#UKYASpotlight is a month-long event across social media to promote YA books by British and Irish authors (resident and national). For more information, click here.
About the Authors
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 Publishing in August 2024.
Amy McCaw is a YA author and YouTuber. She’s the author of the Mina and the Undead series, YA murder mysteries set in 1995 New Orleans. She also co-curated the A Taste of Darkness horror anthology with Maria Kuzniar.
About Their Books:
Title: THE UNDYING TOWER
Author: Melissa Welliver
Pitch: 16 year old Sadie Abbott lives in a world where 5% of people have stopped aging, and the other 95% have enslaved them. When she is accidentally involved in a plot to overthrow the government, she is locked up in a correctional facility in this dystopian thriller.
Find on Goodreads.
Title: MINA AND THE CULT
Author: Amy McCaw
Pitch: Mina has gone to see her parents in Roswell, but she soon realises that family reunions can be hell… Could her dad be a cult leader?
Find on Goodreads.
What do you think is special about UKYA?
Melissa Welliver: The setting of UKYA feels so special, especially as we see more and more books set outside London in this space. I also think that having a breadth of experiences from many different countries is always a positive thing, and in a space that is dominated by USYA, it’s becoming so important to promote talent across the board.
Amy McCaw: There’s so much talent, diversity and variety in UKYA! UKYA books really capture what it’s like to be a teenager. They cover a whole range of genres so there’s something for everyone!
What distinguishes a YA book from middle grade or adult? Why do you think it’s so popular at the moment?
Melissa Welliver: I think YA is that special space which settles into experiencing ‘firsts’ – first responsibilities, first loves, first time away from parents, all sorts of growing up themes! Teens can feel like they’re on their own experiencing something, so if we can put how they might be feeling into a safe, fictional environment to explore, my hope is that will really resonate with readers.
Amy McCaw: I think it’s about the age of the characters and what’s going on in their lives. YA books are carefully plotted, engaging and often fast paced to hook readers in. Tiktok has brought a lot of readers to YA, and YA is in quite a unique position of being able to appeal to older and younger readers as well as the target audience.
There has been a lot of talk about the adultification of YA and what that means for teen readers. What sort of balance do you think UKYA strikes between teens and older readers? Do you think this balance needs to shift in a particular direction and how?
Melissa Welliver: I think it’s actually important for adults to read kidlit, especially YA, and that YA is for everyone. As for YA readers reading up – I think the introduction of a better defined ‘teen’ space would solve a lot of this. I would never police what young people read, and some teen readers are ready for older themes in their reading – but others aren’t and they still need a cozy teen space to hang out in, which isn’t surrounding themes that are too ‘young’ for them either.
Amy McCaw: I’m always mindful that my books are aimed at age 12+, so when it comes to violence and romantic content I read especially carefully. I’m sure all authors tackle this different, but I always think about what teens will take away from my books and try to infuse a feeling of hope, even when things get dark.
How do you think UKYA will evolve in the coming five years?
Melissa Welliver: I’d love to see a breakout household name in UKYA, like the big USYA blockbusters of the 2010s – Divergent, Twilight, and Hunger Games all spring to mind! So it would be great in the next 5 years to find the ‘next big thing’ in YA from the UK.
Amy McCaw: That’s an interesting question! I think YA books are a great place to explore what’s going on in the world and how teenagers’ lives are changing, so I’m sure they’ll continue to do that.
For more interviews, check here and don’t forget to check instagram (here) for book recommendations from these authors and more!
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