Genre-bending best-selling novelist Renée Ahdieh will join April Henry at this year’s Young Adult Literature Luncheon at ILA 2016.
Ahdieh, whose romance-laced historical fantasy novels draw inspiration from the canonical A Thousand and One Nights, replaces John Corey Whaley, who is unable to attend.
The Rose and the Dagger, Ahdieh’s latest project, is a sequel to her much-lauded The Wrath and the Dawn. Published this past spring, The Rose and the Dagger earned a starred review from School Library Journal, which noted that the book’s “beautiful, lyrical writing combines with a cohesive plot, richly drawn backdrop, and just the right mix of action and romance to create an undeniable new classic.”
From Ahdieh’s site:
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse--one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.
While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shazi tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shazi will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.
Tickets to the Young Adult Literature Luncheon, which takes place on Sunday, July 10, are available for purchase at
ilaconference.org.
The ILA 2016 Conference & Exhibits will be July 9–11 in Boston, MA, with more than 6,000 attendees eager to cultivate new teaching practices. With over 300 sessions, including several new additions to the schedule, and the popular Preconference Institutes on July 8, the weekend is sure to be a memorable one. Learn more about what’s coming up at this summer’s conference at ilaconference.org. Lara Deloza is the Special Projects & Strategic Initiatives Manager at the International Literacy Association.