Each of the worlds bursting out of these YA novels—whether only slightly removed from our own or fantastically unrecognizable—will immerse readers in fascinating relationships, thought-provoking themes, and page-turning storytelling. A memory-erasing clinic ruptures a childhood friendship in Sarah Suk’s heart-wrenching Meet Me at Blue Hour. A teen who finds an old diary is haunted by the writer’s ghost in Songs for Ghosts, Clara Kumagai’s paranormal love story. Coltrane Seesequasis’s The Threads of Time takes place in a world where humanity has lost its war against nature, and wolves fight for control of the Four Territories. Take a deep dive into these worlds of wonder with three conversations featuring these relatable young authors. Moderated by Christina Barber. Grades 8–12.
Themes: Young adult, creative writing, historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, worldbuilding
Curriculum Connections: English Language Arts 8-9, Creative Writing 10-12
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CHRISTINA BARBER is a Vancouver-based writer, playwright, dramaturg, sculptural artist, photographer, and educator. Her writing has appeared in Marrow Magazine, The Whimsical Poet, and City Poems 2022-2024: A project of Vancouver’s poet laureate. She was most recently named featured artist for her photography in Marrow Magazine’s 14th issue. She is a regular contributor to The Miramichi Reader and The Seaboard Review. In 2025 she adjudicated the Chocolate Lily Book Awards.
CLARA KUMAGAI is from Canada, Japan and Ireland. The recipient of a We Need Diverse Books Award Mentorship, Clara was also a finalist for the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award, a Yoto Carnegie 2024 nominee and shortlisted for the KPMG Children's Book Ireland Award. She is the author of Catfish Rolling and Songs for Ghosts.
COLTRANE SEESEQUASIS is a young fantasy writer of Indigenous heritage who grew up in Gatineau, Quebec. He first began his writing journey on long bus rides to school where he would alleviate the boredom by daydreaming of fantastical worlds, noble heroes, and unwavering villains. Eventually, he put those ideas to paper and started writing stories of his own with the hopes that they would one day morph into something more than just a passion. His debut novel, A Wolf in the Sun, is the first book of a planned series that follows a young wolf called Silversong, in a fantasy world similar to our own. Inspired by a love of nature as well as myths and folklore that challenge the limits of creativity, Coltrane joins a new generation of writers, adding his voice to the immersive genre of fantasy.
SARAH SUK (pronounced like soup with a K) lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she writes stories and admires mountains. She is the author of the young adult novels Meet Me at Blue Hour, The Space between Here & Now, and Made in Korea as well as the cowriter of John Cho’s middle grade novel Troublemaker. When she’s not writing, you can find her taking film photos or eating a bowl of bingsu.
