Book Talk: May the Best Player Win with Kyla Zhao in Conversation with Ann Liang

Join us on Sunday, 11/10 as author Kyla Zhao talks about her latest novel, May the Best Player Win, a story that champions girl power in competitive sports. In May the Best Player Win, Bay Area chess player May Li makes a bet with her sexist rival that girls are as good as boys at the game. But as she sets out to prove him wrong, the weight of expectations causes performance anxiety to creep in. When it begins to threaten not just her performance but also her love for the game, May must confront the question: Can you play for fun if you’re playing to win?

We’re thrilled to host Kyla Zhao and her conversation partner and fellow Young Adult author Ann Liang to On Waverly for a thought provoking discussion about topics covered in the book that include a timely exploration of ambition, resilience, and the pursuit of authenticity.

About Kyla Zhao:

Kyla Zhao writes novels about women of color who challenge gender stereotypes. She and her books have been featured by media outlets such as NBC, CBS, Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed, South China Morning Post, etc. Kyla was also selected as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, a Tatler Leader of Tomorrow, and awarded a Certificate of Recognition by the California State Assembly. She now works at a tech company in Silicon Valley after graduating from Stanford University in 2021.

About Ann Liang:

Ann Liang is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the critically acclaimed YA novels This Time It’s Real, If You Could See the Sun, and I Hope This Doesn’t Find You. Her books have sold into over twenty foreign territories. Born in Beijing, she grew up traveling back and forth between China and Australia, but somehow ended up with an American accent. She now lives in Melbourne.