'We Could Be Something' by Will Kostakis

 

From the BLURB: 

Part coming-out story.

Part falling-in-love story.

Part falling-apart story.

Harvey's dads are splitting up. It's been on the cards for a while, but it's still sudden. Woken-by-his-father-to-catch-a-red-eye sudden. Now he's restarting his life in a new city, living above a cafe with the extended Greek family he barely knows.

Sotiris is a rising star. At seventeen, he's already achieved his dream of publishing a novel. When his career falters, a cute, wise-cracking bookseller named Jem upends his world.

Harvey and Sotiris's stories converge on the same street in Darlinghurst, in this beautifully heartfelt novel about how our dreams shape us, and what they cost us.

The sun sets on a bonfire in Leichhardt.

Back from Brisbane Writers Festival, and I finally sent something off that was overdue - which means my brain had been freed up to treat myself to some books I’ve been hoarding and *desperate* to read.

Top of that pile was Will Kostakis’ new #LoveOzYA from Allen & Unwin - ‘We Could Be Something’

Now, before I can give my opinion you need to know that Will Kostakis got his first book-deal before he graduated high school, and his debut ‘Loathing Lola’ released when he was 19.

Now do you get it?

Never mind that I know and greatly respect Will - I was a fan first, but now I know him as an artist and friend too - and part of me wondered if my knowing how much this story is drawing on his own experiences would cloud my reading?

Never fear.

Because this book *walloped* me in the best ways. Humour and heart that I already knew Will could do, but a reckoning and sharing on the page that’s so generous and tender from him as an artist.

He really is grappling with voice here, amongst these characters - how they’re finding theirs, when Will’s as author has never been clearer, is pretty spectacular … he’s touching on some complex and wrought discussions about young people breaking away and finding out who they are, how they tear off pieces of themselves to give to other people - and what do they keep or hide for (and from) themselves. There’s a lot happening and all of it is brilliant and feels like a levelling-up in YA, particularly Aussie queer lit for teens. I don't want to give anything away; but I think Will Kostakis is giving people what they *think* they want from Queer YA, and then in the most loving way he's saying "actually, this is what we need." He's pulling it into a new era, and I agree.

No wonder this book has been heralded as a clear front-runner for the sweep of awards that’s sure to come. And I must say - I agree.

Not to mention - the writing within is just … *gorgeous*. It’s a voice cut to the bone, with such clarity that sighs and sings on the page. In particular (because I’m a sucker for them!) some of his opening and closing chapter lines - particularly those setting location - were just stunning!

It’s the kind of writing that feels effortless, but has clearly been honed and carefully considered so you don’t notice the effort. That’s hard to do. Will’s slam-dunked it here.

The whole thing just delighted me. I KNEW it would be good, but this? Was *exceptionally* good.

5/5

I abandon my cup. I leave a bonfire in Leichhardt.

'Rebel Gods' Monuments #2 by Will Kostakis

Received from the Publisher for an honest review  

From the BLURB:

Newbie gods Connor, Sally and Locky want to change the world - no biggie. But they're soon drawn into a centuries-old conflict that just might destroy the world they're striving to make better. Book 2 in the MONUMENTS fantasy duology from YA superstar Will Kostakis.

 

With the Monuments gone, newbie gods Connor, Sally and Locky must stop the rebel gods from reducing the world to ruin. Trouble is, they don't know how.

 

While Sally searches for answers and Locky makes plans to change the world, Connor struggles to keep up appearances as an ordinary teenager. But when a rebel god offers them a deal to end the chaos, their lives are turned upside down and they're forced to reckon with the question: who should decide the fate of the world?

 

Rebel Gods is the gripping conclusion to Monuments, a Children's Book Council of Australia Notable Book 2020, from YA superstar Will Kostakis. It's a heartfelt look at family, friendship and the parallel lives we lead.

 

‘Rebel Gods’ is the second (and final) book in Will Kostakis’ Monuments YA series.

 

It’s a series about literal Gods waking up beneath the ‘sanctuaries’ of Australian schools, and three teens – Connor, Sally and Locky – who find themselves the heir-apparent to different Gods, sure to inherit their terrible and awesome powers. ‘Rebel Gods’ picks up where ‘Monuments’ left off, with a launching-pad of rogue Gods surely coming down to wreak havoc and launch an epic battle against the heirs.

