Going Full Tilt with Alex de Campi

August 19, 2025 3:24 pm ,

Hi Alex, welcome to TeenLibrarian and thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about your amazing Full Tilt Boogie!

Alex de Campi: Hi Matt! It’s great to be here, thank you for having me! 

First question – when developing FTB, what came first, the title or the story?

de Campi: They sort of both happened at the same time. I used to do a lot of sailing when I lived in Hong Kong, racing dayboats called Etchells, and some of the boats had just fantastic names. I mostly raced on a boat called Bellwether, there was an Aussie boat called Lunchcutter, and then another boat called Full Tilt Boogie. I thought, what a great name that would be for a spaceship! 

The FTB story came about through me having grown up on the US dubs of Gatchaman and Space Battle Cruiser Yamato, and wanting to take the things I loved about classic Japanese space opera anime and maybe deconstruct them a little, while also keeping both the emotional arcs and the funny moments. 

I’d spent a lot of time before and during FTB working on books that were more grounded and needed more research, or at least were nominally set in the real world—Bad Girls, Dracula, Motherf**ker!, Parasocial, Bad Karma. So FTB was its own special treat where I could just let my imagination run wild and make things up as I went along—and a whole galaxy to play in!

 How did you first get to work with 2000 AD, the galaxy’s greatest comic?

de Campi: I lived in the UK for a long time, and had a lot of friends who wrote and/or drew for the Prog. Tharg’s door was always open to me, I just never… walked through it, until noted Dredd writer Art Wyatt (Judge Dredd: A Better World and more) kind of strongarmed me through it. He just told me we were writing a Dredd miniseries together.  

2000 AD is really refreshing to write for as a woman writer, because they just don’t care. I’m so used to the big US comic companies only wanting women to write niche or female-led books, but Tharg was immediately like “yeah here’s Dredd, you can kill him if you want” (it was a Dredd movieverse series). 

I can’t tell you how unlikely it would be for DC to call me up and go “yeah here’s Batman, go for it” and Marvel—well, it’s the year of our lord 2025 and Iron Man has still never had a woman writer. But for Tharg, to paraphrase Neko Case, I wasn’t a woman in comics—I was a writer in comics. And that made all the difference. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch to a reader that was not sure about picking up a copy of FTB how would you describe it to them?

de Campi: Broke teenager and her cat jobbing in the galactic gig economy as a bounty hunter accidentally restarts thousand year old galactic war. There’s also a teen super sentai team but some clubs turn out to be a real bummer after you join.

FTB is a glorious love-letter to space opera – what were your inspirations in writing this story?

de Campi: Heavens, so much—from Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan books to classic Japanese space anime (and even more modern ones like Witch from Mercury). 

Full Tilt Boogie made its first appearance in an issue of 2000 AD Regened – a special aimed at attracting younger readers. Apart from FTB can you recommend any of the other Regened stories to readers new to 2000AD?

de Campi: My absolute fave from Regened is Roger Langridge and Brett Parson’s Pandora Perfect—what if teenaged Mary Poppins was a cat burglar? Honestly anytime you see Roger Langridge’s name on a book you should pick it up, he’s one of our greatest writers.

Do you have a favourite 2000 AD character and are there any that you have a hankering to write for?

de Campi: I’ve been doing a few Judge Anderson (Psi Division) scripts recently and I find I have a lot more Anderson stories in me than Dredd ones—which is good, because Art Wyatt and Rob Williams are just turning out epic Dredd story after epic Dredd story, the SMALL HOUSE > CONTROL -> A BETTER WORLD run is one for the ages.

I like digging into the weird side of Mega-City One. I like Judge Giant, I know he just went to space in ENCELADUS but I want to do an Expanse-style story with him.

