Appearances

Held in Calgary, Alberta, every August, When Words Collide is Canada’s largest multi-genre, writer/reader/fan/ festival. Meet artists and publishers of commercial and literary fiction, including genre, YA, children’s books, poetry, and more, from across Canada and the world.

Naperville, Illinois July 23, 2026! We are bringing K-8 educators & #kidlit creators back together for a day of community, learning, and celebration of all things literacy!  

Meet author Keenan Jones at this storytime featuring his picture book, Saturday Morning at the ‘Shop (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster, 2025) about a young boy who discovers the vital role a neighborhood barbershop plays in community and culture.

We can’t wait to welcome Keenan Jones to the green rug to read his “sharp and stylish” (Kirkus) book Saturday Morning at the ‘Shop! This upbeat, heartwarming story is an ode to the barbershop as a vital gathering place, where art, music, and life lessons abound. Thank You Bookshop is located in Birmingham, Alabama.

At Education Minnesota’s Uplifting Voices racial and social justice conference, I will share my journey from an ADHD-labeled, struggling student to educator and author. This session explores how families, schools, mentors, and communities can disrupt harmful narratives about young Black boys and create pathways for success through the power of collective support.  

I’ll be traveling throughout the U.S. and Canada this summer for book festivals, library events, conferences, and community appearances. Join me at one of the stops below—I’d love to see you there!

The Lakefly Writers Conference and the Lakefly Book Fair are two exciting events taking place the same weekend at the Oshkosh Convention Center—something for writers and readers alike. Join Keenan in his session titled The Art of Lyrical Writing.   

Visit with our showcase of local authors from the Racine area. Check the line-up for your favorites, and make sure to stop in to their presentations and panels. Throughout the day, authors will visit with community members, sign autographs and sell their products.

South Central Service Cooperative facilitates the Young Writers & Artists Conference (YWAC) for grades 3–8. The conference utilizes a number of authors, artists, educators, experienced writers, and business leaders as conference facilitators to inspire youth and encourage them to take their own talents to new levels. Keenan Jones will be a leading a session titled: The Heartbeat of a Story: Creating Characters that Glow!

Join the Hamline MFAC Writing Program for an inspiring conversation with Keenan Jones, educator and debut children’s author of Saturday Morning at the Shop (Simon & Schuster). Keenan will share his unexpected journey from basketball standout to published writer, tracing how a career-altering injury and a creative writing class set him on the path to children’s publishing. In this candid talk, he’ll discuss navigating traditional publishing as a debut author, staying motivated through challenges, and drawing on personal experience to craft meaningful stories for young readers.