand. I got books signed by C. J Skuse, Lisa Heathfield, V. E. Schwab and Louise Gornall.

Workshops

I haven’t really written any fiction in over six months. So I was really impressed that I managed to write fictional words in the workshops but I was also really happy too. All of the workshops were really interesting and helpful and I’ve come away from the weekend armed with tips, tricks and a head full of inspiration – perfect!

Panels

So I did more panels on the Friday than I did on the Sunday but I really enjoyed the ones I went to – especially Maggie Stiefvater‘s panel at the very end. The panels were all informative, entertaining and interesting – and it was also a wonderful excuse to sit down and take some weight off my feet!

Publisher Stands

Okay, as a blogger I knew about a lot of the books already but it was great to see them all out on display and to have a chance to chat with the publicists and marketing team – especially with those I hadn’t met face to face before! It was also fab to get lots of sag bits and pieces too. I loved that the books were also on offer as well and I’m sure I could have come away with a LOT of books if I wasn’t careful!

Blogger Event

On the Sunday morning we got there early for an exclusive blogger event with David Levithan and Nina Lacour and it was such a fab event. The bloggers were given a chance to ask questions and David and Nina made everyone laugh. Plus it was great to see all my fellow blogger friends which leads me to my final point…

Seeing Friends

The final thing I loved about YALC was getting the chance to spend some of the time with my friends. Some who I haven’t seen since YALC last year and others that I haven’t seen for months and some who got to experience YALC for the first time with me! It’s such a social – and thus exhausting – event but it was just so lovely and wonderful and I really cannot wait to do it all over again next year!

What were your YALC highlights?