I would like to ask one question about Rogue Trooper (if I may) – he, Helm, Gunnar and Bagman are some of my all-time favourite characters in 2000 AD, did you feel any pressure about being given the keys to Nu Earth ahead of Duncan Jones’ movie? (I am also a fan of your collaboration Madi that came out a few years ago)

de Campi: I was PETRIFIED. I felt so much pressure, but it was all self imposed. The brief was to create something that would fill in new readers on classic Rogue Trooper, but not be a retread, or a full reimagining. Sometimes you spend ages circling a story and trying to figure out a way in, but then when you do it all falls together with a certain inevitable elegance. That was GHOST PATROL, the long Rogue Trooper story Neil Edwards (who is KILLING it on art) and I have starting in September in the Prog. I hope readers like it. The 2000 AD audience has been very kind and supportive of my work so far, so fingers crossed.

And we just reissued MADI in a revised, refreshed, expanded edition with Image Comics, which means we finally have a digital edition available on Hoopla/Libby!

Where can readers find you online if they want to find out more about you and your works?

de Campi: I’m really only on Bluesky now: @alexdecampi.bsky.social. I also have a free newsletter, buttondown.com/themagpie, which is kind of monthly and filled with strange gain and interesting links.

Full Tilt Boogie is written by Alex de Campi, drawn by Eduardo Ocaña and will be published by 2000AD on October 21. It will be available wherever great comics are sold! You should order yourself a copy or request that your local library purchase a copy, you will not de disappointed! Trust me I am a Librarian!

Posted in: Authors, comics, Graphic Novels, Interviews

Free Palestine!

July 25, 2025 4:45 pm ,

What we have been watching unfold in the Gaza Strip is a brutal and cruel attempt to remove the Palestinian people from their land. Their homes have been destroyed, thousands have been killed in bombings and targeted attacks from Israeli soldiers.

Since the attack on the Nova Music Festival on October 7 2023 we have witnessed ans Israeli defensive and punitive response morph into a drive to wipe towns and cities in Gaza from the map, and the inhabitants with them. I had family in Tel Aviv when Hamas forces started their October 7 attack, like thousands of people around the world I was in desperate contact with my family trying to find out news if they were safe (they were evacuated safely) and I condemned the Hamas assault.

Since then I have written about the assaults on the civilian population of Gaza and shared news and information on this, my personal library site on how to raise funds for the displaced as well as how library folk can help rebuild library services in Gaza and the Occupied Territories. I admit that I am a coward, I did not want to be accused of antisemitism, many of my words hedged around condemnation of what the IDF were doing in Gaza, when some friends and colleagues felt that I had stepped too far over the line they reached out to me in private chats and publicly asking why I was being antisemitic. I have been cut off by others I have known for years. I do not believe that criticising the State of Israel is antisemitic, in my view when someone is committing harm to others it is far more damaging to stand aside and say nothing!

In the words of the anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

This morning I made a decision, I cannot be silent any longer or talk around what I see happening. What Israel is committing in Gaza has gone far beyond self-defence. On a daily basis massacre is committed upon massacre has been committed, the blatant shooting of people at aid sites does not even make front-page news any more, a famine has been engineered in Gaza that is killing the weakest and most defenseless still surviving there!

As someone who grew up in Apartheid South Africa I know what segregation and apartheid procedures look like – I grew up on the wrong side of them. Israel was a strong ally of the apartheid regime in Pretoria, conversely the Palestinians were some of the strongest supporters of the Southern African freedom movement.

I believe that Palestinians have the right to live free from subjugation and occupation as well as the right to their own homeland, and I believe the same for the people of Israel. From the Nakba of 1948 until today Palestinians have suffered in their quest for freedom.

History shows how states that engage in ethnic cleansing and genocide are viewed and remembered!

Today I add my voice to the growing chorus of those calling for the liberation of all Palestinians and freedom and peace for all those living in Israel and the future Palestinian State.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Shoot for the Stars

July 17, 2025 11:06 am ,

From double Paralympic gold medallist, five time World Champion and award-winning children’s author Danielle Brown MBE comes a bighearted, empowering handbook about sport, confidence and self-belief.

Drawing on stories from inspiring athletes, as well as Danielle’s own gold-medal-winning experiences (including the hiccups along the way), Shoot for the Stars gives practical examples of how to overcome obstacles, find the courage to dig deep and discover sporting success on your terms – whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out!

Packed with awesome quizzes, team talks, advice from sporting champions, and all kinds of tips and tricks, this interactive handbook will have you covered for every sporting situation, offering reassurance and giving you the confidence to strike out and live your best your life!

