Authors of LGBTQ+ Fiction Discuss Queer Representation in YA Novels
Writing openly LGBTQ+/ Queer characters has become more and more common, particularly in the last decade. Jen Ferguson, author of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet summarised it best in that “something that changed for [her] over the course of the last 10 years… [was] feeling like [she] can set out to write [LGBTQ+ characters]”. The growth of Queer-led narratives has led to discussions of how to write Queer characters and how some sensitive issues, such as coming out, homophobia and transphobia should be handled in novels which, for some readers, is their escape from these issues. I asked ten authors of LGBTQ+ Young Adult fiction how they work queerness and LGBTQ+ issues into their work.
Becky Albertalli, author of the YA LGBTQ+ staple Simon vs. The Homosapiens’ Agenda discussed how she didn’t have “one answer that applies to every one of [her] books” due to the diversity and nuance that must be portrayed when writing queer characters. She believes it’s “important to populate [her] books’ worlds with queer characters, whether or not the main character [of said book] is queer”, highlighting how even in non-Queer-centric stories, LGBTQ+ people cannot be ignored and must be represented. Similarly, Ferguson said that due to her writing being set in the present day, in a world that is the same as our own, she “can't write a fully queer normative world”, emphasising the importance of Queer teens seeing fictional stories that represent their own real scenarios and being able to relate to them. This sentiment was echoed by Lucas Delrose, author of Cherry on Top as he tries to keep LGBTQ+ representation and attitudes in his work “real to how the world works now, so there will be the queer issues from time to time, [such as] bullying or name calling. But [he] also [has] many positive and accepting characters” so that Queer readers, particularly those coming of age reading YA fiction, may relate and find comfort in these stories due to their similarities with their own experiences.
The attitudes of writers of queer characters can be best summised by Naz Kutub, author of The Loophole, in that “the real world we live in requires escapism” but also requires “a method to tackle the truth in constructive ways”. Kutub’s points highlight how queer representation and queer stories, especially those to be consumed by young people, must be a needed escape and a way to see themselves (including their struggles) reflected – presenting that LGBTQ+ YA literature, like all literature cannot be viewed as a monolith and must be diverse, nuanced and interesting.
Written by Lewis Hughes
Edited by FalWriting