Annual Yall west

On April 29, Samo hosted the Yallwest 2017 book festival, the nation's biggest young adult book festival. The festival opened at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and ran until 6 p.m. with famous authors such as Angie Thomas, the author of “The Hate U Give,” Nicola Yoon, the author of “Everything Everything,” James Dashner, the author of “The Maze Runner” series, Mark Waid, a comic book writer for books like “The Flash” and “Captain America,” Chris Colfer from the television show “Glee,” and many more.Between book signings, events such as a “Hamilton” sing-a-long, yoga with your favorite authors, interactive writing games and even Quidditch scrimmage took place. Avid fans will also be able to take photos with their favorite authors and sit in on panels and receive advice for those pursuing a career in animation, writing or publishing. Yallwest originated from the Yallfest book festival in Charleston, South Carolina, which started as an opportunity for young adult authors to advertise their novels. Three years ago, the Santa Monica Public Library (SMPL) pushed for a West Coast version of Yallfest and soon it became a preview night at SMPL and the festival at Samo campus.