 

That’s the scene upon which we open ‘Rebel Gods’ and the conclusion to Will Kostakis’ hugely successful and brilliant first foray into the YA fantasy genre (but I hope it won’t be his last!).

 

Will very early on this year made a funny about the fact that he clearly has no God-like precognition abilities because ‘Rebel Gods’ takes place in 2020 and there’s no mention of a pandemic within the pages … BUT: there is something here that speaks to a bigger spark of recognition and story that’s prescient for the times; of doing the right thing even when it’s the hard thing, and coming up against what are very likely insurmountable odds.

 

I could always read some climate-action parallels in the story of three teenagers from diverse backgrounds (and there is a brilliant LGBT+ love-story in here too) literally coming along and inheriting the powers from these Monuments … these relics; old Gods, and a new world-order being ushered in by these teens.

 

It may not be pandemic “doom boom” writing, but even the idea of tearing down ‘Monuments’ and the next-gen of power rebuilding, has serious repercussions with a 2020 reading.

 

And honestly, Will Kostakis is just the LoveOzYA author to write this kind of self-determinism and heroism for his teen characters. There’s nothing easy in this story for them, but they rise to the occasion and by the end will leave you a proud (if blubbering) mess.

 

Something of ‘Monuments’ now having read it conclusion, is giving me airs of Veronica Roth to Kostakis’ writing and the sheer *epicness* of it all. The little hints and clues present in ‘Monuments’ that come out in satisfying and devastating ways in ‘Rebel Gods’ (and I should say; this comparison is especially on the back of reading Roth’s Chosen Ones).

 

I really, thoroughly enjoyed this book – even if it left me an emotional husk by the last page. It was one heck of a journey to go on, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat or a re-read.

 

5/5

'The Sidekicks' by Will Kostakis

But first – a little note …

There are things I want to say. About this book, and its author … but also about the state of Australian politics right now, and how it’s overwhelmingly children and teenagers being betrayed by our national discourse, or lack thereof. Some may think I’m drawing a long bow, at the mere thought of politicizing and reviewing this book – but Mr Kostakis was in the news just yesterday, because conservative politics have almost certainly crept into his private and author life, unfairly and with great discrimination, hitting right on a topic I’m extremely passionate about. 

 So. There are things I want to say … but I won’t say them all here (beyond how they oh so sadly and ironically echo one of the storylines in ‘The Sidekicks’). Because here’s the thing: Will’s private life and his sexuality are not the most interesting things about him. I’m sure they inform who he is as a person – but allow me to throw some Aristotle at you, and say; “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” 

 Will is an intelligent, funny – I really want to use the word ‘rapscallion’ here too – charming and thoughtful guy. And he’s one of Australia’s best and brightest young adult writers, who I’ve heard speak so passionately and honestly about the business of writing, and writing honestly, with young people. He helps students to crack open their imaginations and just write – and he encourages them to read, read, read! and become readers for life. That’s Will Kostakis. And Will has written a devastating and devastatingly funny book called ‘The Sidekicks’ that I really want to tell you all about, because I loved it and want to recommend it to you. 

 There are things I want to say – and I will say them, elsewhere (though you could just look at everything I’ve ever written about diversity, inclusivity and YA to know my thoughts). But here is where Will and ‘The Sidekicks’ deserve my undivided attention and applause – as a fantastic new Australian YA book, written by one of our most celebrated authors. 

 … though if I could say just one tiny thing, it would be – sometimes the people who write the books really are as awesome as their words on the page suggest, and they more than live up to the characters they create and we love. Will’s one of those guys too, and we in the Australian youth lit community are damn lucky to have him.

 •••••••

From the BLURB:

The Swimmer. The Rebel. The Nerd.

All Ryan, Harley and Miles had in common was Isaac. They lived different lives, had different interests and kept different secrets. But they shared the same best friend. They were sidekicks. And now that Isaac's gone, what does that make them?

‘The Sidekicks’ is the new young adult book from Australian author Will Kostakis.

Will is the author of fantastic 2013 book ‘The First Third,’ which went on to win the prestigious Gold Inky Award in 2014 (in which teen readers chose the shortlist, and selected the winner!). So, Will’s third book and first after ‘The First Third’ (wow, tongue-tied) was a most-anticipated fare … and I’m happy to say, it absolutely lives up to high reader-expectation.

