Top Ten Tuesday: Authors You’d Like to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday brought to you by brokeandbookish.com. Join us and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Nafiza

Authors I’d like to meet and probably make a fool of myself in front of, huh? Hmm. There are so many but here are my top five.

1. Libba Bray. Because who doesn’t? I know Yash would join me in me squeeing and possibly Janet too.
2. Sherman Alexie. I really really like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. 
3. Benjamin Alire Saenz. Three words: Aristotle and Dante.
4. Kate Elliott. I’ve fangirled about her books enough times, all right? I need an autograph.
5. Cat Hellisen. Because she’s the coolest.

Yash

We’re talking author events, right? Because I can’t actually picture hanging out with anyone famous!

1. Sarah Rees Brennan: I mean, of course!
2. Tanuja Desai Hidier: I imagine her author events would involve music and readings and general good times!
3. Ellie Marney: I like chatting with her online and I even have an autographed book– it’d be so great to meet her IRL!
4. Ellen Oh: *dreamy sigh* I imagine great conversations about Kira and also Korra!
5. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: I … can’t even picture this. I’ll probably swoon. O_O

Janet

I presume this excludes authors who have died because, well, they’re dead?

1. Megan Whalen Turner: she does occasionally say a few words over at Sounis, but if I met her in real life I’d probably embarrass myself with speechlessness. Or gushing. But. I mean, Gen. Of course I want to meet her anyway.
2. Elizabeth Wein: She responded to my tweet and I definitely screenshot the page :p If she ever decided to lead a tour of Ethiopia, or alternately of semi-Arthurian ruins and castles (she does live in Scotland, so it’s possible, right?), I would be so in. Btw I just finished Black Dove White Raven and it is lovely.
3. I have, technically, met Holly Black and Neil Gaiman and they were both very sweet (despite my inability to talk normally in their presence) and I would really really like to meet them again. Same is true of Rachel Hartman, especially if there is music involved.
4. Also, I think Sherwood Smith, Robin McKinley, Patricia C. Wrede, and Caroline Stevermer should get together to talk about books and world-building. *hint hint* Nafiza would join me if Merrie Haskell and Erin Bow were there, too. *nudge nudge* And Patrice Kindl, who wrote the immensely funny Keeping the Castle.
5. Garth Nix: especially if there was the opportunity for cos-play. Who doesn’t want to dress like an Abhorsen?
6. Charles van Sandwick was gracious and gentlemanly. I would like to watch him at work sometime. His books are works of art.
7. Jacqueline Woodson: of course. And I get to hear her speak this Friday! *happy dance*
8. William Jay Smith, who writes gentle and extraordinary poems.
9. Clarissa Pinkola Estes and Terry Griggs to talk mythology, wordplay, and culture.
10. Gene Luen Yang: because of comics! I would like to sit at a table and listen to him talk with Laurence Yep about writing, and being Chinese-American, and genre and mythology. Also on Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra and on creating worlds, and history.