This week, we get on the mic to discuss an unexpected identity crisis: we seem to be growing out of Young Adult (YA) fiction. We try to define what exactly YA is (a tough job!) and what we still love about books in this category, as well as grapple with why we no longer gravitate towards this area in the bookshop. And oh, we took a slight detour into discussing Middle Grade (MG) books as well.
Resources
In this episode, we discuss how one of the reasons we’ve still gravitated towards YA as adult readers is due to representation of diverse identities and backgrounds featured in the genre. If you’re interested in the stats regarding diversity and in Young Adult fiction or Australian publishing, here are some interesting articles to read:
- Is YA leading diversity in publishing?
- Is there enough diversity within Aus YA Fiction?
- A Victorian Bookshop Owner Has Called for ‘a Substantial Shift’ in ‘Woke’ Australian Publishing, but We Still Need Diverse Books
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We record our podcast on Wurundjeri Land, which is home to both of us in Naarm/Melbourne. We also acknowledge the role of storytelling in First Nations communities. Always was, always will be Aboriginal Land.
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