The book is in fact three linked novellas – from the points of view of three boys after the tragic death of their mutual friend (and actually, Isaac is the only thing these boys have in common). The book opens with Ryan, ‘The Swimmer,’ and sets up a lodestone scene the next two boys will come back to – when they’re called into the Principal’s office to learn of Isaac’s death the night before.

From there we see how each of these boys – Ryan, Harley, and Miles – cope with the death of Isaac, and how he fit into each of their lives … and maybe, how they can each fit into each other’s lives as they embark on this new normal, without the glue that held their tentative friendship together.

Ryan refers to himself, with little ego, as; ‘Ryan Patrick Thomson, Olympic hopeful.’ He’s a minor celebrity at his private Catholic school, and is well aware that his currency on the swim team grants him certain leeway, which his mother (as Head of the English Department) is quick to counteract. Ryan also has a boyfriend that nobody – except Isaac – had any idea about. In a candid discussion with sympathetic teacher Mr Collins, Ryan confronts the idea that in only letting his best friend know the truth about his sexuality, he has compartmentalized his life; 

‘I didn’t want to leave my legacy to one person, and risk it being lost. I gave as much of myself to as many people, so that when they put all those pieces together, that would be the mark I left on the world.’

I will say that of all the boys, Ryan’s novella was the most powerful and there may have been a slight dip in the action when his chapter concluded. There was just so much nuance there, particularly when his sexuality was at logger-heads with the casual homophobic rhetoric he was hearing from his fellow students, and even the teachers at his Catholic school – all of which added to his paranoia, and wish not to come out to his friends and family. That being said, once I got over my reader-grief at losing Ryan as narrator, I could really appreciate what each boy’s point of view bought to the story – and in many ways, how they each helped to build a picture of who Isaac was.

Each novella – Ryan, Harley and Miles – takes a different look at grief. For Ryan, it’s coming to grips with the loss of the person who knows you best – right down to your biggest secret. In many ways, the book is about a certain degree of selfishness is one’s grief, when we look at how the loss of someone affects us, as individuals. This is also partly because Isaac was a bit of an enigma to all his friends, as we see each of them had a very different relationship and connection to him, he played a very unique role/function in each of their lives – as people tend to do in high school, when you’re more likely than ever to be narrowed into your most public ‘persona’.

For ‘The Rebel’ Harley, he and Isaac (or ‘Zac’ as he insisted on cooler calling him) found mutual ground in partying and getting wasted. With Zac’s death, Harley is forced to confront feelings of guilt, and also abandonment – a feeling he can’t help but connect to Zac’s departure, since Harley is still combating feelings of rejection since his American-born mother moved back to the States – making Harley feel as though he and his father were merely an uninteresting stop-over in her life.

Harley is someone who has tried not to get close to anyone for fear of rejection, but with Zac’s death comes the stark realization that he craves affection, from the very people he insists on pushing away – one of whom is his friend, a girl named Jacs, who has her own thoughts on Harley’s attempts at keeping his distance;

‘… Growing up, he’d say we spend our lives wrapping rubber bands around people. Some bands are so tight that you can feel them pulling you together. Some are loose and stretch for miles, there’s so much give you hardly notice them. But you’re still connected, and sooner or later …’ She releases the band and it snaps back into her wrist.

Miles, ‘The Nerd’, triggers a mystery sub-plot in the book when, immediately after learning of Isaac’s death, he rushes to the dead boy’s locker to retrieve a mystery bag … Miles’s chapter plays around with form, and is often laid out like a screenplay. This is partly because of how he and Isaac connected, as both were in a young filmmakers programme at school. But it’s also a way for Miles to candidly discuss his emotions that don’t come easily, and there’s certainly suggestion here that he’s somewhere on the spectrum.

Something I loved about this book was that, in many ways, Will Kostakis has taken the cliché male characters that sometimes appear in YA books (and pop-culture, or society generally), and made them multi-dimensional, relatable and real. The prosaic ‘Breakfast Club’ labels of The Swimmer, The Rebel, and The Nerd feel very tongue-in-cheek, and what’s clever is how Kostakis breaks them down to normality and humanity – takes them beyond the label of ‘Sidekicks’, and makes them the heroes of their own stories.