Perfect for fans of Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, HerStory and It’s a Brave Young World.

Little Tiger

I really enjoyed reading this thoughtful guide. My daughter has already chosen her sport (a wonderful fluke) but I can see this being very useful to encourage girls to try new things and reflect. This was published a couple of weeks ago, so huge apologies for posting this lovely Q&A with Danielle Brown so late:

This book could start great conversations. Have you had a chance to share it with groups of girls and get feedback?

It’s early days, but the feedback I’ve had so far has been very encouraging. It was the conversations with girls about their experiences in sport that inspired me to write Shoot for the Stars in the first place. I kept hearing about the same challenges. Some told me that their parents wanted them to focus on their schoolwork rather than sport, others said they felt embarrassed wearing their PE kit, or thought certain sports weren’t for girls.

I’ve included some of their quotes in the book because I wanted it to reflect real challenges and I hope it sparks some honest conversations. When we talk about these issues openly, we change the culture around sport and break down barriers, helping more girls stay in sport and enjoy it more.

There are so many inspiring women quoted in the book. Were there any favourites you had to leave out?

Choosing who to include was one of the hardest parts. I came across so many brilliant stories of women doing incredible things in sport, each with their own unique journey and challenges. I tried to include a wide mix of voices, from different sports and backgrounds, but I could have easily filled several more chapters. Some athletes I really wish I could have squeezed in were Laurentia Tan, Jessica Fox and Chloe Kim.

Do you prefer writing biographies or advice?

This is a tough question. I love writing biographies because it is inspiring to research incredible sportswomen and learn about what makes them tick. However, I probably prefer writing advice because I hope it will help readers realise their own potential and start to feel more confident in themselves.

Shoot for the Stars is brilliantly presented; it’s full of information and questions but never feels overwhelming. How involved were you in the design and layout of the book?

The illustrators and designers have done an amazing job, and the book has come out better than I ever could have imagined when I started with an idea and blank page. I am very lucky to work with an amazing publishing team at Little Tiger, who collaborated with me closely and took my feedback on board to make sure Shoot for the Stars was engaging and accessible to the readers I had in mind.

Is there a sport you haven’t tried that you think looks particularly fun?

I love trying new activities, and adventure sports look like a lot of fun. There’s something exciting about being outdoors, and I enjoy being in environments where it’s just you, focusing on the challenge ahead. I want to give skiing, adaptive mountaineering and surfing a go. They look like great ways to build confidence, stay active, and feel proud of yourself for doing something out of your comfort zone.

What are you reading at the moment, and who would you recommend it to?

I’m reading Yusra Mardini’s Butterfly, which is a beautiful autobiography about her journey as a swimmer and a refugee, and how she found strength through sport. I’d definitely recommend it for people looking for an inspiring read about courage, resilience and hope.

Danielle Brown MBE is an award-winning children’s author, double Paralympic gold medallist in archery, and five-time World Champion. She was World number one for her entire career and made history when she became the first disabled athlete to represent England – and win gold – in an able-bodied category at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Posted in: Interviews, non-fiction, Resources

Before the Hunt by Barry Lyga

June 27, 2025 9:54 pm ,

STOP! I implore you, before you pick up this glorious collection of short stories and novellas about Jasper Dent, his best friend, girlfriend, murderous dad and mysterious mom you need to read I Hunt Killers (review here), Game and Blood Of My Blood.

Back when I read the trilogy for the first time I was in my 30’s and the story blew my mind! I love murder mysteries and I used to be heavily into YA books (I still am but not as much any more) and I Hunt Killers was the perfect meld of YA and serial killer mystery shenanigans to grip my and hold my attention.

Do yo u want to know something? When I reread the books they held up 13 years later and were just as good, honestly it was a relief as sometimes when you pick up a book that you have fond memories of reading, sometimes it does not live up to the original read. Barry Lyga is a phenomenal writer!

You are seventeen years old and your father is a serial killer.

These are the stories that made you.

