Poet and author Clare Pollard chats to our contributor, Caitlyn Ould, about her middle grade fantasy The Untameables, inspired by Arthurian legend, in the latest interview on the PaperBound Blog.
Cover illustration by Reena Makwana
Can you tell us a bit about your book, The Untameables?
I’ve always absolutely loved Arthurian myth, from the sword in stone to the lady of the lake, faeries to questing beasts. But reading the tales to my children I was suddenly very conscious both that the legend of the ‘round table’ has been used historically to defend the idea of a ‘ruling class’, and that the stories are very violent. I suddenly had a very clear vision of Rowan and Elva, two children who live below-stairs, setting off on a quest to get to the holy grail before the knights do. And I knew they had to get the grail with kindness, not force.
What made you want to set your book in Camelot?
Tales of Camelot are often considered part of the ‘Matter of Britain’. In many ways, Camelot has always been an idealised version of England and Englishness. I began writing this around the time of Brexit, and I wanted to explore what it is to be born under a ruler you don’t agree with. And, historically, England has of course done lots of very bad things. What if your nation are ‘the bad guys’? How can we embrace the best things about our history and culture, whilst resisting the narratives of those in power?
What if your nation are ‘the bad guys’? How can we embrace the best things about our history and culture, whilst resisting the narratives of those in power?
You have created some brilliant characters. Who were your favourite characters to write in this story?
Elva is my favourite, I think. She just came to me fully formed, with all her righteous fury! Quests are all about overcoming obstacles, and young people who have disabilities or are in pain have a whole extra set of obstacles they have to overcome every day. She is a total heroine.
You must have had so much inspiration at your fingertips writing a book based on Arthurian legend. Was there any particular inspiration you had when it came to creating your version of this world and its characters?
I love T.H. White’s Sword in the Stone. It actually has a dog-boy in it, which I think I must have half-remembered when I invented Rowan. I’m also a poet, so I was very inspired by poetry – Simon Armitage’s translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott, Browning’s Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, as well as medieval riddle poems. I’ve been enjoying going into schools and getting children to write their own.
As a writer, are there any other fantasy worlds that you would want to breathe life into?
I am currently working on another children’s book about the voyage of the Argonauts. I am crazy about Greek myth, so am having a lot of fun with this. There’s a little girl who wants to be the Oracle of Delphi when she’s older who has joined the crew. Also a six-year-old siren with a really horrible singing voice!
Here at PaperBound, we love behind-the-scenes stuff when it comes to authors’ writing journeys. What has your route to publication been like?
I actually found it very hard to get The Untameables published. It was rejected by a lot of publishers. I think the children’s book world can be naturally quite conservative and the fact it has political parallels – that the round table is a sort of Bullingdon club – put them off. I also got asked if I could rewrite it so Rowan wants to be a knight! Little boys are supposed to be ‘knights-in-training’. So I think the fact this book is anti-knight worried editors. It was in a drawer for a couple of years before I saw that The Emma Press, who I knew as a wonderful poetry publisher, had a call-out for children’s chapter books and I submitted. I think as a small press they’re more open to radical texts, and I also knew they would make a very beautiful book. I am so happy they asked Reena Makwana to illustrate it – she is a total joy to work with.
Are you working on anything new at the moment?
I’m promoting my adult novel The Modern Fairies, and have a poetry book coming out next year. But yes, I have started another children’s book – my children are 8 and 11, just the right age, and there’s nothing like the pleasure of reading them a new chapter every night. It makes me feel very lucky.
Clare Pollard
Clare Pollard has published five collections of poetry, most recently Incarnation (Bloodaxe). Her play The Weather (Faber) was performed at The Royal Court Theatre. Her translations include Ovid’s Heroines, which she toured as a one-woman show. She has also written a non-fiction title, Fierce Bad Rabbits: The Tales Behind Children’s Picture Books (Fig Tree), her first children’s novel, The Untameables (The Emma Press), and two adult novels, DelphiandThe Modern Fairies (Fig Tree).
With thanks to Sophie Davidson for this image.
The Untameables is published by The Emma Press and is out now.
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
Sofiia Marchenko was 18 years old when she arrived from Ukraine to stay with Malcolm Duffy and his family. Over the year that Sofiia and her mother and grandmother lived there, Sofiia became the inspiration for Malcolm’s story, Seven Million Sunflowers, providing insight into the experiences of a teenage refugee. We were lucky enough to chat to both Malcolm and Sofiia.
Interview with Malcolm Duffy
Could you tell us a little about your book, Seven Million Sunflowers?
This is a book I wish I didn’t have to write.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, 2022, it affected so many lives across the world. Including our own. Having joined the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and inviting the Marchenko family into our home, I discovered the strength, resilience and humility of the Ukrainian people. I learnt what it was like to have to flee a conflict, and adapt to a new country, new language, new culture.
This was the inspiration for my story, Seven Million Sunflowers.
Writing is like making a meal – all the ingredients are important. But I think there was one key ingredient – acceptance.
This novel has many themes, from resilience and acceptance of different cultures to coping with post-traumatic stress disorder and the changing dynamics of a family, to name a few. Were any themes most important for you to include as the writer?
Writing is like making a meal – all the ingredients are important. But I think there was one key ingredient – acceptance. To what extent can you accept strangers in your home, accept the views of others, accept different cultures? This applies to both the hosts and the guests.
The opening paragraph and description of the attack on Kateryno’s building is so vivid – the burst pipes, flames and fire grounds you in the present. What kind of research did you do to help write the book?
I wanted to start the book in as dramatic a way as possible. The story doesn’t reflect Sofiia’s escape from Ukraine, but it does reflect the experience of many Ukrainians, especially those living near the front line, like those in Kharkiv.
The idea for the chapter came from a real event where a Russian missile struck an apartment block in Dnipro, Ukraine. A young woman, Anastasia Shvets, was on the 5th floor of the building. 236 apartments were destroyed and many people were killed, including her parents, but she somehow survived. A photographer captured her, clinging to a small green teddy, as she sat in the rubble far above the city.
The topics you’ve written about must have been very sensitive to discuss with Sofiia. How did you both feel talking about what happened?
For me it’s important to remember that this is fiction, based on fact. It’s not Sofiia’s story or that of her family. I spoke to many Ukrainians when writing the story, as well as reading books and articles on the conflict. The characters are an amalgam of different people I’ve met, and stories I’ve heard.