Harley, arguably, is what that marvelous parody Twitter account ‘Brooding YA Hero’ is poking fun at. Miles feels like he could be akin to all those nerd-lite characters John Green loves to write, those who could be built with a John Green Plot Generator. While Ryan reads like the perfect tick-box ‘Book Boyfriend’, outwardly designed for girls to swoon over.

But those are what they’d be if broken down to their most basic traits – The Swimmer, The Rebel, and The Nerd – the faces they show the world are not all that they are … and the book is really about how grief confronts them, and frees them.  

I’ve often said that I crave contemporary YA books in which male characters are actually allowed to show their emotions, in a plot that’s not cloaked by quest or end-of-the-world catastrophe. ‘The Sidekicks’ is exactly why I crave those sorts of stories – in a book that shows the honesty and intimacy of male friendship and complicated friendship groups. A book in which the seemingly typified male characters are so much more than the sum of the parts they’re often broken down to, by various pop-culture portrayals and societal expectations. This book – like the multi-layered, and nuanced characters – shows grief to be a prism with many sides. It’s devastating and devastatingly funny, and just makes me excited for whatever Will Kostakis writes next.

5/5 

Reading Matters 2015: Professional Program Day 2 Summary

Here is my summary (to the best of my abilities!) of Professional Program Day 2 of the 11th biennial Reading Matters Conference. 

 And here’s my chance to say how great the program was – wonderful authors from diverse backgrounds and nationalities celebrating youth literature. The Centre for Youth Lit programmers really outdid themselves (I’m looking at you Adele Walsh! You superstar!) and the whole Conference was simply marvelous – my hat is off to you, everyone at CYL (Adele, Jordi, Anna and Bec!!) 

It was also wonderful to catch up with the Aussie YA crowd – both those on the program and everyone who came along to soak up the #YAmatters goodness.  

And Jess, of The Tales Compendium fame, was my Reading Matters buddy again! We met at the 2013 Conference (the first one for both of us) and we decided then & there that it’d be our book-blogging-buddy tradition – so far we’re 2 for 2 and I look forward to attending Reading Matters 2017 with her! 

Representation Matters: Diverse voices for all readers 

– Sara Farizan

Sara Farizan called her talk: 'People Are More Than One Thing: intersecting identities and writing with anxiety' and she was simply marvelous. She treated her talk like a “first date” with the audience.

Sara took us on a time-warp to 1984, to the first cartoon she became obsessed with – FYI, her favourite Ninja Turtle was Donatello because all he needed was a stick. Steve Jobs was also sowing the seeds for a career in computers, a young Sara was liking Michael Jackson (she can do his famous high-kick!), Ronald Reagan had yet to acknowledge the AIDS epidemic and Iran–Iraq War was raging. Though Sara is Iranian-American, she’d never been to Iran but her parents, "Taught me that they are more than the country of their origin."

Sara spoke about her younger years and what an anxious child she was – case in point, she became worried every time she watched the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood intro, hoping he’d get dressed before the intro music ran out.

"Television was everything & I know I probably shouldn't say that on a day about education,” Sara said – before professing her love for Belle from Beauty & The Beast who helped her begin to figure out her sexuality; "I didn't want to be Belle, but I was jealous of brutish Beast for winning her affections." Sara then played one of Belle’s solo songs from the Disney movie, and I’ve gotta say, she’s kinda a great feminist heroine: "I want much more than this provincial life!"

Sara then showed more pop-culture examples that started her on a path to articulating her sexuality and embracing her cultural identity. Sara referenced the famous Whoopi Goldberg story about seeing Nichelle Nichols playing Uhura on the original Star Trek: “Well, when I was nine years old, Star Trek came on. I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, ‘Come here, hum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there’s a black lady on television and she ain’t a maid!’ I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be.”

Something similar happened for Sara when she read Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden. Further to this, she said; “The library helped me learn about myself with dignity and in a safe space,” because at school; “there were no examples of who I could be.” Sara even mentioned one eighth grade assignment on same-sex marriage and equal rights was the first time she had her eyes opened, and a parent tried to have it scrapped. She also referenced the ‘Day of Silence’, which is a national day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools – this was another initiative that started to familiarize Sara with this world she’d never otherwise been exposed to.

