Freedom To Read Panel at Barnes & Noble Union Square – New York, NY

Please join Barnes & Noble – Union Square in New York City on September 22nd, 2024 at 3 PM, as we welcome Kalynn Bayron (SLEEP LIKE DEATH) and Ryan La Sala (THE HONEYS) to kick off national Banned Book Week with this years theme: TURN THE PAGE ON BOOK BANS! Authors will discuss their experiences writing for children and young adults, answer questions from the audience, and sign copies of their books!

This event will be moderated by PEN America’s Freedom to Read Program Director, Kasey Meehan.

Support PEN America this Banned Book Week to raise awareness of book bans. If you would like to make a donation to PEN America, please click here.

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To make this event safe and enjoyable for all attendees, please read the below guidelines ahead of buying a ticket, so you know what to expect on the day. To avoid disappointment, we must stress that there will be no access to the event for non-ticketholders.

• Barnes & Noble reserves the right to make new rules and orders in its sole discretion with regard to COVID-19 at any time and any person not abiding by the Barnes & Noble directives will be refused entrance or directed to leave the premises.

TICKETING INFORMATION

$5 Gift Card Admission – $5.00 (Admission + one $5 B&N gift card): **LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE**: A ticket PER PERSON includes:

• One $5 B&N gift card.

• Admission to the event space and signing line with Kalynn Bayron and Ryan La Sala.

Authors will sign and personalize (name only) copies of their books.

Authors will pose for photos. A B&N staffer will be on-hand to take your photo.

Any gifts for the authors will be collected prior to the signing line.

Please arrive by 3PM in order to secure your seat in the event space. Late arrivals may only have access to standing room and may not have the opportunity to meet the authors.

GUIDELINES

No large bags will be permitted into the event.

No memorabilia will be signed at this event.

Ticket holders will be admitted into the event beginning at 2:30 PM the day of the event. Please have a copy of your ticket available (either printed out or on your phone) for check in.

Due to health and safety and space limitations, those without a ticket will not be permitted into the event space.

Please note that Eventbrite is the only authorized dealer for this event. Each person must have a ticket to enter.

All event guidelines are subject to change.

If you have any additional questions, please call the store directly at: 212-253-0810.

REFUNDS

Attendees can receive refunds up to 24 hours before your event start time.

If you are unable to attend the event, Barnes & Noble – Union Square will hold your gift card for seven days after the event. Please contact the store to arrange your pickup.

Should this event be canceled due to changing COVID-19 concerns, all customers will be refunded their ticket price to the original method of payment per Eventbrite’s refund policy.

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ABOUT Kalynn Bayron:

Kalynn Bayron is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the YA fantasy novels Cinderella Is Dead and This Poison Heart. Her latest works include the YA horror novel You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight and the YA fantasy Sleep Like Death. She is a CILIP Carnegie Medal Nominee, a Bram Stoker Award nominee, a LOCUS Award finalist, and the recipient of the 2022 Randall Kenan Award for Black LGBTQ fiction. She is a classically trained vocalist and musical theater enthusiast. When she’s not writing you can find her watching scary movies and spending time with her family.

ABOUT Ryan La Sala:

Ryan La Sala writes about surreal things happening to queer people. He is the author behind the luminous and terrifying bestselling horror novel The Honeys, which is in development to become a major motion picture with Anonymous Content, and the highly anticipated supernatural thriller Beholder. His previous titles include Reverie and Be Dazzled, both of which made the Kids’ Indie Next List. He has been featured in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and NPR. Ryan is the host of the infamous Bad Author Book Club Podcast, and a frequent speaker at events/conferences. When not writing, Ryan does arts & crafts, supervised by his cat, Haunted Little Girl.

ABOUT Kasey Meehan:

Kasey Meehan is the Program Director for Freedom to Read at PEN America, leading PEN’s initiatives to protect the rights of students, individuals, and communities to freely access literature in schools and public libraries. Kasey oversees and supports research, advocacy and mobilization, education, and author engagement related to book bans and the overarching freedom to read.