TikTok Users Launch Virtual BookTalk Conference
A group of TikTok users have launched BookTalk, a virtual book conference to be held August 6-8 spotlighting marginalized voices in young adult literature and book publishing. The name is a riff on #BookTok, a popular hashtag used to indicate book content on the social media platform, which is growing into a powerful publicity tool for authors and publishers. The event will feature more than 50 authors, including L.L. McKinney, Mariko Tamaki, and Amélie Wen Zhao, and 23 panels on such subjects as representation in literature and adapting books for the screen. Book business partners include Book of the Month, East City Bookshop, and Penguin Teen, among others. The event is being held free of charge, although donations to help fund next year's event will be accepted, and registration is still open.