As for Sara’s debut novel If You Could Be Mine – it started out as her school thesis, and she never thought it would get published. She wrote it for herself, partly to fill the gaps in her own reading growing up.

Sara is an Iranian-American writing about Iranian lesbians, but she’s never been to Iran and is very conscious of appropriating other people’s culture and stories, she always tries to be respectful. She said she won’t always write about lesbians, because she doesn’t want to be a mouthpiece – and she actually hopes that people come along who are better writers than her, and keep telling these stories.

"The more connections I make with people who are not like me, the richer my life becomes,” Sara said. And as for other people writing diverse characters, Sara asked them to please consider that; "Everybody wants to be the hero sometimes."

We Need Diverse Books: Under-represented voices 

– Clare Atkins, Sara Farizan, Abe Nouk, Jared Thomas

This panel was chaired by Ambelin Kwaymullina, author of one of my all time favourite Aussie YA series – The Tribe. I’d actually interviewed Ambelin for Junior Books+Publishing ahead of the conference on this very topic, and you can read the article here, but there is a pay-wall.

Jared Thomas kicked off this discussion with a truth bomb: "Race doesn't exist. Racism does,” he said we are just the human race. Clare Atkins talking about her book Nona & Me said she didn't want to write from an indigenous perspective - given the history of colonisation in Australia, Clare didn't want to join that list of people taking. Clare ideally would have liked to co-write the book with an Indigenous author, but those in Yirrkala (Northern Territory) who would have been the best candidates (for their English literacy and interest) were already stretched so thin, helping their own community that they just didn’t have the time. The compromise was working closely with Merrkiyawuy, who was extremely generous with her knowledge and time.

Sara Farizan wondered if writing on a topic that is seen as “taboo” automatically makes an author “controversial”? But she probably had the best summary for reasons we need diversity; "Nobody is better than anybody else - we all have to go to the restroom." Sara said that upon being published, author Malinda Lo (of ‘We Need Diverse Books’ fame) said; "Welcome to the club. There's three of us." [lesbian women of color].

Ambelin quoted Malinda at one point - "Diversity is reality. Let's stop erasing that." And I thought it was very heartening that the day before this Reading Matters conference, Malinda had been sitting on a panel at Book Expo American discussing the exact same thing. As to that – here are just a few Tweeted thoughts from Malinda, but I highly recommend you read through the #BEA15 live-tweets of her session too!  

Abe Nouk said he finds connecting with an audience “magical and mystifying,” and said in telling your story, "People have to step-up for themselves first and foremost. And that is terrifying." Abe is so eloquent, he also dropped this truth bomb: "We strip away people's dignity when we tell them where to stand …the only way to evolve a culture is to respect it.” And then he spoke about ‘the myth of ownership,’ in our society.

Ambelin summarized beautifully, when she said; “If all the images of people like you are absent/negative, you never see yourself as positive … When you don't hear those [diverse] voices in books, it's a false perception of reality.” Ambelin also suggested that publishers should think about what’s happening behind-the-scenes, establishing fellowships and building up expertise so you have someone in-house who can pinpoint when something is disrespectful etc.

Jared Thomas made a great point about how buoyed the Australian film and television industry has been because it tells Indigenous stories (off the top of my head: Redfern Now, The Sapphires, Black Comedy and so many more) … and book publishers should take note!

Sara Farizan said she was frustrated by children's books in which there are more animals than people from diverse backgrounds – an example of how this insidiousness starts young.

Clare Atkins noted that we; “Also need diverse characters whose diversity is incidental, not the whole plot - many accessible levels of diversity.” She thinks tackling diversity comes in at three levels; more diverse authors, characters and to normalize their stories.

A question came from the audience about “how do we get these books into schools?” Ambelin acknowledged that it’s going to be harder – it just is, sorry. The publishers who are producing these books tend to be independents, so they don’t have the same sales reps and publicists and accessibility that big publishers do. But that’s no excuse not to become familiar with the likes of these incredible publishing houses and the books they are gifting us;

·      Magabala Press·      IAD Press·      Backroom Press·      Aboriginal Studies Press

Jared Thomas also suggested that teachers and librarians link these books to things like Reconciliation Week. It’s a way to build communities, and you can invite authors to come speak! He asked teachers/librarians to be proactive in getting these books & authors into your schools – be proactive, do research – it’s going to be a little bit harder but we all need to work together to make a difference (I’ll refer to Malinda Lo’s Twitter call-out to bloggers/vloggers doing their part too!)