Sofiia helped me understand the feelings of Ukrainians, the anger and sadness at having been forced from their homeland.
It’s interesting how you describe both external and internal conflicts: the war in Ukraine and Georgia and Marko’s relationship under the same roof. What were some of the challenges you faced as a father inviting a family into your home?
The Marchenkos were a delightful family to have in our home. They kept themselves to themselves, were respectful of us and our home, and helped us when they could. The drama in the book came from stories I’d heard from various sources about problems between host families and their Ukrainian guests. Sometimes the host family were at fault, sometimes the Ukrainians. I wanted to reflect this in Seven Million Sunflowers.
Although this is a work of fiction, you’ve based the book on your personal experience. Do any of the characters in the book resemble you in any way?
I don’t think any of the characters in the book resemble me. Having said that I like to include elements of human nature that mean a lot to me – humour, empathy, kindness, understanding.
Are you working on anything new at the moment?
Yes, I’m working on a new YA book at the moment, but I don’t want to jinx it by talking about it!
Interview withSofiia Marchenko
The opening to this novel is very powerful. The description of everyday things such as the guitar, desk etc. all upside down amid the fear and the deafness is so vivid. I was almost choking from the smoke. How much of this was true to your story?
I was fortunate enough not to live too close to Russia unlike the heroine of Malcolm’s story. I am fortunate enough that my flat is still not damaged. But I think the early morning of 24th February was frightening for everyone. I woke up from the explosions. Although we all knew war was coming – I didn’t expect to feel it myself in central Ukraine so soon. My town is of an average size – it has 250,000 people. But even this small town experienced some damage during the ongoing Russian invasion. First missiles, then a few months later drones etc.
I was very frightened although I tried not to show it to my friends and family. On the day of the 24th, the first thing I did was go to the local corner shop and buy champagne and my favourite chocolate. This has always amused me but now I understand I probably was thinking they might be my last days on this earth so I’m gonna celebrate my life. After having those for breakfast I didn’t eat anything at all for the next 3-4 days.
On the day of the 24th, the first thing I did was go to the local corner shop and buy champagne and my favourite chocolate.
Kat defends and protects her mother by not translating certain negative conversations. Did you ever have this experience?
We definitely didn’t have a negative experience with our host family. Malcolm and his wife and children are super sweet and supportive. But there definitely were some moments outside of our host family’s house (like dealing with the search for work and accommodation) that were stressful and I didn’t always translate everything to my mum for the sake of her wellbeing. I know she likes to solve problems and support me but with her not being able to speak English, it really left her feeling helpless and I didn’t want to add to that.
Malcolm and Sofiia
Was it difficult adapting to rules in someone else’s home?
As I mentioned earlier – our host family were super sweet and understanding. It wasn’t difficult to adapt to their rules, we are really lucky we met them. We are still friends and love babysitting for their lovely dog Layla sometimes.
What was hard for me was the lack of personal space which I always had growing up. I am an only child and my parents were working a lot, so I had a lot of moments being alone in the house. I am not used to having many people around, so this was hard. I always had some anxiety, even back in Ukraine when we had some guests visiting, so even though our host family were the loveliest and the most understanding people ever, I did miss being alone sometimes – this is an environment where I regain my strength and resources to carry on in difficult times.
How did it feel being in the UK, while people you knew and cared about were still in your homeland?
Definitely a lot of guilt. Feeling you are the lucky one who got away and survived and can carry on having a normal life.
The book is excellent at describing the emotions of a person having to deal with all the mixed feelings of living in two different worlds…
What do you think of the final book, Seven Million Sunflowers?
I have read it and I do love it! I think it is amazing of Malcolm to address this issue through a powerful story like this, and it’s definitely a compelling and moving story. It describes all the difficulties a young Ukrainian teenager faces when escaping the war and having to live a ‘normal’ life while having loved ones in danger every day.
The book is excellent at describing the emotions of a person having to deal with all the mixed feelings of living in two different worlds on the same continent where one is full of chaos and death and other one is peaceful and carefree.
Do you still live in the UK? If so, what are you doing? What plans have you got for the future?
I still live in the UK. We are renting a flat with my mum in a nice area. Currently I am teaching piano classes, mostly to kids, and finishing my Communications degree online. For now, I just want to take time to think about what I actually want and what I am going to do next. To be honest, I didn’t have much time to think about that before.
Seven Million Sunflowers is OUT NOW and published by Zephyr
Refugee Week runs from June 17th to 23rd 2024. Read more about it here.
Malcolm Duffy
Malcolm was born and bred in Newcastle upon Tyne and now lives in Surrey. After a typical Geordie childhood, his parents moved south and deposited him in South East England. Having acquired a Law degree at Warwick University he worked his way through a host of London advertising agencies, picking up numerous awards for copy, press, TV and radio.
Having left ad-land he worked as Creative Director of Comic Relief, creating campaigns for Red Nose Day and Sport Relief. It was at Comic Relief that he was inspired to swap copywriting for writing and wrote his first novel, Me Mam. Me Dad. Me. His books have all been issue based, with much of the information gleaned from his work for different charities – Comic Relief (domestic violence), Shelter (homelessness), Nessy (dyslexia) and Combat Stress (PTSD).
He’s supported in his efforts by his New Zealand wife Jann, and daughters Tallulah and Tabitha, who, under the threat of withholding pocket money, seem to like what he writes.
Find out more at malcolmduffy.com and follow him @malcolmduffyUK
Huge thanks to Jayne Leadbetter for preparing the interview questions. Jayne has also reviewed Seven Million Sunflowers in our Spring/Summer 2024 issue, which you can download for FREE here.
Jayne Leadbetter
Jayne Leadbetter emigrated to Australia from the UK and is a high school teacher at a multicultural high school in Sydney, where she lives on the land of the Gadigal and Bidjigal people. She’s currently studying for a master’s degree in creative writing at university and is in the process of writing two novels, while enjoying the nature and the beaches of Australia with her huge dog Clifford.
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
Is there anything better than reading a much-loved classic from our childhood? Join us on the PaperBound Blog as we chat with fantasy author Robin Jarvis all about the return of his tantalisingly dark-edged series, The Deptford Mice, starting with Book One: The Dark Portal.