Set in the years before the groundbreaking, bestselling I Hunt Killers trilogy, Before the Hunt collects the prequels that build on the mythology of the series. From the story of how Jasper Dent came to be known as “Jazz” to the day Billy was arrested and beyond, this anthology is a must-have for any I Hunt Killers fan!

You are going to have to trust me on this (if nothing else) – read the trilogy first and then pick up Before the Hunt, because if you love those books then you will love this one too! You will still love them if you read Before the Hunt first, but probably not as much. It will be like watching the prequel trilogy to Star Wars before the originals, yes you can, but why would you want to? Unless you like spoilers and reading things in date, if not publication order.

Honestly who am I to tell you how to enjoy books? Yes, they are good stories but without knowing the actual story first you will miss the emotional punches they provide and also as I said before there are some massive spoilers contained herein.

You have been warned!

I can honestly say I loved Before The Hunt! I have read it three times already (and not only because I accidentally sat on, and broke my e-reader.

Get your hands on all the books! Check them out of your local library if you have to!

Trust me – I am a Librarian!

Posted in: Books, Reviews

Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime

June 26, 2025 4:38 pm ,

A mysterious labyrinth. A desperate king. A rebellious princess.

Being stuck in a crumbling old villa in Crete with her annoying, history-obsessed little brother Remy isn’t exactly Netta’s idea of a fun summer holiday. But before she can even get bored, Netta starts having very real dreams where she is dragged back thousands of years to Ancient Greece. Here, King Minos is preparing for the opening of his precious labyrinth, and there are rumours that a monster lurks inside.

As Netta becomes more drawn to the past, her present-day self starts slipping away. Netta and Remy must figure out what is pulling her back before they run out of time – and if they don’t solve the puzzle soon, Netta might just become history herself.

Fox & Ink Books

Jennifer Claessen’s page-turner of a time travel mystery was published today! She wrote a piece for us about ideas:

I have an idea! Is it mine?

I don’t know if all writers experience a blind panic that follows an idea but I do.

Last night, for example, I dreamt about zombies but who chase the living with affection, just wanting to love them, pass on the kiss of death. This idea feels FUN and odd – it was a dream after all – kiss chase zombies?! What’s that about?

But immediately on waking, I tried to cite the sources for this dream. I’ve watched the first series of The Last of Us – maybe that planted this seed. I saw the film Warm Bodies years ago – maybe that is the inspiration?!

There are a few analogies I think are useful – the first that ideas must be like magnets, gathering the iron filings of other ideas to them. The other is that our brains (braiiiins) are just giant composters, mulching together what we read, watch, hear and spitting it out, hopefully in new and interesting ways.

And as authors, we must ensure that what our brains (braiiiiiiins) spit out is uniquely ours. Originality is so rare, everything is recycled and comes back around again, especially when working with myth and legend as I do.

Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime grew from a ‘magnet idea’ – to mix my metaphors, it just kept snowballing, growing and sucking in more ideas as it went.

Here are some of my notes that I made in July 2022 when I started to experiment:

NEW NOVEL IDEA

Netta is called back to a certain time period to solve a ‘cold case’?

It LOOKS and FEELS like being transported to a different era but it’s actually an intense haunting?

This idea felt so compelling, I wasn’t sure if I had made it up myself or if it had entered the compost of my brain from elsewhere. I was cautious. I did a lot of time travel research! I knew HOW I wanted my protagonist, Netta, to travel, I just wasn’t sure where I wanted her to go.

I wrote:

No equipment to travel in? The world just grows up around her?

I wrote to my agent, trying to sell her on this concept:

A focus on the sidelined women in myths and unworshipped gods. Curriculum links!

I tried to be very professional by making a business case for why I thought this is a good idea. I have a lot of ideas and many of them are unsaleable so I had to be convincing.

I spent ages on the mechanism of time travel, tried to ensure that WHY Netta time travels remains an exciting mystery.

Only once the idea had nested in my brain for a whole year did I begin writing.

I wrote, in something a bit like a ‘writing journal’:

I stop reading any other fiction. I know that the new idea will drive other stuff out. Some non-fiction books arrive that I want for research purposes. My ideas about the book radically shift.

I stick a lot of post-it notes to the wall and talk the plot through in a LOT of detail.