I also found it very heartening to hear that the Sydney Morning Herald 2015 Best Young Australian Novelists were a fantastic mix of diverse voices; Maxine Beneba Clarke, Alice Pung, Ellen Van Neervan, Omar Musa, and Michael Mohammed Ahmad.

Ambelin asked the authors to finish this sentence: ‘We Need Diverse Books, because …’ Sara said; “because I don't want any kid to feel ‘less than’.”

Anthology Live! 

– Abe Nouk

Abe Nouk gave us chills again with a stirring poetry slam performance. I said it in my Day 1 post, but I can’t say it enough: buy his book, watch him on YouTube and if you’re a teacher/librarian – reach out to him to learn more about his Creative Rebellion Youth Enterprises!

Comic Culture: Stories among us 

– Tom Taylor

 

Tom Taylor is a multi-award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author, playwright and screenwriter. He is best known as the writer of the bestselling DC Comics series Injustice: Gods Among Us and Marvel’s Superior Ironman.

Tom Taylor’s talk was called 'Comics: the single greatest storytelling medium on earth (really)' he began by asking for a raise of hands to show who has and has not read comic books. I’ve got to say – I was shocked and disheartened to see how many in the audience have never read a comic book … but I think by the end of Tom’s talk, they were all changing their tune.

Tom explained that he got his start in comics because he had a story about a suitcase at Flinders Street, and he appealed to the Internet to help him find an illustrator to go with his story. The Internet bit back, and pretty soon he found himself with a job writing for the Star Wars comic series. Then he got jobs writing Injustice: Gods Among Us and Earth 2 series for DC Comics.

"Comic books aren't just for kids anymore!” Tom said (which was partly why he decided to write his The Deep series for kids!). And Tom wanted the audience to know that comic books aren’t just for boys anymore (if they ever were) either – with 48% of comic book readers in the US being female. Comic books have come such a long way – and Tom said for him, he was allowed to push the envelope with the series’ he was writing; "Injustice was weekly. So they didn't have time to edit me!" - on having female superheroes marrying each other etc … He wrote a black Superman & Filipino Aqua Woman too.

"The higher your brow goes, the smaller your brain gets,” –Tom summarized people who don’t or won’t read comic books, and “Ignoring an entire storytelling medium is insane!” He also said it’s a shame that comics are read widely around the world, but there’s still such a stigma in Australia: "Comics are for everybody!"

Tom asked for a raise of hands from librarians if they have lots of comic books getting stolen from their stacks (so many hands went up!) and he said “When people are stealing things, it's a good sign,” and asked librarian to please consider those kids who feel bad that maybe they don’t have $2 for a late fee (so maybe scrap it completely?)

There was a totally legit question/concern from the audience, about the history of comic books sexualizing women and Tom tackled it brilliantly. He reiterated that 48% of female comic book readers in the US are women and because of that we're seeing less sexualisation of female comic book characters (because the industry just won’t stand for it anymore). He name-checked the new Batgirl who doesn’t have a skimpy costume, and the first Muslim female superhero in the new Ms Marvel.

More to this point about how female-friendly comic books are now (and I’ve written about this before) – after Tom’s talk I was thrilled to discover news in my Twitter-feed that a fantastic comic series called Lumberjanes would be adapted into a live-action movie. AND another great comic book series called The Wicked + The Divine would be heading to TV! It’s a great time to be a female comic book fan, people! There are still problems – case in point was an all-male panel at Denver ComicCon who were bought together to talk about Women in Comics (yes, really) … BUT they were raked over fiery hot coals for the serious insult – because like Tom said, the industry just won’t stand for that kind of rubbish anymore.