Your book, The Dark Portal, is the first in a series that captivated many readers’ imaginations over the years, and is now back with an updated text and brand new illustrations. Can you tell us a little more about it, and why you decided to give a new lease of life to this series?
Daniel Seton, editor at Pushkin Children’s Books contacted me and said he’d love to reissue the series, as he was a fan of the mice back in the day. It’s also the 35th anniversary too, so it was absolutely the right time and it’s given me the chance to cram as many new illustrations in there as possible.
You are returning to this series after working on other things for a number of years. Are you excited about inspiring a new generation of readers? What are you looking forward to most?
I was actually a bit nervous at first, as it’s been a while since I last ventured into those Deptford sewers, but the characters have never been far from my thoughts. They really have continued to live out their lives in my head, so I know what they’ve been up to. I hope new readers will be able to dive into that world and be excited and a bit scared by it. I’ve had brilliant feedback already from the original fans who now have children of their own, and it’s been such a pleasure to hear that the stories have stayed with them all this time.
The best stories are those with fright and menace in them.From a young age I watched anything with a monster in and enjoyed escaping into other worlds.
What do you think readers gain from your books, and do you think elements of fear in stories for younger readers can be a good thing?
Oh absolutely. The best stories are those with fright and menace in them. The original versions of fairy tales contained some really gruesome aspects, such as the stepsisters hacking off their toes and heels to squeeze their feet into the slipper, or the wicked queen in Snow White being made to wear red hot iron shoes and dance until she dropped dead. When I was young (a very long time ago) I was mad about monsters – still am. The scares in my books are safe scares. The threats are fantastical, the sort you’d never encounter in real life. I like to think of my books as white knuckle reads.
Is there anything you had to change when coming back to this book as you thought about it for a new audience?
Yes, apart from giving the writing a good old dusting, there were certain things that I wasn’t comfortable with, such as the Raddle sisters, two elderly mice who I originally described as ‘old maids’. Deary me, that had to go. The biggest change was Madame Akkikuyu, over recent years I’ve noticed she’s attracted criticism because some people thought there was a racial element and bolted human concerns onto her. She was a black rat, as in her fur was black, just as Piccadilly’s fur is grey and Oswald’s is white, but they all have pink skin. In fact, if Akkikuyu’s skin wasn’t pink, the tattoo on her ear wouldn’t stand out and that’s the big plot point of The Crystal Prison. Still, I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about her, so her fur is now a rich brown instead and the bone with which she stirred her potions has become a key from a tin of corned beef – which is a much better image anyway.
Your writing has been described as Brian Jacques’ Redwall meets Kieran Larwood’s Podkin One-Ear books. What other stories, writers or media have you been influenced by in your own writing?
From a young age I watched anything with a monster in and enjoyed escaping into other worlds. The Green Knowe series was a favourite, as was Tolkien.
You’ve had such a creative career so far. Do you have any tips for readers wanting to write or do something creative with their future?
Just read and absorb everything, until you decide what stories/styles/themes/characters you enjoy the most and that should give you an idea of what you want to do.
The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis is published by Pushkin Children’s Books and out now. The next two books in the series,The Crystal Prison and The Final Reckoning, will be released in June and autumn of this year.
Robin Jarvis
When Robin isn’t writing, he’s probably making something, usually a creature from one of his books to take with him to events and signings. It’s something he’s always done.
Before he started writing, he was a model maker and he gets grumpy if he can’t make something. It’s so much easier now he has a resin printer, no more mess on the kitchen table for weeks on end. At the moment he’s making Madame Akkikuyu, which brings him full circle, as he first made a wearable version of her all the way back at the beginning, 35 years ago.
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
Join us on the PaperBound Blog as we chat with YA author Rebeka Shaid all about her stunning coming of age debut, Seven Days, which is set in Bristol, UK.
Your book, Seven Days, is a brand-new contemporary YA debut set in Bristol, UK. Can you tell our readers a little more about it, and what inspired you to write this story?
Seven Days is a diverse YA romance about two teenagers, sassy Noori and troubled Aamir, who are struggling to understand where they belong in this world after experiencing tragedy. It’s a story about finding yourself after losing yourself, but it’s also a story about finding love and hope in unlikely places.
I was inspired to write a contemporary YA novel that discusses topics many teenagers are confronted with: first love, family relationships, but also questions of identity. To me it was also about representation because Noori is of mixed heritage and Aamir’s parents are immigrants, which reflects my own upbringing. I can’t think of that many YA novels that look at what it’s like to grow up between different cultures so I wanted to write a story that my 16-year-old self would probably have enjoyed!
This novel takes place over a span of seven days. Did you always know you wanted to set it within this time frame? If yes, did you have to plot meticulously with that in mind?
If truth be told, I never plan anything meticulously these days! But it was always clear to me that I wanted to write a relatively fast-paced story that takes place over seven days. I knew how the story would end and begin but everything else developed organically.
My journey to publication was not straightforward. It took years before Seven Days got published – and it’s also not the first novel I wrote!
Both main characters, Noori and Aamir, are suffering devastating losses in their lives – and dealing with them in their own ways – when they first meet. Did these characters and their struggles come to you easily while writing this book, or did you have to dig deep to figure this out?
Writing about loss is something that is very natural to me. In fact, while I was drafting Seven Days I was still in the early stages of my grief journey so it was cathartic to write about two grieving teenagers because I could easily identify with their feelings and thoughts about loss. It was not that difficult for me to create these two characters, and their struggles certainly feel real to me.
Noori is fiercely loyal and determined. How did it feel to write a character like her, compared to Aamir who seems more self-conscious? Do you have a favourite between the two?
I love both Noori and Aamir. They are almost complete opposites but still manage to find common ground and learn so much from each other. I had fun exploring their personalities and, admittedly, there is a bit of me in both of them. Noori is so bold while Aaamir tends to be more introspective, even if he doesn’t show it in conventional ways. I find it difficult to pick a favourite but if absolutely had to, I’d go for Noori because she might not always think things through but has such a big heart.
Do you have any kind of writing routine and, if so, can you tell us what it might look like?
My almost five-month-old baby has thrown any routine out the window! But I tend to be someone who writes in the evenings because that’s the only time I can make space for writing without getting distracted.
This is your debut book for young adults. Can you tell us a little about your journey to publication, and if you have any advice for aspiring writers?
