#UKYASpotlight is a month-long event across social media to promote UKYA books. As part of it, I am posting a series of interviews with UKYA authors. For more information, click here.
About the Authors
Amara Sage lives in her hometown of Bristol with her husband, son, and their two dogs. She graduated with a distinction from Bath Spa’s Writing for Young People MA and now writes contemporary, own-voice YA fiction. Her work explores intertwining issues such as body image, mental health, and racial identity, and the impact social media has on all of the above.
Aneesa Marufu lives in Manchester and was the winner of the Kimberley Chambers Kickstart Prize for underrepresented writers in 2019. Her debut novel, The Balloon Thief, is inspired by her South Asian heritage and her obsession with hot air balloons, though she is yet to fly in one! When she isn’t dreaming up stories set in the clouds, she has both feet on the ground, running after her two children or hunting for her next fantasy book to escape into.
Ann Sei Lin is an author and librarian with a love for all things fantasy. Although London is now her home, she spent several years living and working in Chiba, Japan. When not writing, she is studying, gaming or doing origami.
About Their Books:
Title: INFLUENTIAL
Author: Amara Sage
Pitch: Almond Brown has 3.5 million followers but feels totally alone. Can she learn to love herself irl before she’s swallowed by the internet’s darkest corners?
Find on Goodreads.
Title: AN EMERAL SKY
Author: Aneesa Marufu
Pitch: Sequel to THE BALLOON THIEF, Khadija must traverse the jinn realm, where the sky is emerald green, as she attempts to outwit a fearsome jinniya queen to save her sister.
Find on Goodreads.
Title: REBEL FIRE
Author: Ann Sei Lin
Pitch: Sequel to REBEL SKIES, Kurara, a girl who can control paper, sets out to bridge the divide between humans and the paper spirits that terrorize the land.
Find on Goodreads. Read my review.
What do you love most about writing for the YA audience?
Amara Sage: Even though I’m a millennial and read tons of YA, I love that in the 2020’s our YA audience is predominately Gen Z. I find the teenage subculture of today, especially how it plays out over the internet, so fascinating – cancellations, TikTok, influencers, algorithms, FaceTune, catfishing – and I love getting to dissect and deep dive into these issues as they evolve.
Aneesa Marufu: I’ve always loved the fast-paced adventure and high stakes of YA books in comparison to adult novels. I find writing for the YA audience much more exciting. It reminds me of being that age when I first fell in love with reading.
Ann Sei Lin: I like that I can explore lots of out there and fun concepts. It feels very optimistic and, well, fun.
How has writing YA changed your perspective on the world?
Aneesa Marufu: It has definitely made me rethink how much harder it is being a teenager today with social media, phones and technology in comparison to when I was younger. I think the pressure to grow up quickly is even more pronounced now
Ann Sei Lin: I think I’m a lot more conscious of the problems that affect younger people. The world is changing rapidly and I don’t think we’ve done a great job handing down a society or an earth that younger people deserve.
What trends are you most excited about in UKYA at the moment and to come?
Amara Sage: I, like a lot of people, am all for the YA thriller genre, but I’m also loving seeing more authors explore the pressures surrounding social media and digital relationships like Tamsin Winter’s, Bad Influence. And as a micro-trend, I’m also really loving seeing more YA stories normalising periods like Lucy Cuthew’s BLOOD MOON, and Kate Weston’s MURDER ON A SCHOOL NIGHT.
Aneesa Marufu: I am looking forward to UK publishers pushing for books set in other areas of the UK outside of London, particularly with characters from the north of England.
Ann Sei Lin: I’d love to see more climate fiction (or cli-fi as the cool kids call it). I’m glad paranormalis starting to get bigger. I’m also hoping dystopia will come back in a fresh new way.
What do you think is special about UKYA? (Books and/or community)
Amara Sage: When I was a teen there were only a handful of YA voices I found relatable; I wanted to read stories from a female, UK perspective, and longed to see mixed-race representation in my favourite books. But most of the YA books that were being published and marketed to me were from the perspective of (in hindsight) whiny, American boys. What I think is so special about UKYA today is that as it diversifies and grows, it is giving so many different kids a chance to see themselves on the page. And with bookstagram and booktok, readers from all over the country are able to connect and talk about their collective experiences and interpretations of a book. It’s beautiful.
Aneesa Marufu: There are so many incredible UKYA books and talented authors in this community who may be struggling to get the exposure in comparison to American YA books. I think this make the community more supportive and willing to help each other.
Ann Sei Lin: I think UKYA has some amazing voices in it that really speak to the heart of UK YA audiences. I love how supportive and close knit the community is.
For more interviews, check here and don’t forget to check instagram (here) for book recommendations from these authors and more!
#UKYASpotlight 
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