And because I love comics and want everyone to love them too – here are some more female-friendly comic books/graphic novels that you should definitely look up:

·      Nimona by Noelle Stevenson 

·      The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 

·      anything by Alison Bechdel 

·      Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley 

·      everything by Raina Telgemeier 

·      Rat Queens by Kurtis J Wiebe 

·      The Dreamer online comic by Lora Innes 

·      El Deafo by Cece Bell 

·      Through the Woods stories by Emily Carroll 

·      Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff 

·      This One Summer written by Mariko Tamaki illustrated by Jillian Tamaki 

·      Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples 

AND if you’re in Melbourne you should definitely come along to the monthly All Star Women's Comic Book Club!

Comic books rock! 

Science vs Magic: Realities of a different kind 

– Jaclyn Moriarty, Sean Williams

 

This was a great debate between sci-fi writer Sean Williams, and Jaclyn Moriarty who loves a touch of magic in her books … Sean bought along a sonic screwdriver, while Jaclyn was armed with THREE wands!

"I'm aware of the problems but I don't know how to fix them,” said Sean Williams on the science in his books – and more to that, science fiction (good science fiction) should have more questions than concrete answers.

Jordi Kerr was moderator of this session, and she had some great questions like - "Does technology make us more human or less human?" To which Sean mused, "The day we run out of questions we may no longer need to live.”

I loved this debate, but Jaclyn Moriarty won me over with her recitation of the Lamia poem;

 Do not all charms fly
At the mere touch of cold philosophy?
There was an awful rainbow once in heaven:
We know her woof, her texture; she is given
In the dull catalogue of common things.
Philosophy will clip an Angel's wings,
Conquer all mysteries by rule and line,
Empty the haunted air, and gnomèd mine—
Unweave a rainbow, as it erewhile made
The tender-person'd Lamia melt into a shade.

Our Forgotten Rebels: Writing non-fiction for teens 

– Clare Wright 

 

Clare Wright is an Australian historian, author and broadcaster. Her latest nonfiction release, The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka, was the 2014 winner of the Stella Prize.

I think Clare Wright came in with a really tough job after the teen panel of Day 1 pretty collectively said they’re not interested in non-fiction YA. She is adapting her Stella Prize-winning non-fiction novel The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka into a YA edition called We Are the Rebels: The Women and Men Who Made Eureka (available from Text Publishing in August).

I think she really swayed the crowd when she spoke about her ten-years worth of research investigating false gendered roles in Australian history. She stressed that her research into the Eureka Stockade has uncovered new human history, not just women’s history – and she highlighted this through artwork that was so blokes-heavy to the point of ridiculousness. She was prompted to look differently at this slice of Australian history by asking the question “Where am I in this story?”

Quite frankly – Clare Wright’s book asks us to move beyond the blokes, blokes, blokes history of Eureka, to think critically of all the women who are erased from human history - I want to read that!

Drawn to You: Imagery and imagination 

– Priya Kuriyan

 

Priya began by saying that, growing up, "I didn't think that a person like me had a place in a book” – on the lack of representation in the books she read as a child. As such, when she started drawing her own comics they were full of blonde-haired, brunettes called Andi (because that’s all she knew!) "Diversity should be looked at as an advantage, rather than a disadvantage!"

About her book Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean (Allen&Unwin) which is edited by Australian author Kirsty Murray, Priya said the idea for the collaborative work was prompted by the awful 2012 Delhi gang rape case that sparked feminist outcry in India and around the world, including in Australia. As such, the book is a celebration of feminist speculative fiction (it’s incredible – BUY IT!)

Priya likes to tackle tough topics through her illustrations – she makes it a point to "Shake up what is normal ... a princess can be goofy, not traditional thin/fair." And because India is so divided by class, she tries to portray diversity in her novels because issues of caste and class are internalised by children at a very early age – and picture books can change this.

Priya spoke about the initiative ‘Room to Read’ - Indian company that creates picture books very cheaply for impoverished children living in remote areas.

A final message from Priya was, “A good image brings good luck.”

Literary Landscapes: Place, space and everything in-between 

– Clare Atkins, Sean Williams, Kyle Hughes-Odgers

This was a great talk that included Kyle Hughes-Odgers – a visual artist, exhibiting artwork across Australia and internationally. Kyle and Meg McKinlay (author) won the 2013 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Australia/New Zealand for the children’s book Ten Tiny Things. (seriously, follow him on Instagram – he’s incredible!)

My big take-away from this session was Clare Atkins moving to Yirrkala in 2007, Arnhem Land – and discovering that she could have an adventure in Australia after growing up thinking adventures happened anywhere else but here.