I feel now, in publication month, more panicked than ever – will people like it? Will people get it? – but the worry about whether this idea is mine is gone: Netta Becker time travels in her own way. The question now is, when haunted, when sucked into the past by a crime in the timeline, whether she can get back home?

In the meantime, I’ll be on the internet, googling zombie romances to check if they’ve been done before.

Jennifer Claessen (photo credit: Jack Barnes)

Posted in: essays, MG

The Librarians

June 25, 2025 8:06 pm ,

Yesterday evening (Tuesday June 24th) at the urging of my wife I took myself off to opening night of the Free State Festival, to watch a documentary called The Librarians.

In Texas, the Krause List targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQIA+ stories – triggering sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. As tensions escalate, librarians connect the dots from heated school and library board meetings nationwide to lay bare the underpinnings of White Christian Nationalism fueling the censorship efforts. Despite facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work – the librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale.

I have worked in Libraries for 30-odd years now and for most of those years I have been an advocate for library services and a front-line activist pushing back against those who view libraries as an anachronism or worse, an obstacle to be destroyed so they can enact greater control over what information and materials citizens can access.

I would describe myself as terminally online and plugged in to the national (& international) library news network so I was already aware of much of what was shown and discussed in the documentary but I went in knowing that it would probably be aimed at viewers who do not have an in-depth knowledge of the forces arrayed against public & school libraries and library workers. I will start by saying that this film is essential viewing for anyone wishing to know more about the threat to library services, staff and books by and about minorities in the United States of America!

So, sitting in an audience made up of library folk from my local Lawrence Library, Topeka, KU Libraries and further afield, as well as lovers of libraries and independent cinema the documentary began.

Having watched in real time the assaults against the first and 14th amendment rights of young readers to access materials from libraries as well as the threats made against library workers; seeing them woven together in a coherent story still came as a visceral shock at how wide-spread and pervasive the hate and misinformation about “pornography in libraries” is. I was glad to be in an audience as I feel, that if I had watched it on my own I may have collapsed in despair, but surrounded by like-minded individuals helped better appreciate the speciousness and sheer ridiculousness of the attacks on books by and about LGBTQ+ people and people of color. At points during the film we laughed at the buffoonery on display from elected (& often unelected) people pushing to remove books that offended their limited sense of propriety and our cheers at the bravery of colleagues across the country as time and time again they put their jobs and safety on the line to defend the right to read and see oneself mirrored in the pages of books.

After the showing there was a Q&A With Film Producer Janique L. Robillard, Dean of KU Libraries Carol Smith and Robin Hastings of Northeast Kansas Library System, moderated by Former Kansas Legislator Christina Haswood. 

If I had my druthers the panel discussion would have lasted far longer than it did, the same for the informal discussion in the foyer of the Lawrence Arts Center afterwards, but that is down to my love of making connections and chatting to colleagues about library stuff. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a minute or two speaking to the producer Janique about my experiences with book banners and I thanked her for the work she and the other filmmakers had put into The Librarians. As was said during the documentary, we don’t put ourselves forward and often prefer to remain in the background helping patrons access the services libraries offer, but in this film I felt that the makers had not only seen us, but understood why we do what we do and accurately portrayed it on the screen.

If you work for a library or know any organization that may be able to host a screening of The Librarians or want to find out how to get involved with fighting for intellectual freedom, there is more information here:

The Librarians is an award-winning film directed by Kim Snyder, and Produced by Janique L Robillard, Maria Cuomo Cole & Jana Edelbaum. You can find out more about this team here: https://thelibrariansfilm.com/filmmakers/

The Free State Festival celebrates the free spirit of the state of Kansas with films that challenge, inspire, and entertain. This signature annual event brings independent films, live music, comedy and art to venues across the vibrant college town of Lawrence. The festival is produced by the Lawrence Arts Center and made possible through programming support from community partners, grants and individual sponsorships and is running now, until Sunday, June 29.

Posted in: Films, Libraries

War Crimes

June 22, 2025 4:30 am ,

We can’t even call the illegal assault on Iran a war crime because America is not at war with Iran.