My journey to publication was not straightforward. While I was lucky enough to find my incredible agent within weeks of querying literary agencies, it took years before Seven Days got published – and it’s also not the first novel I wrote! My advice to aspiring authors is: keep writing and don’t get disheartened by rejections – they are part of the process and are not a reflection of you or your abilities as a writer.
Are you working on anything else at the moment? What can readers expect from you next?
Trying to! It’s a bit tricky to find proper time for writing at the moment but I’m working on a rough outline for my next YA novel.
Seven Days by Rebeka Shaid (£8.99, Walker Books) is available now.
Rebeka Shaid
Rebeka was raised in a multicultural household, surrounded by piles of books, nosy siblings and lots of mythical trees that are known as the Black Forest. Growing up she wanted to be a snake charmer or ventriloquist, but that (luckily) didn’t pan out. Instead, she turned to words and writing. After doing sensible adult things like going to university, working as a business journalist, and becoming a mum, she decided to pen a YA novel.
In her writing, she likes to explore themes of identity, loss, and coming-of-age. Rebeka lives in Germany.
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
In this interview on the PaperBound blog, YA author Melissa Welliver chats to our regular contributor Steve Blackman about her brand new release Soulmates and Other Ways to Die.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and this story?
Of course! My name is Melissa Welliver and I write speculative novels, most recently dystopian YA with a dash of romance and comedy. I live in the North of England with my dogs and I run a community online for kidlit writers called the WriteMentor hub. I am also a co-host of The Chosen Ones and Other Tropes, a podcast based around trending tropes in commercial fiction.
This story was actually born from playing online games in a team arena. One game I played had a rule where if one member of the team took damage, the whole team lost health points. And I thought, what a fun idea to bring into the real world! I love a dash of romance in everything I write, and I thought this specific idea would work really well in the exploration of the Soulmate trope. In Soulmates, if you feel pain, so does your significant other. And if they die… you die too.
In writing Soulmates, to what extent were you inspired by real world apps? And is there an app you couldn’t live without?
For anyone who hasn’t read the book, there is an app mentioned that can match you to your soulmate. This is partly practical as it’s good to know who the other person is that could possibly, accidentally, kill you, but also it’s essentially a dating app – but with all the choices removed. Imagine that there is no swiping right or left – there’s one answer, and that’s who you are tied to forever. Nightmare! To be honest, many elements of the app were inspired by the NHS covid app that would register whether you were vaccinated and whether you had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive. I wanted to ask the question: is it a good thing to track ourselves so closely? Can there be good and bad elements to these sorts of closely tracked government apps?
As for my own apps, I’ve turned off all my notifications on my phone, so for my social media, I have to open the app to see if I’ve had any messages. I find this stops me checking my phone so much when I’m out and about in real life with friends! But my favourite app, as a bit of a prepper myself, is what.three.words. It’s an app that can pinpoint your location to a 3m by 3m area, no address needed, with three simple words. Very helpful in an emergency to let people know where you are – just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean I’m wrong!
So are soulmates real? Maybe. Read the book to find out.
There’s a diverse cast of interesting characters in Soulmates. Were any of them based on anyone we’d have heard of?
So obviously, the correct answer is, of course not! But if Argo Duff, the eccentric billionaire app owner who bought a social media franchise and has some interesting dating habits, and is a little more than a bit controlling, reminds you of anyone… then that’s on you.
Do you think we have just one soulmate? (Dogs don’t count, sorry.)
Ah, I love dogs too, they absolutely count! But aside from doggo pals – I’m very much someone who believes we make our own luck and destiny in life. A soulmate is whatever we make of it – in the book, I was keen to explore the concept of choice versus control, and whether having a soulmate thrust upon you – until death do you very literally part – are they truly your soulmate anyway? I also wanted to explore different types of love – platonic love, familial love, asexual love, romantic love – who says a soulmate has to be what dating apps tell us they are? There are many different kinds of love, and soulmate means something different to everyone. So are soulmates real? Maybe. Read the book to find out.
Your books tend towards the apocalyptic and dystopian. How do you think you’d survive at the end of the world?
Honestly, I’m not as fit and prepared as Zoe in the novel, who is a world class doomsdayer, but I’d like to think I’d have a chance of not going out in the first wave of whatever it is taking us out! I carry around a rechargeable battery pack, plus some gadgets like trackers that I allow my family to follow so we would always know our last movements in an emergency. My Dad is from LA, so he also gave me an emergency earthquake kit when I went to uni (in deepest darkest Leeds. Earthquake central, of course) that consisted of a torch, matches, spare batteries, all sorts of stuff. So even though I might not be the classic bad-ass female cutting my way through the hordes of zombies, I think I could find a pretty good place to hide until it all blows over.
You’re a notorious planner, and that allowed you to write this story in a month. Could you tell us a little about your process?
Sure! So it’s become a bit of a tradition now for me to write a novel in the month of January. I plot incessantly, so I use the more conventional NaNoWriMo (when a lot of writers write a novel in a month!) to plot each chapter of the book, and then have a break in December before coming back in January to write it. I write for 2 hours a day, between 10am-12pm, in concentrated writing sprints, and that usually nets me a chapter, or 3000 words. I’m not allowed to read back what I’ve written, or pause writing during the sprints, even if I’m getting stuck! It’s all about powering through to get that first draft down. And I usually write 25-30 chapters depending on the age range, so that gives me my month of writing quite neatly.
What else are you working on, which we can look forward to?
I have two books coming out this year, which is really exciting! Soulmates and Other Ways to Die is in March, and the re-release of my self-published book, The Undying Tower, is coming out with UCLan Publishing in August. While my Chicken House books all lean towards a slightly wacky take on the apocalypse, The Undying Tower is very much a dark dystopian in the same vein as The Hunger Games or Divergent, and is the first in a planned trilogy. I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of the redesigned cover, and to reach new readers through re-printing this book baby of mine!
What advice can you share with aspiring young writers?
Don’t listen to advice! Just kidding – well, sort of. Follow your writing heart and don’t let trends get in your way. The books you see on shelves right now were written and negotiated years ago, so there’s no point jumping on a bandwagon if your heart isn’t in it, just because you think it will sell. Write what you love and it will come across in the writing, so readers will love it too. Also, don’t give up! It’s a long old road, publishing – you’ll get there. The only difference between a published author and an unpublished author is perseverance.
