What is YASA?

The YA Studies Association (YASA) is an international organisation existing to increase the knowledge of, and research on, YA literature, media, and related fields and to encourage the cooperation of specialists, institutions, organisations, and individuals engaging with YA whether through research, teaching, or practice. We welcome scholars and practitioners at all stages and career levels and of any race, ethnicity, religion, class, ability, gender, sex, sexuality, and size.

The Association runs a monthly, virtual YA Theory Reading Group and a bimonthly Fiction Group available to members. Additionally, we run a biennial conference, with the the next iteration to come in 2026! Check out our events page for more details about our exciting events.

Our Executive Board

  • Dr Jeremy Johnston

    PRESIDENT

  • Dr Susanne Abou Ghaida

    VICE PRESIDENT

  • Nichol Brown

    SECRETARY

  • Tânia Cerqueira

    MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

  • Cassandra Whisenant

    SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

  • Dr Caylee Tierney

    WEBSITE COORDINATOR

Our Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee is comprised of leaders in the field of YA studies, that is whose work, scholarly or creative, engages YA. This Committee plays an integral role in YASA’s governance. In this first term, the Advisory Committee played an especially valuable role in helping to shape our revised Constitution while also providing guidance and oversight where necessary.

Dr Leah Phillips
(Founder and Past President)
Senior Lecturer, English
Plymouth Marjon University

Dr Jennifer Gouck
(Past Secretary/Treasurer)
Occasional Lecturer and Tutor
University College Dublin

Dr Emily Booth
(Past Social Media Coordinator)
Casual Academic and Research Assistant
University of Technology in Sydney

Dr Melanie Ramdarshan Bold
Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor
Department of Information Studies
University College London

Dr Kelly Gardiner
Author and Lecturer
Creative and Professional Writing
La Trobe University

Dr Angel Daniel Matos
Assistant Professor
Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
Bowdoin College

Dr Lucy Pearson
Senior Lecturer in Children’s Literature
Children’s Literature Unit
Newcastle University

Dr Ebony Elizabeth Thomas
Associate Professor
Div. of Literacy, Culture, International Education
U of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

Dr Stephanie Toliver
Assistant Professor
Literacy Studies and Secondary Humanities
University of Colorado, Boulder

Dr Alison Waller
Reader in Children’s Literature
National Centre for Research in Children’s Lit.
University of Roehampton