The Chicken Hawk Commander in Chief has put Americans based in the Middle East and all over the world at risk. More than that, he has endangered civilians and put people the world over at risk because he wants to play-act as a tough guy.

He had the money to avoid serving in Vietnam Nam, he was, is and always will be a coward. He has surrounded himself with weak, venal people who only crave power at the expense of leadership and governing.

As a librarian I have access to information about the previous moves to war made under false pretenses- hell many of us witnessed the march to war based on lies about weapons of mass destruction.

This time it appears to be to prop up another criminal who needs to stay in power to stay out of jail.

Read our recent history! Remind people what was lost before, now the United States is in a weaker position with no coalition of the willing to march to the drumbeat of war!

We should all stand in condemnation and throw the lies back in the faces of the people who have brought us to this point!

I feel such despair and condemn this action with every fibre of my being!

When I’m back in the White House, we will expel the warmongers, the profiteers … and we will restore world peace.

~Donald Trump

Posted in: Uncategorized

Kickflip Vol. 1

June 19, 2025 2:22 pm ,

School girl. Skater boy. What if neither label fits? A poignant LGBTQ+ graphic novel about self-discovery, skateboarding and finding your true community of friends, perfect for fans of Heartstopper.

At school, Elliot gets bullied for being ‘different to other girls’ whereas at the skate park, everyone welcomes Elliot – presuming they’re male – but neither label feels right.

As Eliot’s love of skateboarding and friendships grow, their worlds collide at a sports expo where the school netball team and skate crew are competing. Can Elliot find the courage to share what they’ve learned about non-binary identity? Will best friend Jess or the skateboarding crew accept Elliot for who they are? And what about Ryan, the skater who Elliot has been feeling increasingly close to?

The first volume of a new graphic novel series that will steal your heart!

Orion Children’s Books (Hachette)

As I said on Bluesky earlier today, I don’t want to just say you should read KickFlip because it is an important book at this point in time, coz it undoubtedly is…I mainly want you all to read it because it is a heartwarming, funny, thoughtful story of friends & family & finding yourself. I loved everything about it, but especially how supportive Elliot’s mum is (and L.D.’s response below about what teen readers want is really interesting regarding parents in stories).

I loved Jamie by L.D. Lapinski, a middle grade story of a non-binary child faced with choosing between the boys and girls secondary schools in their town. Jamie was quite certain about their identity, but it doesn’t come so easily to everyone, and I think a comic style was such a wonderful choice of medium for KickFlip, to convey the thoughts of a questioning teen really succinctly and powerfully.

L.D. and Logan have both given some great recs below for other reading, but I’d like to quickly shout out HomeBody (which has just won the shadowers’ choice award for the 2025 Carnegie medal for illustration) and the teen novel ‘Jay’s Guide to Crushing It’ by Ruby Clyde.

I had a few questions for LD and Logan:

LD: did you want to write a graphic novel & come up with a story, or did you think of Elliot and decide a graphic novel was the best way to tell their story?

Kickflip was born during a teaching session, when I was working with young adults to improve their own diverse stories as part of a scheme with Pop Up Projects. We were discussing what they as readers in their teens wanted to see in a queer story, and what they were sick of seeing. They wanted a coming-out story, they wanted the main character to have a hobby that they loved, they wanted to see relatable struggle and a plotline that didn’t shy away from bullies but did have supportive friends or family. The discussion got filed away, but the idea of a trans character discovering themselves through a hobby kept nagging at me. At that time, I was not very sporting, but I knew I wanted the character to do something physical, to learn to be comfortable within their body, as they learned to use it in other ways. Skateboarding seemed like a natural choice, given that it’s typically very masculine, split-gender when it comes to competitions, and something that you could stumble across in the park. 

Elliot arrived in my head more or less fully-formed… With JAMIE about to be published at that time, I didn’t feel that a prose book was the way to go; it felt too repetitive. I’d never written a graphic novel script before, but I had written teleplays at uni, so decided to write Elliot’s story that way, in the hopes I would be paired up with an artist, like a picture book writer, if it sold to a publisher.

LD: Having written the script and worked with an artist, what is the main difference between this and writing full text novels? Do you have a preference?