Melissa Welliver
Melissa Welliver writes Young Adult Speculative novels. She works at WriteMentor and runs the Community Writing Hub for Children’s writers. She has two dystopian rom-coms, My Love Life and the Apocalypse and Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, published with Chicken House Books. The first in her dark dystopian trilogy, The Undying Tower, will be published by UCLan in August 2024.
She can be found across social media under @melliver, and on tiktok under @melissawelliver.
Soulmates and Other Ways to Die is published by Chicken House Books and released 14 March 2024.
Steve Blackman
Like his career, Steve’s writing is filled with tech and engineering, although his speculative thrillers tend to have higher stakes and fewer meetings. Before working as a copywriter and editor, he was a consultant, a magazine editor, a communications director, a product designer and a webcaster, though not at the same time. Home is South London, where he lives with his wife and teenage daughters. They wish he’d stop saying, ‘What if…’
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
We are so excited to share an interview with A. J. Clack, author of Lie or Die – a Mafia meets The Traitors style reality-TV based YA thriller where winning the game becomes the least of their problems when, one by one, the contestants start dying for real …
Could you tell us a little about Lie or Die?
Lie or Die is a twisty, dark YA thriller set in a Reality TV game show. It follows 17-year-old Kass Kennedy who auditions for the show to help her fame obsessed best friend, Thea. Once in the game Kass soon realises that not everything is as it seems and, as the contestants start dying for real, Kass realises that they are trapped in a TV show set with someone who isn’t here to play. To survive Kass must figure out who the real killer is and find a way out.
Reality TV just got real!
You’ve worked in television before. Did this inspire any elements of the book?
I did! Lie or Die’s setting is inspired by my time as a Production Manager for Fountain Television Studios in Wembley, the biggest TV studio in Europe. It was my job to oversee the shows that came in, working closely with each production to make sure they had the crew, equipment, facilities, hospitality and celebrity care they required. I worked on a number of shows with a great deal of celebrities, directors and crew, giving me quite a thorough and unique insight into the world of TV and celebrity. My (now) husband worked on all the reality shows, from Big Brother, X Factor to I’m a Celeb so I had a real insight into reality TV from the inside. When I had the idea to make a Mafia type murder mystery game show, it seemed natural to place it in a reality TV setting.
There was one character in particular who I really didn’t want to kill, but realised I had no choice! Sorry – I can’t tell you which one **spoiler**.
There are many gruesome and creative deaths in Lie or Die. Were any particularly difficult to write, or did you have fun thinking them up?
I had great fun thinking them up! (I obviously need to get out more.) I read and watch a lot of psychological horror and thrillers and grew up reading the masters of horror, James Herbert and Stephen King, so I had a lot to fall back on. It was great to let my imagination run wild – as a TV show I had the freedom to do pretty much anything. There was one character in particular who I really didn’t want to kill, but realised I had no choice! Sorry – I can’t tell you which one **spoiler**.
What top tips would you give someone planning on writing a YA thriller?
Thrillers take a lot of planning, which is something I’m not very good at! I like to go with the flow and let the story evolve, but I think thrillers need more structure. Don’t forget to leave breadcrumbs, little clues for the reader to pick up along the way and of course red herrings, you can have lots of fun with them! I kept asking myself – what would the characters try to do next? Then I would show the characters doing just that and failing, starting with the most obvious and then moving onto the next possibility. The reader will expect those questions to be answered.
Are you a plotter or a pantser? Can you tell us a little about your writing process?
Ahh like I mentioned above I am a natural born panster. I like to have a loose outline, a chapter ‘in’ point and an ‘out’ point and then have the freedom to get from A – B. It’s harder to do that with tightly plotted thrillers, and this one was quite complicated, being a game, set within a reality murder mystery game, set inside a television studio. I tend to get a first draft out quite quickly – it’s terrible but at least then I have something to go back over and work on. It’s like placing the foundations and the scaffold of the story. Later, when I feel secure enough, I take most of it away.
This is your debut novel. What advice would you give someone about to embark on a similar journey? Have there been any particular highlights?
There have been some fantastic highlights such as being a finalist in the Undiscovered Voices 2022 Anthology. There have also been some difficult lows, including a novel going out on submission the first week of the Covid lockdown and disappearing into the pandemic ether, losing my agent and having to start all over again. But along the way I have won competitions and made many, many amazing writing friends and found representation with my new and fabulous agent, Saskia Leach. I would recommend to any new writer not to try to do this alone; it’s hard, you need a community of writers around you to support you and pick you up and also to help celebrate all those little wins along the way.
What are you reading and enjoying at the moment?
I am loving Mirror Me by Jan Dunning, a fairy tale retelling set in the fashion world and I have just started Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
Lie or Die is published on 7th March 2024 by Firefly Press.
A.J. Clack
A. J. Clack moved from a small village in Wales to London to pursue a career in television. She worked on a huge range of shows from Teletubbies to Friends, while also writing plays for the Edinburgh Fringe and development scripts/pilots for children’s television. She now lives in Essex with a handful of teenagers and can often be found freezing on the side of a football pitch.
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
We were pleased to catch up with Costa Award shortlisted author Nicholas Bowling all about his recent release The Undying of Obedience Wellrest – a novel deliciously described as Jane Austen meets Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Could you tell us a little about your book, The Undying of Obedience Wellrest?
It’s a fairly straightforward fantasy-tinged gothic-horror-comedy-semi-romance. It’s set in the early nineteenth century, and it’s about a young gravedigger (Ned) who crosses paths with an aristocratic teenage girl (Bede) who is trying to make progress as an amateur chemist and escape an arranged marriage. So, sort of Jane Austen meets Frankenstein. It’s told from both their points of view and sees them weaving in and out of danger and death and friendship and maybe (maybe?) love.
This is a brilliantly gothic story that combines science with mystery, death, feminism, and a sprinkle of magic. Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
Sometimes a whole book, and a whole world, seems to arrive in my brain fully formed, but this one actually started from a much smaller seed. Originally it was all about Ned and Pa’s relationship. I had an image of a grandfather and grandson gravedigging team – I think originally they solved mysteries, or fought demons, or something. And I liked the idea of a parish churchyard as a little self-contained world. I was reading Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived In The Castle at the time, and found the voice of Merricat very inspiring. I loved the idea of writing from the point of view of the weirdest, most isolated character in the story – the point of view of the “monster” really. So the protagonist is on the outside of acceptable society looking in, but, in their own mind, is actually on the inside looking out.
