Penguin Random House Library Marketing is headed to Philadelphia! Join us for author events, book buzzes, galley giveaways, and stop by Booth #1706 during ALA Annual 2025!
Want to check out the season’s hottest books before heading to ALA? Browse a collection of our featured lightbox titles here.
For those of you unable to attend, follow along with us using #ALAAC25 on X, Facebook, and Instagram!
Are you headed to ALA? Fill out our form and we’ll add you to our events mailing list!
HEADLINER AUTHOR EVENTS
Percival Everett
JAMES
2025 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Award Ceremony and Reception
Join us as we celebrate the winners of the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction during a special event at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The event will feature speeches from winning authors, including Percival Everett, author of JAMES with a book signing to follow. The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction are celebrated every year at ALA’s Annual Conference and were established through a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The awards are cosponsored and administered by Booklist and RUSA. Tickets must be purchased prior to the event.
Saturday, June 28th • 7:00 PM — 10:00 PM • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
*Ticketed Event
Roy Wood Jr.
THE MAN OF MANY FATHERS
Featured Speaker Session
Sunday, June 29th • 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM • Main Stage, Pennsylvania Convention Center Terrace Ballroom (4th Level)
Learn More Here.
Brené Brown
ALA President’s Program
Sunday, June 29th • 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM • Main Stage, Pennsylvania Convention Center Terrace Ballroom (4th Level)
UFL The Laugh’s On Us
Featuring
SLOPPY by Rax King
and
COLIN GETS PROMOTED AND DOOMS THE WORLD by Mark Waddell
Laugh out loud at this wine-and-cheese event featuring headliner and United for Libraries spokesperson Paula Poundstone. A book signing will follow, with free books/advance copies for attendees (subject to availability).
Sunday, June 29th • 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM • Courtyard Hotel, 1421 Arch Street
*Ticketed Event
UFL Gala Author Tea
Featuring
THE LONELINESS OF SONIA AND SUNNY by Kiran Desai
and
BOY FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY by Sam Sussman
Enjoy tea and treats while hearing from bestselling writers about their forthcoming titles during this annual United for Libraries event. Attendees will receive advance copies and have the opportunity to have them signed by authors (signed books and advance copies are subject to availability). Moderated by Booklist‘s Donna Seaman.
Monday, June 30th • 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM • Courtyard Hotel, 1421 Arch Street, Trumbauer Ballroom, third floor
*Ticketed Event
JOIN US FOR OUR BOOK BUZZ
Join the Library Marketing Team to receive ARCs and a sneak peek of upcoming releases sure to drive your holds list. Attendees will receive ARCs, Tote Bags, and Swag. Refreshments will be served.
Sunday, June 29th • 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM • Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 201C
Stick around for our Penguin Random House Publisher Services Small Press Book Buzz! Join for highlights, swag, and ARCS from some of our distribution partners Steerforth, Soho, Other Press, Astra House, and more!
Sunday, June 29th • 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM • Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 201C
MEET THE AUTHORS
We have so many incredible authors attending ALA Annual this year, including K. X. Song, Jason Reynolds, Erin A. Craig, Sasha Bonét, and more!
Browse a collection of our featured authors here, and check out the full schedule below.
Friday, June 27th
Jason Reynolds
SOUNDTRACK
Friday, June 27th
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Signing in PRH Booth #1509, Table 2
Saturday, June 28th
Amy Chu
CARMILLA VOLUME 3: THE ETERNAL
and
James Otis Smith
BLACK HEROES OF THE WILD WEST
and
Julio Anta
THIS LAND IS OUR LAND
Graphic Novel Committee Round Table: Comic Challenges
Illustrating Diversity: Elevating BIPOC Voices in Graphic Novels and Comics
Saturday, June 28th
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 118C
Renée Watson
BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS
Odyssey Awards
Saturday, June 28th
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Ballroom A
and
PopTop Stage: Making of an Odyssey Audiobook
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
A Real Page-Turner Stage, Booth 2435
Sasha Bonét
THE WATERBEARERS
Saturday, June 28th
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Signing in PRH Booth #1509, Table 2
and
UFL Memoirs: An Author Panel
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 120 A
and
Book Lounge by Libby LIVE
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
PopTop Stage
Ruth Behar
ACROSS SO MANY SEAS
Saturday, June 28th
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Signing in Playaway Booth #1527
Angela De Groot
NOT POP-POP
Saturday, June 28th
1:15 PM – 1:45 PM
Signing in PRH Booth #1509, Table 2
K. X. Song
THE DRAGON WAKES WITH THUNDER
Saturday, June 28th
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Signing in PRH Booth #1509, Table 2
and
ALMA/LibraryReads Speculative Fiction Adult Author Panel
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Pennsylvania Convention Center Room 112 A B
Char Adams
BLACK-OWNED
UFL Nonfiction You Can’t Put Down: An Author Panel
Saturday, June 28th
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 121 A
Erin A. Craig
A LAND SO WIDE
and
THE THIRTEENTH CHILD
Saturday, June 28th
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Signing in PRH Booth #1509, Table 1
Ben Clanton
This Book Is Dangerous! (A Narwhal and Jelly Picture Book #1)
and
Jarrett Dapier
WAKE NOW IN THE FIRE
and
Ben Passmore
BLACK ARMS TO HOLD YOU UP
and
Scott Snyder
ABSOLUTE BATMAN VOL. 1: THE ZOO
and More!
