The BAM Festival 2023 presents this free writing contest with author Stephen Kozan! Mr. Kozan gets attendees started with a few writing warm-ups to help cultivate flash fiction challenge entries. One entry will be selected as the winner and receive the opportunity to craft a book, edit, and publish it with Mr. Kozan's own publishing company! Stephen Kozan, author of four middle-grade books, founded ReadyAimWrite Kids, LLC which focuses on

BAM Festival 2023 presents an opportunity for attendees to learn from the pros about becoming an author. Featured authors Joya Goffney, Carmen Oliver, Neal Shusterman, Eric Elfman, Donna Gephart, Randi Pink, and Lily LaMotte talk craft, themes, getting published, and how aspiring authors can achieve their literary dreams. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds from the National Endowment for

BAM Festival 2023 presents a bookwalk and hands-on activities with author Miranda Paul. Attendees can learn about the different phases of water with Miranda Paul as she reads her book Water is Water and enjoy a hands-on experiment. Miranda Paul is an award-winning author of more than a dozen fiction and nonfiction books for children. She has received starred reviews and Junior Library Guild distinction for several titles, including Water

BAM Festival 2023 invites attendees to join author Baptiste Paul for a fun, interactive book walk as he reads his picture book Climb On! . Baptiste Paul is a Caribbean-born author of three books for children. His debut picture book, The Field , received starred reviews from Kirkus, The Horn Book, and Booklist. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds

BAM festival 2023 presents the Books That Changed the World Panel with authors Padma Venkatraman, Donna Gephart, Francie Latour, and Baptiste Paul, moderated by Megan Eaton. This panel discusses the characters they have created that help readers feel seen, make them think, and change and inform minds. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds from the National Endowment for the

BAM Festival 2023 presents the Neurodivergent: Thinking Outside the Box Panel. This panel celebrates the unique ways of thinking and interacting with the world with authors who write about neurodivergent characters. Featured authors include Neal Shusterman, Pablo Cartaya, Kathleen Glasgow, Donna Gephart, and Jess Redman. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and

BAM Festival 2023 presents the Books and Bites Panel. Attendees can dish about books and decorate cookies at this panel with authors Ana Siqueira, Lily Lamotte, and Miranda Paul. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and in partnership with BAM Festival, Inc. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program

BAM Festival 2023 presents the You Matter panel featuring authors Tami Charles, Fred Kohler, Aixa Perez-Prado, and Baptiste Paul. In this panel, attendees get to tell their own stories with words and pictures with the help of BAM's treasure trove of found objects and collaging. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and

BAM Festival 2023 presents the First Annual Picture Book Games with authors and illustrators Ana Siqueira, Carmen Oliver, Francie Latour, and Miranda Paul. Attendees can join authors and illustrators to compete in theater-style contests about their books by pulling prompts out of a hat. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and in

BAM Festival 2023 presents the Matters of the Mind panel. Authors Tami Charles, Kathleen Glasgow, Randi Pink, Nana Brew-Hammond, and Joya Goffney discuss characters in their books that help shed light on mental health struggles. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and in partnership with BAM Festival, Inc. Any views, findings, conclusions

BAM Festival 2023 presents the Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem panel. Dive into the dark side of YA books in this wacky, sometimes chaotic, whodunnit-style panel with authors Kathleen Glasgow, Neal Shusterman, S Isabelle, Maika and Maritza Moultie, and Kalynn Bayron. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and in partnership with BAM Festival,

BAM Festival 2023 presents the Truth or Dare panel. Attendees can ask questions of authors Miranda Paul, Jess Redman, Sarah McGuire, and Tami Charles in this truth-or-dale style panel. Funding for this program is provided in part through a Florida Humanities Book Festival Grant with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and in partnership with BAM Festival, Inc. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program