YOUNG AUTHORS BY THE BAY connects thousands of students with authors at a non-profit festival to strengthen literacy, voice, confidence and leadership.
Share your story, your journey to becoming an author, and your advice for aspiring writers.
Every partnership directly powers real-world literacy and leadership impact.
What will you find at the festival? Maybe a new favorite book. Maybe a new idea. Maybe a part of yourself you haven’t met yet.
We kick things off together with a high-energy welcome. Then, you choose where the story goes.
Then all 2,000+ Story Warriors come back together for one powerful closing keynote… a final reminder that your story is still being written. And you get to decide what happens next.
Pitch your story in “Shark Tank, But Make It Books.” Watch authors get wildly honest (and things get a little unhinged) in “Truth or Dare: Author Edition.” Break down the books taking over your feed in “#BookTok Made Me Buy It.”
And that’s just the start. Across interactive panels, live games and hands-on workshops, you’ll ask questions, test ideas, try something new and connect with bestselling authors, creators and industry pros.
You never know what might spark something.
At school. At being heard. At whatever comes next.
Storytelling makes you a stronger reader, writer, thinker and communicator. The same skills you use at YA BY THE BAY: finding meaning, making connections, building an argument and communicating it clearly show up in the classroom, on tests, in essays and across academic benchmarks.
But the really important stuff doesn’t come with a grade.
Stories help us make sense of things. They let us see the world through someone else’s eyes—and sometimes recognize ourselves in someone we never expected. They give us words for things we didn’t know how to say. They remind us we’re not the only ones figuring it out.
And they teach us how to walk into the world and tell people who we are, where we come from, what matters to us and what we dream of doing next.
Because the skills that help you tell your story can also help you write what comes next.
Presented with support from
Every partnership directly powers real-world literacy and leadership impact. There is still room for your name!
Stay tuned, author list dropping soon!
R.L. Stine is confirmed for 2027, and author applications are open through November 1st.
Big authors. Packed rooms. Real access. Real momentum.
YA By The Bay’s signature event is a multi-district teen literacy and leadership festival uniting 2,000 students and 50+ authors for one transformative day.
Students celebrate stories in fast-paced, laugh-out-loud panels. They dive into interactive writing workshops. They ask unfiltered questions about publishing and perseverance. They connect with community leaders and public figures and sharpen the storytelling skills that help them succeed in school, careers, and life.
Students leave changed: clearer, stronger, and ready to use the power of their own story.
Still have questions? We're here to help! Reach out and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Contact us.
YA By The Bay connects thousands of students with authors each year to strengthen literacy, voice, and confidence through storytelling.
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