ALA Annual 2025 Library Con Celebration with Library Journal
Saturday, June 28th
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Room Salon C & D
RSVP HERE
*Refreshments will be served
Gina Chung
GREEN FROG
APALA 2025 Literature Awards Banquet
Saturday, June 28th
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Crane Community Center, 1001 Vine Street
*Ticked Event
Percival Everett
JAMES
2025 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Award Ceremony and Reception
Saturday, June 28th
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
*Ticketed Event
Sunday, June 29th
Chris Heath
NO ROAD LEADING BACK
RUSA’s Literary Luminaries Panel
Sunday, June 29th
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Pennsylvania Convention Center Room 202 A B
and
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Signing in OCLC Booth #1147
Daphne Fama
HOUSE OF MONSTROUS WOMEN
UFL Thrills & Chills: An Author Panel
Sunday, June 29th
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 120 A
Eve J. Chung
DAUGHTERS OF SHANDONG
YALSA Awards Celebration: Alex Awards and More
Sunday, June 29th
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 201 A B
Roy Wood Jr.
THE MAN OF MANY FATHERS
Featured Speaker Session
Sunday, June 29th
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Main Stage, Pennsylvania Convention Center Terrace Ballroom (4th Level)
Corey Ann Haydu
ZOOMI AND ZOE AND THE SIBLING SITUATION
Sunday, June 29th
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Signing in PRH Booth #1509, Table 1
Ally Russell
IT CAME FROM THE TREES
Sunday, June 29th
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Signing in Playaway Booth #1527
Brené Brown
ALA President’s Program
Sunday, June 29th
3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Main Stage, Pennsylvania Convention Center Terrace Ballroom (4th Level)
Rax King
SLOPPY
and
Mark Waddell
COLIN GETS PROMOTED AND DOOMS THE WORLD
UFL The Laugh’s On Us
Sunday, June 29th
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Courtyard Hotel, 1421 Arch Street
*Ticketed Event
Ashton Lattimore
ALL WE WERE PROMISED
BCALA Awards Ceremony
Sunday, June 29th
7:00 PM
Philadelphia Marriot Hotel
*Ticketed Event
Monday, June 30th
Sam Sussman
BOY FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
and
Kiran Desai
THE LONELINESS OF SONIA AND SUNNY
UFL Gala Author Tea
Monday, June 30th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Courtyard Hotel, 1421 Arch Street, Trumbauer Ballroom, third floor
*Ticketed Event
SPECIAL EVENTS
Saturday, June 28th
The 2025 Odyssey Awards
Celebrate the spoken word at the 2025 Odyssey Award Presentation! The Odyssey Award is presented annually to the best audiobook production for youth and co-administered by YALSA and ALSC and is sponsored by Booklist magazine. This year’s reception will be sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association. To learn more about our 2025 Odyssey honor book, BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS, visit here.
Saturday, June 28th • 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM • Pennsylvania Convention Center, Ballroom A
WATCH: APALA Celebrates THE WHALE RIDER: Pacific Island Literature with Witi Ihimaera and Friends.
Please join APALA and Penguin Random House to celebrate the classic Māori book THE WHALE RIDER, slated for its first release with Penguin Classics USA late summer 2025. Originally published 38 years ago, THE WHALE RIDER explores Indigenous family roles and tribal obligations through the relationship between eight-year-old Kahu, and her great-grandfather Koro Apirana, chief of their East Coast tribe. In 2002, the book was adapted as the award-winning film Whale Rider, for which Keisha Castle-Hughes became the second-ever Indigenous actress to be nominated for an Oscar.
Saturday, June 28th • 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM • Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 123
Sunday, June 29th
YALSA Awards Celebration
Join YALSA in celebration of its 2025 Awardees! We will recognize recipients of the Alex Award, the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award, and the William C. Morris YA Debut Award. To learn more about our 2025 Alex Award winner, DAUGHTERS OF SHANDONG, visit here.
Sunday, June 29th • 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM • Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 201 A B
Monday, June 30th
Inside the Studio: The Making of an Odyssey Audiobook
What makes an Odyssey Honor Audiobook? Renée Watson’s BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS is a thoughtful celebration of Black girlhood by award-winning author and poet. Hear from the author (Renée Watson) and producer (Brian Ramcharan) about what it is like to translate a collection of poems to audio, the power of the spoken word, and the importance of audiobooks in encouraging reading with children and young adults. Moderated by Listening Library’s Editorial Director Rebecca Waugh.
Monday, June 30th • 3:30 PM – 4:20 PM • A Real Page-Turner Stage, Booth 2435