Originally it was set in the 21st century, but once there were body snatchers involved it made more sense to take place in the 19th century. And once it was set there and then, all the interesting stuff about early science and the Enlightenment and the links to Frankenstein started to make itself felt. And Bede emerged from that, as an intelligent, headstrong young woman ensnared in the mores of that era. It’s no coincidence that Bede is short for “Obedience”. It’s really, really fun writing a character who is much smarter and more furious than you are.
It’s really, really fun writing a character who is much smarter and more furious than you are.
All of the characters here are so unique, and brought to life so wonderfully in your writing. Do you have a process when creating your characters, or do they materialise in the page?
As pretentious and cliched as it sounds, I really do just listen and watch them and see what they do. I probably have a subconscious blueprint for each character somewhere in my brain – maybe an amalgam of certain people I’ve met, either in real life or in books – but it’s not like I draw up a spreadsheet of their traits and histories before I write about them. It really is just about following a feeling you have about them. And it’s nice to be surprised when they reveal something of their character or their past to you.
Do you have a favourite character from your book (Mosca?), and why?
Obvious to say, but I loved both Ned and Bede. Ned because I think he’s the person I actually am (quiet, introspective, a bit odd) and Bede because she’s the person I often would like to be (smart, self-assuredl, a zinger for every occasion). Perhaps they really are two halves of my psyche. They make a perfect unlikely pairing.
Mosca? I still feel like there’s so much mystery around him. I don’t even know what he’s thinking or feeling. Maybe I’ll write a companion piece to the main book that’s just his internal monologue, all in stream of consciousness fly-speak.
You have an insanely good opening line. Did this come to you straight away or was it something you came back to and developed later? Any tips for aspiring writers trying to write their own attention grabbing first line?
Thank you very much! I think I said this on Twitter (sorry, X). Those were literally the first words I wrote. The first words of the first chapter of the first draft, maybe four years ago. And that line stayed at the top of the Word document through all of the many, many drafts and edits. I think the only thing I had to change was Ned’s age. I knew when I first put the line down that it was a keeper. Sometimes things like that come to you and you can’t quite believe it and you give yourself the rest of the day off.
I don’t know if I have any tips or secrets about an opening line. I suppose a good opener is always really a question in disguise. A tiny, self-enclosed, one line mystery.
There are fabulous twists and turns in this book. Do you plot everything before you start, or do the details develop as you write? Do you have any advice on writing plot twists?
I think plotting is actually the thing I find hardest. I never plot in advance, at least not in any great detail, and always end up tying myself in knots. I never learn, but I also think the thing feels dead on the slab if every little nook and cranny of plot is already explored. But the really BIG twists, I do know about them in advance. Usually I have one prepped for about halfway, and one for the end, and if you’re aware of them then you can at least have some fun with red-herrings and easter eggs (pretty weird brunch recipe for you, there) as you’re writing.
What is your favourite part of the writing process? And are there any aspects you’re not so keen on?
Favourite bits – and I don’t think I’m alone here – are the very beginning and the very end. I still love the thrill of the blank page, of possibility, of creating something entirely new. And I love fine-tuning the prose at the very end, and putting in little nods and callbacks to the various twists and turns. Basically everything in between is all wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Structural edits in particular are like the worst, least fun, most labour-intensive game of Tetris you’ve ever played.
Can you tell us about anything else you are working on at the moment?
I’m working up two ideas at the moment. One is an inverted Arthurian legend (can’t really say more than that, but it involves a young swineherd and a supremely unlikeable King Arthur). The other is a sort of ecological fable about a frozen giant. It’s like Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man, set in the Himalayas, reimagined by Studio Ghibli.
I also have a book for adults coming out in Jan 2025 under the name Nick Newman – but I really can’t tell you any more about that!
The Undying of Obedience Wellrest is out now and published by Chicken House Books.
Nicholas Bowling
Nicholas Bowling is the critically acclaimed, Costa Award-shortlisted author of Witchborn, In the Shadow of Heroes and Song of the Far Isles. He grew up in Chester and studied English and Classics at Oxford University. As well as writing, Nick has been a classics teacher, has co-written, recorded and released an album and two EPs and is now a bookseller. He lives in London but gets out when he can to climb mountains or swim in very, very cold water. .
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
We are excited to share an interview with the editors of When We Become Ours, a YA anthology written by adoptees of all backgrounds, for adoptees, edited by award-winning authors Shannon Gibney and Nicole Chung.
This book features a host of fantastic stories with the pull of one universal theme. Can you tell us a little more about it?
When We Become Ours is a young-adult fiction anthology by and for adoptees. In many ways, this is the book we wish we’d had when we were growing up. While adoption isn’t the central focus of every plot, every story is written by an adoptee author of colour and features a young adoptee as a protagonist. We don’t know of another book like it for teens, and hope it will be the first of many.
We don’t know of another book like it for teens, and hope it will be the first of many.
When We Become Ours covers a broad range of settings and genres, from school halls and newly forged friendships to feelings of loss set on entirely different planets. Was there a method in making sure each story had its own original narrative, or did they all come together easily?
That the collection is so strong and wide-ranging is really a testament to our contributors’ talent and creativity. From the beginning, we knew we wanted to put together an anthology that represented as many different adoptee perspectives and experiences as possible. In the end, it wasn’t terribly difficult to ensure the breadth and diversity of narratives, because (as expected) we received so many wonderful original stories for consideration, and no two were alike! The hardest part of the process was probably narrowing down our selections, since we only had room for a small number of stories.
What was it like to work on this book as a collaborative process?
After the book was sold and announced, we put out a call for stories and read every submission as it came in. As mentioned, it wasn’t easy to make our selections from such a large number, but luckily we were aligned on the stories that most excited us. Next we did a round of developmental (or big picture) edits on each story, followed by a round or two of more detailed line edits, with our fantastic Harper Teen editor, Megan Ilnitzki, weighing in at each stage. The entire process was really a labour of love—all of us involved felt very strongly about the importance of this project. Our authors were truly a pleasure to work with, which made it a fun and collaborative experience from start to finish.
How important is it for you to share these stories from an #ownvoices perspective, and what do you hope readers might get out of this anthology?
