#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
Kate Weston is an ex-stand up comedian and the author of the YA Comedy Murder Mystery: Murder On A School Night, as well as Diary of a Confused Feminist and Must Do Better. Diary of a Confused Feminist was long listed for the Comedy Women in Print Prize and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Kate’s adult debut You May Now Kill the Bride published in May 2024.
Dee Benson is a YA author based in Liverpool, UK. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys long walks, good food, and music that makes her wish she could sing. She lives with her husband and two daughters.
A. J. Clack moved from a small village in South Wales to London to pursue a career in television. She worked on a wide range of shows from Teletubbies to Friends while also writing plays for the Edinburgh Fringe and working on TV development scripts/pilots. She now lives in Suffolk with a houseful of teenagers and two lazy but lovable Beagle/Basset X’s and spends her time thinking up dark and twisty YA thrillers. Can often be found freezing on the side of a football or rugby pitch.
About Their Books:
Title: MURDER ON A SUMMER BREAK
Author: Kate Weston
Pitch: Detective duo, Kerry and Annie, are BACK – and after solving last summer’s menstrual murders, they’re now known as The Tampon Two. When they attend the Festival of Fame and one of the influencers ends up dead, it’s up to the Tampon Two to find the killer before they strike again.
Find on Goodreads.
Title: GLOW UP, LARA BLOOM
Author: Dee Benson
Pitch: When Lara Bloom, the world’s clumsiest teenager, is invited to have a glow up, she isn’t interested – until a new boy starts at school. Her friends tell her to glow up for herself, not for a boy, but she still wonders what the new boy, and everyone else, will think of her after her glow-up.
Find on Goodreads.
Title: LIE OR DIE
Author: A. J. Clack
Pitch: Tricked into auditioning for reality television show, LIE OR DIE, 17-year-old Kass finds herself competing in a murder-mystery whodunnit, based on the party game, MAFIA. When the housemates start dying, the game becomes a fight for survival. Kass must catch the killer or die trying. Reality Television just got real.
Find on Goodreads.
What do you think is special about UKYA?
Kate Weston: UKYA has grown so much and is so filled with empathy and experiences that are vital to people that are growing up, are at a difficult stage in their lives or people who simply need an escape. We’re so lucky to have such a diverse range of stories and authors that young people can identify with and will help them navigate some of the trickier things that life throws at them. Being a Young Adult can be such a turbulent and stressful time. So it’s good that there are books young people can see themselves reflected in that help them feel less alone. It’s also good that young people can read about things they may experience from other perspectives.
Dee Benson: UKYA gives British teens the chance to read books set in places they might be familiar with, or that at least feel closer to home. And of course, it gives the rest of the world an opportunity to adventure in a UK setting.
A. J. Clack: I love UKYA (I may be a bit biased!). There are so many super talented writers in this space writing important, diverse, inclusive, gritty stories full of heart and humour covering every genre, truly representing British YA experience. Without sounding too mushy, I am really proud to be a part of this community.
What distinguishes a YA book from middle grade or adult? Why do you think it’s so popular at the moment?
Kate Weston: It’s mainly around the age of the protagonist for me. I think the important thing is making sure that the bulk of the characters in the book are Young Adults, so that Young Adults can read people of their age experiencing things that they may or may not be experiencing. I think YA is so popular at the moment because even adults sometimes need to read those experiences back – it can be very healing! And also because YA books are so fun and inventive and exciting. As a genre it feels like it’s just growing and becoming more exciting all the time.
Dee Benson: YA books tend to focus on coming-of-age themes and self-discovery, which really resonates with teenagers and also distinguishes it from middle grade and adult books. At the same time, the fast-paced plots and strong emotional resonance can make it pretty appealing to adults too. I think that’s why it’s so popular at the moment. There’s something very honest and visceral about YA, and the category also blurs the boundaries between genres, offering everything from romance to dystopia to fantasy to horror. There really is something for everyone in YA, so it isn’t surprising that it appeals to a wide audience of all ages.
A. J. Clack: UKYA is not afraid to tackle big questions and issues head on. It prioritises the reality that young people find themselves immersed in, both on a personal, emotional and world/environmental level. It often comes from a more emotive and internal perspective than older genres while also taking a hard look at the world around us. I think YA’s popularity stems from its fast paced plots and honest, gritty emotional insights. Whatever genre, it’s always truthful and imaginative and representative of an emerging generation that’s trying to find it’s own voice and place in the world.
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?
Kate Weston: I think it’s important to have a wide range of YA books. So to have the spicy ones but to also have the books that aren’t spicy and appeal to teens who maybe aren’t interested in what might be considered more adult books or aren’t ready for them. I think the same really applies for adults anyway, not all adults enjoy reading spicy novels either! It feels important to make sure that there’s a wide range of books available for readers because everyone is so different. I just think we need to make sure that if adultification is happening there is also a boost to the teen books.
Dee Benson: I personally think UKYA strikes the right balance between catering for teen readers and appealing to older audiences, and it’s good for the genre that it attracts a wider readership. There has recently been a real focus on the early to mid-teen demographic that is often overlooked in favour of protagonists aged 16 and above, which shows that publisher are prioritizing that age group. My own Lara Bloom novels fit into the mid-teen category as Lara is 14 in book one and turns 15 in book two. This early- to mid-teen category allows for more light-hearted, unapologetically teen-focused books. At the same time, the novels with slightly older protagonists that explore darker issues or mature themes are also important. It’s great that so many YA novels give teenagers the representation, understanding, and hope they seek, while offering a depth that adult readers can appreciate.
A. J. Clack: By it’s very nature Young Adult should be able to reflect, to question, to rebel and to be free to discover it’s own identity and voice. This is a genre for a generation discovering their own place in a world not of their making and how they fit into it. We should be listening and reflecting their interests, desires and concerns. UKYA encompasses a wide age range (12-18 and even upwards) and I would love to see more in the younger teen (12-14) sphere.
How do you think UKYA will evolve in the coming five years?
Kate Weston: I hope that it will continue growing. I also hope that more adults will read it, because I think it offers an important insight into younger people and reminds them of things they might have forgotten. It might even bring back some little bits of magic that have been buried by adulthood. I would like to think with that with TikTok, YA’s popularity will grow. It would be great to see it represented more in things like awards categories and media too which I hope, as love for YA ok TikTok surges, will eventually trickle through!
Dee Benson: It’s hard to say but I would love to see more novels set in the North of England and a lot more diversity among the protagonists. More UKYA romantasy would be nice too.
A. J. Clack: I would love to see a bigger representation for readers in the 12-14 bracket, those who have outgrown Middle Grade but are not yet ready to immerse themselves into the gritty issues of the older YA reader.
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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