Girl Power: Diverse Female Leads in YA Literature, with Xan Kaur, Hannah Sawyerr, and Anna Lapera, moderated by Alanah Nichole Davis

Girl Power: Diverse Female Leads in YA Literature, with Xan Kaur, Hannah Sawyerr, and Anna Lapera, moderated by Alanah Nichole Davis

Saturday, September 13th 2025
11:00 am
Baltimore Book Festival 2025: Red Emma's Stage
Dive in to the emerging world of diverse YA writing with three women authors blazing new paths for black and brown heroines across multiple genres. Featuring NYT bestselling Punjabi-American author Xan Kaur, Baltimore hometown heroine Hannah Sawyerr, and award-winning Latina novelist and educator, Anna Lapera.

Xan Kaur is a Punjabi-American author who grew up in rural Georgia, where there were more gnats than people. Her debut novel is When Devils Sing, an instant New York Times and national Indie bestseller. When not writing, you can find her behind a camera or swimming in the nearest ocean.

Hannah V. Sawyerr was recognized as the Youth Poet Laureate of Baltimore in 2016. Her debut novel in verse All the Fighting Parts _was a finalist for the William C. Morris Debut award, a Walter Dean Myers Award Honoree, a Rise Feminist Book Project Top Ten Title, and a _Kirkus _Best Book of the Year. Her spoken word has been featured on the BBC’s _World Have Your Say program as well as the National Education Association’s “Do You Hear Us?” campaign. Her written word has been included in Essence, xoNecole, _and gal-dem. Sawyerr holds a BA in English from Morgan State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Her sophomore novel in verse _Truth Is (Abrams/Amulet) is slated for release on September 23, 2025. Sawyerr lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Anna Lapera is a Guatemalan-American author and educator. Her debut novel, Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, is an International Latino Book Award winner, the 2025 International Literacy Association Honor book, a finalist for the Jane Adamms Children's Book Award, and an American Library Association’s Feminist Book Project selection. It was named one of the Best of 2024 by the School Library Journal, New York Public Library, and Booklist. She is currently working on a YA historical fiction novel set in 1970’s Guatemala.

Alanah Nichole Davis (She/Her) is a Baltimore-raised, award-winning journalist. She’s currently the Chief Storyteller in Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office working with innovation team where she uses storytelling to showcase the positive impact of Baltimore City Government on its communities.

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