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LaDarrion Williams

© Photos by Jamaal

© Photos by Jamaal

LaDarrion Williams is a Los Angeles-based playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter whose goal is to cultivate a new era of Black fantasy. He is currently a resident playwright/co-creator of The Black Creators Collective, where his play UMOJA made its premiere in January 2022, and produced North Hollywood’s first Black playwrights festival at the Waco Theater Center. Blood at the Root is his first novel. His viral and award-winning short film based on the same concept is currently on YouTube and Amazon Prime.

 


Schedule

11:15 am to Noon

State Library, Fifth Floor, Serials Area

Unraveling the Past: Young Adult Fiction

with Kalela Williams and LaDarrion Williams

 

12:15 pm to 1:00 pm

Cavalier House Books Tent

Book Signing


Blood at the Root

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in this fresh fantasy debut unlike anything you've seen before.

Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost grandmother: a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.

At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at Caiman: feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries.

In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what's left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.