I loved Sean Williams line about, "The world is not permanent. You can change it, and it changes you,” and discovering as a teenager that the world is impermanent.

Hashtag Teen: Engaging teens and young adult advocacy 

– Amie Kaufman, Tom Taylor, Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Will Kostakis 

  

This was an incredible panel, moderated by the fabulous Adele Walsh! I think she best summarized this whole panel halfway through, when she said "Being along for the journey is much more important than telling them [teens] what the journey is." YES!

Amie Kaufman said she prefers the back-and-forth interaction of Twitter. “Go to where the kids are - that's how engagement happens,” Amie said.

Adele said Will probably does the most school visit of any Aussie author, and he said he levels with kids by being honest, admitting to them that when he was their age: "I couldn't catch a ball to save my life, but I could hold a pen and sort of form a sentence!" But he’s always a little deflated by teacher’s attitudes to how he connects with kids – they’ll turn around and congratulate Will on getting the kids to write so much, but in the next breath they’ll chastise him “because you said ‘crap’ and that’s unacceptable.” You’ve gotta give a little, is Will’s message to teachers.

On the inherent engagement of comic books, Tom Taylor said; "You turn the page and something happens EVERY SINGLE TIME!"

Adele put some images up on the big screen – showing all the authors interacting with kids in person and online. Will Kostakis actually had a great story of an English teacher who couldn’t afford to bring him out for a school visit, so he did a creative writing class via Twitter with the kids – it got to the point where the teacher couldn’t type fast enough for how many questions the kids were firing at him … that was great, but Adele made a point of reminding the audience to ‘Pay the Writers’ (and don’t bombard Will for freebie online tutorials! lol)

Adele threw up a lot of social media logos on the screen and asked the audience to consider how many of them they recognized –Twitter, Instagram, Facebook were some obvious ones – but others like AO3 Status were a little more obscure for the audience (all about fanworks – fanfiction and fanart!) Educators need to know the importance of these online communities to teenagers. But Adele also reminded us that not every teenager has acsess to a personal tablet, iphone, laptop – which is why libraries are so important!

Tom told us about the awesome Stan Lee Excelsior Award - the UK book award for graphic novels and manga - where kids aged 11-16 decide the winner by rating each book as they read it. Would be great to get something like this in Oz! 

There was a big shout-out to Penguin Teen Australia for how they’re engaging teen readers online – especially through the weekly #PTAchat that happens on Twitter! Amie name-checked Dear Teen Me, as a great website full of truly heartfelt letters from YA authors who were teens once too. And the Centre for Youth Literature has developed an invaluable resource in ‘Shift Alt Story’ – a unique way to engage with storytelling in the digital era!

The End 

In conversation: Continents collide 

– Sally Gardner, Laurie Halse Anderson

 

Listening to these two literary heavyweights talk was a real treat. Again, I didn’t live-tweet because I just wanted to listen and let it all soak in.

A big take-away from this talk for me was:

#1 – Laurie Halse Anderson hates the term “reluctant readers” (they’re just "readers with very high standards")

#2 – Sally Gardner says the way we teach (in Australia, US and UK) is "We teach for accountants basically." (tick-boxes, anyone?)

#3 – Sally and Laurie differed on the age at which they think children are turned off reading. Sally guesstimated age 2 (possibly because of her horrid experiences, compounded by dyslexia) while Laurie guessed it was around age 12 that kids no longer read for pleasure (which is when they start to be told “read this – not that!”). To combat this, they both agreed that you should never tell a child “you can’t read that!” or “you can’t write that!” Laurie in particular addressed the room of “gatekeepers” and said she understands there will be times when you pause, and question a book or an author and whether or not children should have access to it. That’s okay – fear is okay, but just sit with it for a little while and ask yourself what it is that’s scaring you about this topic/author etc. Laurie stressed that it’s often when these decisions fall on one person’s shoulders – with nobody to turn to for a second opinion – that those fears double. So she encouraged everyone in the room to have a “conference buddy” – someone you met and connected with and can reach out to in the future to talk these things through. And Laurie also said that she understands wanting to have some say over your child’s reading habits (and you absolutely should!), but there’s no way in hell she’s going to have somebody else telling her kid what they can and can’t read.