About the Authors
Ruby Clyde is a writer and comedian from London. Ruby performs for adults and kids as half of critically acclaimed musical comedy double-act Shelf (**** The Guardian ​**** The Scotsman). Shelf are co-founders of The LOL Word, a comedy night for queer women, trans, and nonbinary comedians with a regular slot at Soho Theatre. Shelf are heading to the Edinburgh Fringe this year with their award-winning kids’ comedy show and a new hour of not-for-kids comedy. Ruby’s upcoming debut, Jay’s Guide To Crushing It, was picked as One To Watch in The Bookseller (“heartwarming… will offer hope to all teenagers who feel constrained by societal and parental expectations” The Bookseller, May 2023).
Alison Weatherby writes teen mysteries, often historical and always nerdy. Her first book, The Secrets Act, won the Chicken House Open Coop Competition, was shortlisted for the Historical Association Young Quills Award and won the Redhill Academy Trust Award. Though she grew up all over the US, Alison now lives in South Dublin with her husband, two girls, and a very naughty dog.
Matt Killeen has had many careers but kept coming back to writing. He has made a living as a copywriter, a music and sports journalist, and a writer for the LEGO® company, earning an MA in Creative Writing for Young People along the way. He is a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund and continues to write for PC Gamer. His US Bestselling debut Orphan Monster Spy was shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards and the Branford Boase Award, as well as winning the 2019 SCBWI Crystal Kite. The sequel, Devil Darling Spy, was published in spring 2020, just as the world ended.
About Their Books:
Title: JAY’S GUIDE TO CRUSHING IT
Author: Ruby Clyde
Pitch: Jay meets a girl who thinks Jay’s a girl and a boy who thinks Jay’s a boy in a very complicated romcom about being yourself.
Find on Goodreads.
Title: THE SECRETS ACT
Author: Alison Weatherby
Pitch: The Secrets Act follows two friends and workers at Bletchley Park during WW2, whose lives are turned upside down after a tragic incident that uncovers many dangerous secrets.
Find on Goodreads.
Title: DEVIL DARLING SPY
Author: Matt Killeen
Pitch: More used to spying at champagne-fuelled parties in Nazi Berlin, can she track a deadly virus through central Africa before it becomes a horrific weapon?
Find on Goodreads.
What do you love most about writing for the YA audience?
Ruby Clyde: I like that you can have a sense of fun and silliness in the things you write. And I’ve always liked making people laugh, so (hopefully) that.
Alison Weatherby: I love writing teen characters. They’re so fun, unpredictable, hopeful, and clever. I love creating new, lasting friendships, first loves, first loves gone wrong. YA mysteries tend to be more fast-paced and packed with tension, which is so much fun to write (and read).
Matt Killeen: I love the conciseness, the challenge of depth and complexity without waffle, but every time I do a school visit and see I’ve changed someone’s whole perspective? That’s the stuff right there.
How has writing YA changed your perspective on the world?
Ruby Clyde: I think it’s made me more aware of the best things about my younger self, and that those are still qualities I have now, even if I’ve forgotten about them sometimes. Things like having a passion you’re totally obsessed with, or really leaning into your feelings with a crush. As a teenager my life and identity were all about the things I loved – skating, playing guitar, reading – and then suddenly you have to think about jobs and ISAs and stuff. But I think I’m getting back to that way of living now. Who needs an ISA?
Alison Weatherby: Writing YA, specifically historical YA, has opened my eyes to so many amazing people and events in the history of the UK and Ireland. Learning about the people who have overcome so many awful tragedies or discovered things we thought didn’t exist have given me a lot of hope, both for my future and for that of teens today.
Matt Killeen: Ha! I think I found YA because it matched my perspective 🙂 But it definitely keeps you on your toes and living in this world keeps you young and hopeful.
What trends are you most excited about in UKYA at the moment and to come?
Ruby Clyde: I wouldn’t call it a trend, but seeing the genre become more and more diverse is so exciting! I loved YA while I was growing up, too, but there were never characters that I 100% connected with, and I think that’s true for a lot of people. You love the books, you’re just not in them. It’s really cool how many younger people now can pick up a YA novel and say “hey, that’s me”!
Alison Weatherby: I’m so excited to see more dystopia and sci-fi hitting the shelves. I love to see underdog trends find readers. The more diversity we have in books, the more readers we can reach. I’m hopeful that we’ll get more diversity in our authors, topics, and genres in the next few years and that publishers will welcome more ground-breaking books for their diverse audiences.
Matt Killeen: The general uptick – it’s been a dark few years for the age bracket, but we’re powering through.
What do you think is special about UKYA? (Books and/or community)
Ruby Clyde: This is such a supportive community full of people doing interesting, creative things. UKYA is always growing, and there can never be too many books – the YA audience is always reading and there’s always a new experience, character, or world to represent that will resonate with someone. Plus, these are the books that you really remember forever; I can still quote lines from the books I read as a teenager. Can’t remember my own phone number, but I can reel off several bits from Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging.
Alison Weatherby: The UKYA community is like no other. Every author, blogger, and reviewer I’ve met has been welcoming and humble, thoughtful and supportive. Writing is a lonely profession and publishing is a roller coaster ride, so it’s so amazing to have an understanding community of friends to talk to or just exchange funny cat memes with.
Matt Killeen: It’s a really supportive community – I was a bit shocked to discover that other groups of writers are not!
#UKYASpotlight 
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