Iyana Jones

Writer at Freelance

Assistant Editor, Children's Books at Publishers Weekly

she/her • nyc • talking too much ab books • currently: @publishersweekly • bylines @popsugar + more • opinions my own

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Articles

TV Alert: 'We Were Liars' by E. Lockhart

1 week ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones

Calling all sleuths: viewers are invited to spot the lies in Universal Television and Amazon Studio’s adaptation of E. Lockhart’s bestselling YA novel We Were Liars, which premieres its eight-episode series on Prime Video on June 18. We Were Liars centers around four teens—Cadence, Mirren, Gat, and Joseph—all members of the uber-wealthy Sinclair family, who meet every summer on Beechwood Island for an escape from their hectic lives.
Young Lions Fiction Award Celebrates 25 Years

2 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones

On June 12, the New York Public Library’s Young Lions converged on the Celeste Bartos Forum of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building to commemorate 25 years of the group's fiction award. The Young Lions Fiction Award is a $10,000 prize which celebrates an American writer under the age of 35 for a novel or short story.
Fierce Reads Take 'Sour' and 'Sweet' Tours

3 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones

Fierce Reads recently sent a slate of YA authors on dovetailing book tours, highlighting four authors of “sour” thrilling tales and four authors of “sweet” romantasy stories. After noticing thrillers and romantasy as standouts on their forthcoming releases, the Fierce Reads team crafted a tour highlighting the two genres. “Sour and sweet are opposites that immediately came to mind,” said Morgan Rath, senior manager of publicity.
Moving On Up: Ann Liang

3 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones

Who can keep up with Ann Liang? The Chinese Australian author has been sustaining a tenacious release schedule since the 2022 release of her debut YA novel If You Could See the Sun, which is being developed into a TV series; Liang has released six books for YA and adult readers in just three years, with more on the horizon. The possibility of becoming a writer was once only a daydream for Liang, who was so inspired by an author visit at school that she considered writing a novel at the age of 12.
2025 Silver Unicorn Bookstore Kids' Graphic Novel Festival in Photos

3 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones

The Silver Unicorn Bookstore in Acton, Mass., opened its doors to readers for its third annual Kids' Graphic Novel Festival on May 3. More than 3,000 guests sat in on panels, drawing presentations, and a keynote speech from Gale Galligan. The festival also hosted a Design Your Own Cover contest for young artists, and Iron Cartoonist, a live game show featuring several graphic novelists. “The event went off marvelously.
2025 Gaithersburg Book Festival in Photos

4 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones

The 16th annual Gaithersburg Book Festival took place on May 17 at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm in Gaithersburg, Md. The free annual celebration gathered more than 130 authors across adult and children’s genres, and an estimated 15,000 guests for live conversations, book signings, and activities for young readers in the Children’s Village. We’ve rounded up some of the highlights here. All photos © City of Gaithersburg, except where noted.
Jewish American Heritage Month 2025: Q & As with Children's Book Creators

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones |Robin Rosenthal. Tundra

In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, we spoke with six children’s book creators about highlighting Jewish culture and history in their new works. Leah CypessWhat was the inspiration to kickstart this series about an Orthodox Jewish girl? I started writing this book for my daughter. At first, I wasn’t thinking of publishing it—I had never written chapter books before, and didn’t know much about this area of publishing.
YALLWEST 2025 in Photos

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones

The annual YALLWEST book festival kicked off with a preview event on May 2 and welcomed an estimated 35,000 guests for the festival on May 3. Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, Calif. hosted attendees for a day of panels, book signings, and keynote addresses from big-name authors such as Tricia Levenseller, Tahereh Mafi, Adam Silvera, and more. “It was wonderful to see so many enthusiastic readers even in the rain!” said festival director Melissa de la Cruz.
Inaugural R.I.S.E Fest in Photos

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones

R.I.S.E. Fest, a festival in western Massachusetts founded by expressive arts educator Gina M. Krosoczka and her husband, graphic novelist Jarrett J. Krosoczka, hosted its first event over the weekend of April 18. Authors and students were invited to the Northampton Center for the Arts for two days of panels, workshops, and performances from authors and students. “Our young people need to feel seen and celebrated,” said Jarrett in a statement.
Just Announced: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's New Gruffalo Picture Book

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Iyana Jones

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the author-illustrator duo behind the U.K. picture book classic The Gruffalo and its sequel The Gruffalo’s Child, will revisit their beloved character in a new picture book from Dial Books for Young Readers, due in September 2026. Originally published in 1999, The Gruffalo follows a mouse, who in hopes of avoiding being eaten by other animals, invents the titular monster to scare off the others, only to learn that there may really be a monster to fear.