Teen & YA Novelist - Camille Gomera-Tavarez is an Afro-Dominican authoress, designer, and creative from Clifton, New Jersey. She has a BFA in Graphic Design & Creative Writing from the Maryland Institute College of Art and is currently based in Philadelphia, PA. Her debut novel, High Spirits, is a short story collection for all ages that received multiple starred reviews, was a Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of 2022, an International Latino Book Award Silver medalist, a 2023 International White Raven’s List selection, and a 2023 Pura Belpré Honor winner. Her sophomore YA novel, The Girl, the Ring, & the Baseball Bat was released February 2024, earning starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly. Camille is also the founder of Plantin Magazine, an online platform for Black Immigrant writers. Books will be available for purchase for a book signing after the event.