Despite the great and increasing diversity of YA literature by authors from marginalized backgrounds, adoptee-authored, adoptee-centered representation in literature for young people is still lacking. But, as we write in our Editors’ Note at the start of the book, we have always been here, and we know our imaginations and our stories are powerful. Our hope is that many readers will be able to see themselves, their feelings, their families, and their experiences reflected in these stories—an experience that is far too rare for young adoptees. At the same time, we think this is a book for everyone. We know that stories can entertain, teach, transform, and challenge us all, and we believe this anthology is one that anyone of any age can pick up and love.
We know that stories can entertain, teach, transform, and challenge us all, and we believe this anthology is one that anyone of any age can pick up and love.
When We Become Ours is out now and published by Harper Teen.
Nicole Chung
Nicole Chung is the bestselling author of All You Can Ever Know (2018) and A Living Remedy (2023) and the co-editor of several anthologies, including When We Become Ours. Born and adopted in Seattle, raised in Oregon, she now lives in the Washington, DC area. @nicolesjchung on Instagram + Twitter | nicolechung.net
Shannon Gibney
Shannon Gibney lives and writes in Minneapolis. Her work spans multiple genres, and she is the author of Dream Country (2018) and See No Color (2015), YA novels that won Minnesota Book Awards. Her newest novel is The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption (Dutton, 2023). @shannonelainegibney on Instagram | shannongibney.com
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
We are very excited to bring you an interview from author Stuart White, also the creator of WriteMentor, who chats to our regular contributor, Steve Blackman, all about his new middle grade book, Astra FireStar and the Ripples of Time.
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a secondary school biology teacher who escapes from a busy job and family life by escaping into my small office and writing about fantastical worlds and characters! I’ve been writing seriously for about 13 years or so, and have now published 3 books under my own imprint, Penobi Press. I have two kids, E and X, who are 8 and 3, and quite honestly, way too much for me to handle!
Astra FireStar and the Ripples of Time is your third book. Can you tell us what it’s about?
Yes! It’s perfect for fans of Dr Who and I pitch it like this:
When new girl and time-fugitive Astra crashes a space-octopus into twelve-year-old Sam’s school, he swaps his unhappy home life for a timeless adventure to the stars. On the run from the time-police, they travel to far-off planets, in space and time, meeting new and unexpected friends, as well as many enemies, and growing a closer friendship than Sam could possibly ever have imagined. But when given a chance to resurrect his dead brother in exchange for Astra’s freedom, he must decide – change his past or forge a new future.
But at its heart, it’s about loss and grief, and accepting the past and learning to move forward with your life.
So, you’re a writer and teacher, AND you co-run the Write Mentor Hub and community. Surely you’re using your own time machine to achieve all that?!
The key to me doing all this is simple: I am not very good at any of it! Seriously, I’m lucky to enjoy and be reasonably competent at a number of things, which I also love, so that Venn diagram intersects nicely across teaching/writing/community building, so I use many of the same skills across each, which make it easier to manage.
In all honesty, I might not still be writing if I hadn’t met lots of like-minded writers back in the early 2010s on Twitter, and so much of what I do is to help others see there’s hope and a wide community of writers there, all in it together, trying to achieve the same goal, and there’s a lot of strength and joy that comes from being a small part of that.
Self-publishing has become much more accessible in recent years, and you’ve been very generous in sharing your experiences. Can you give us your top tips?
Honestly, I could write a book on this (maybe one day I will!) but the secret is keeping it simple. There’s SO MUCH information out there and so many ways to do it, that it’s best to try, initially, to drown out the noise and do the basics well.
Get a great editor and cover illustrator/designer, talk lots about it (remember you’re just as deserving, if not more so, of shouting about your book than someone who is traditionally published – after all, you’re doing about 3 or 4 times the work they are, so don’t be shy!), and focus on connecting with readers and the gatekeepers to those readers (i.e. school teachers, librarians, parents, grandparents, etc.) to get your books noticed by them. Everything else, and there’s a LOT of everything else, can be worked on later.
What do you hope your readers will learn or take away from Astra?
I hope readers have fun and enjoy the adventure. Escapism is something that saved me from the harsh realities of my life when I was younger, and I hope this book can provide that for young people who are finding life hard or don’t have the perfect home situation. I don’t like to bang readers over the head with the theme, but there’s also an important lesson on letting go of your past and forging a new, exciting future for yourself. So many children from underprivileged backgrounds don’t think they can change their stars, and they have to follow the path of those around them and before them. I want Sam and Astra to show them they can do, and go, wherever they want.
Looking to the future (without a time machine), what’s next for WriteMentor? And what new books can we look forward to from you?
We’ve just announced a partnership with Bonnier Books UK for our awards, and they’re keen to be involved in other things we do, too. They share a similar vision that we do, in that we want to provide opportunities for new voices to share their stories and give children a chance to read those great new voices. But we really do have a lot of pots in the fire, gently warming, and we’ll be continuing to put writers first, and organise things which will best help them to achieve their publishing goals, whatever they are.
For me personally, I’ve got a Kickstarter coming next year for the next 3 Eva Knight books in the series, with Jen Jamieson, my brilliant cover illustrator, already agreeing to draw those. I’m also working on the sequel to The Nameless, my YA debut, and have an MG diabetic superhero story and YA serial killer thriller set on the moon that I think I will submit to agents in 2024. I’ve also outlined a Scottish Mythology MG which I want to write, but I might not get to that until 2025 (or maybe it will be a secret project that I can work on late at night when no-one is looking!).
If you had a time machine, where and when would you visit?
Great question! I always dreamed of being an explorer as a kid, but so much of Earth was already explored and discovered. So I’d maybe go back 200 years or so and set on a mission to one of the poles, or to climb one of the big mountains. Or go the other way, and fast forward into the future and be an astronaut who explores new worlds both within and outwith our Solar System. That would be fun!
Stuart White
Stuart is an award-winning author and secondary school teacher. He has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing and founded, and now runs, WriteMentor. In 2020 and 2022 he was placed on the SCWBI Undiscovered Voices longlist and named as an Hononary Mention for his novels Ghosts of Mars and Astra FireStar and the Ripples of Time.
In 2023, he won the WriteBlend award for his middle grade debut, Ghosts of Mars. Stuart was included in The Bookseller’s 2021 list of Rising Stars in the publishing industry. He can be found at @StuartWhiteWM on most social media platforms.
Astra FireStar and the Ripples of Time is out now and available worldwide via Amazon, or you can order a copy from your local bookstore (in most countries).
Steve Blackman
Like his career, Steve’s writing is filled with tech and engineering, although his speculative thrillers tend to have higher stakes and fewer meetings. Before he found himself advising companies on digital transformation, Steve was a copywriter, a magazine editor, a communications director, a product designer and a webcaster, though not at the same time. Home is South London, where he lives with his wife and teenage daughters. They wish he’d stop saying, ‘What if…’
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
We’re thrilled to feature an interview with author Maya MacGregor on their new YA book, The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will, with questions from our guest contributor Caitlyn Ould. Read on to discover more about Maya’s writing, the inspiration behind the words, and what they’ll be sharing with readers next.
Without spoilers, can you tell us a little about your new YA book, The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will?
This book was a lot like The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester, in that it was a way for me to tell a story like a roadmap for my younger self. There’s a lot of found family, a lot of self-discovery, and some spooky happenings that tie the narrative together.
The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will is a love letter to every kid who has been made to feel monstrous. While that takes place through a lens of a kid who’s neurodivergent and agender, I hope Will’s journey will resonate with teens who may not share those traits too. It took me a long time to learn the lessons Will learns—that an abuser’s projected image of them is not their truth—and I hope that Will’s perseverance, tenacity, and self-preservation will help model a way forwards for anyone in a similar boat.
We found the use of second person narration in this book really interesting. What made you want to write this book in that way?
It was the only way I could get across a very specific message that acts as a framing device for the story on several levels. I wasn’t sure I could get away with it, but it felt true to the story I wanted to tell. That feels a bit insufferable to write out, ha. But ultimately, I choose points of view to reflect emotional proximity to the characters. Which isn’t to say that third person can’t be emotionally resonant—it absolutely can—but first and second person each invite the reader much closer in a way that feels more intimate to me. Others may disagree, of course!
This book tackles a lot of complex themes that encourage a lot of empathy from the reader. In what ways do you relate to your main character, Will?
One of the things I’ve mentioned at a few in-person events is that a certain plot point that happens right at the end of, I think, chapter three or four had an absolutely eerie reflection in my own personal life. I paused writing just after that, a paragraph or so into the next chapter (which was smack in the heart of the emotion still) and put the book aside for a filmmaking project and a choir trip to Austria, and in the time I was away, I discovered via Ancestry.com DNA that my biological father was someone entirely different to who I thought he was. If you read the book to that point, you can probably understand how when I went back and read into my progress to get my bearings, I had to go take a few minutes to collect myself.
Will is very much like me on many levels—agender, an undiagnosed autistic teen (I was a teen once!), the product of a lot of upheaval and poverty—and the emotion of having written a different (but just as emotionally impactful) revelation bare months before I experienced my own welded this book to my heart in a way I don’t think anything else could have. My estranged biological mother is not Francis and was not physically abusive like that, but she did keep some whoppers from me, and over the past few years, like Will, I’ve been sorting through all that. I’ve also been privileged to meet and form a very loving relationship with my biological dad, and we’ve been making up for thirty-four years of lost time.
Who were your favourite characters to write in this book?
Without a doubt, Will, Raz, and Julian. I love Matt and Hannah as well, of course, but gosh, I adore Julian and Raz so much. We all need people who see us for who we are without us having to offer a university-level course in how to relate to us, and it was very important for me to model that with those characters. I also want Raz and Junius Sylvester to be best pals!
We love that there are more wonderful books featuring non-binary protagonists now. Do you think the literary world is changing positively with LGBTQIA+ communities being represented?
Absolutely. As a wee anecdote, we’d actually trunked both of my YA books because they bounced off editorial boards for the use of they/them pronouns (and non-stereotypical autistic phenotypes, to boot) in 2017-2018 when I wrote the books. My first ever agent, Jes Negrón, had since gone into editing at BMK (now Astra Books for Young Readers), and when she started acquiring YA, she came straight to me and my new agent Sara Megibow, knowing I’d a trunked manuscript. If she hadn’t been so keen to work with me again, I don’t know that these books would exist.
I cannot count the number of messages I’ve received from readers saying that they have never seen themselves represented in fiction before now. That’s heartbreaking in a lot of ways, but in others, it’s such a relief for me to hear. I had to write the books for them to exist, as did so many of my contemporaries who are doing just that these days. Now there are many more chances for this moment to happen at younger ages! Things are changing for the better, albeit slowly and not without a lot of pushback.
I cannot count the number of messages I’ve received from readers saying that they have never seen themselves represented in fiction before now.
Can you tell us about any more projects you may have coming up that you’re allowed to talk about?
Alas, I don’t think I’m allowed to say much, but I will say there’s a Gaelic-heavy YA fantasy in the works, set in my beloved Argyll in the Gàidhealtachd. It’s a story about belonging, magic, the sìthichean, and intergenerational language transmission. Gaelic music and culture informs my entire life; I use the language every day, and our cultural practices are the foundation of my entire sense of home. I hope to bring some of that to the wider world from the perspective of someone who lives and breathes within that sphere.
Plus, the book also has an agender autistic protagonist—and a genderfluid shapeshifting sidhe prince for a love interest, so what’s not to love? 😉
The book is done, and I truly hope to have news about a publisher and publication timeline soon! I’m absolutely itching for folk to meet Cam and Ezra.
The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will is out now and published by Astra Books. The audiobook will be released on 19th December, narrated by Vico Ortiz.
Maya MacGregor
Maya MacGregor is an author, singer, and artist based in Glasgow, Scotland. A fluent Gaelic speaker, Maya is active in many community activities in Gaelic music as well as writing contemporary YA and adult fiction (as Emmie Mears and M Evan MacGriogair). Maya has a degree in history and is passionate about writing the stories for teens they wish had existed when they were younger and fills them with the type of people who have always populated their world.
Their pronouns are they/them.
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester was Maya’s first YA novel and was a finalist for the Andre Norton Nebula award and the Walden Award. The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will, Maya’s second YA, came out Halloween 2023.
See our interview with Maya from our Winter 2022-23 issue here.
Guest contributor: Caitlyn Ould
Caitlyn is a young reader from Cornwall who is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. They enjoy reading stories about young people like them, as well as fantasy novels. They surround themselves with media that includes the LGBTQIA+ community, so this book fit right in with their bookshelf.
PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.
All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!
Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.
PaperBound Magazine 