I can’t speak for other comic script writers, but for me this was very much a filmic experience – I could see Elliot and their friends in my head, but the actual interpretation of them was down to Logan, with support from designers Sam and Caitlin. In that way, they were the casting directors and film-makers, and I was the script writer who’s just excited to see their story come to life! When it comes to writing prose novels, you have to describe a lot, and in this script there was very little description – only what was important to me to include. 

Logan: How did you get involved in the project?

I met my art director, Samuel Perret, a few years ago at a conference called New Designers. My illustrations were on display and I got asked to sample for a skateboarding comic about a non-binary character about a year later (Kick Flip, but I didn’t know that yet!!) This was my dream commission so I was really excited. After creating a few different examples of characters and skateboarding spreads, I was asked to illustrate LD’s story! 

Logan: Who was your favourite character to draw?

My favourite character to draw was Elliot – I spent a lot of time imagining what their days looked like and how they would react to things. Every time I draw them it feels like drawing someone I know really well. I also have a soft spot for Alex – he’s such a goof and I kept trying to make myself laugh by making his expressions weirder and weirder in different scenes!!

Have you any advice for adults working with teens in libraries about how to be obviously but professionally inclusive and supportive?

LD – We’ve come a long way since the days of Section 28, but the recent government attitudes in the UK will be making some teens and young adults wary about who is a safe adult to be themselves around. Having a well-stocked and diverse library is always a good way to be supportive, and simple initiatives like a Pride display say a lot without using words.

Logan – Having a diverse selection of books on display, and being open to any questions from readers. Understanding pronouns and LGBTQ+ identities – theres a lot of charities like Mermaids UK, The Trevor Project and Stonewall that have educational resources on their websites. All the incredible librarians throughout my life have always opened the door to learning and encouraged questions and new ideas. Helping students feel safe enough to talk and learn about themselves is a huge step – and fostering a safe space where they can be who they are.

Are there any other books that you wish you could have read as a teen?

LD – I think comics like HEARTSTOPPER, BLOOM, THE GIRL FROM THE SEA and WELCOME TO ST HELL would have made a world of difference to me as a teenager! Queer books were banned in schools until I got to university in 2003, and I remember borrowing Judith Butler’s GENDER TROUBLE from the uni library so often that I got a warning about it…!

Logan – I wish I could have read Tillie Walden’s comics as a teen. I love the way she draws, talks and thinks about comics. I grew up with a lot of traditional super hero comics and didn’t really relate to the characters – even though I loved the stories and the drawings. Seeing diverse casts of characters who are openly LGBTQ+ in comics is really exciting. I didn’t see a lot of comics about everyday life when I was a kid – it’s great to see more artists like Alice Osman, Maia Kobabe and Tillie exploring that today.

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?

LD – I’m reading Greenwild: The Forest in the Sky by Pari Thomson. Definitely a great read for fans of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, Pages and Co., and Nevermoor.

Logan – I’ve just started a manga called ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ by Mokumokuren. It has queer characters/themes with a supernatural twist – my favorite!! I’d recommend it to anyone who loves comics and manga who is looking for more LGBTQ+ representation.

L.D. Lapinski (photo credit: Karen Thorburn) and Logan Hanning

Thank you so much to Orion books for an early reading copy, LD & Logan for thoughtful answers, and to everyone involved in creating the book. It is out in the UK now!

Posted in: Books, comics, Interviews, Recommended by a Librarian, Reflecting Realities, YA

Carnegie Medals Winners Announced

June 19, 2025 1:29 pm ,

The Carnegies celebrate achievement in writing and illustration for young people and are unique in being judged by an expert panel of youth librarians. Thousands of reading groups in schools and libraries also shadow the judging process and choose their own winners from this year’s shortlist.   

 

  • In a year where new talent triumphed, 27-year-old Scottish debut author Margaret McDonald, has won the Carnegie Medal for Writing for her “life changing and emotional” novel Glasgow Boys (Faber). She is the youngest winner for this award in its almost ninety-year history. Her “honest” and “hopeful” story explores mental health, trauma, inequality and identity through the friendship between two teenage boys who have grown up in foster care

 

  • The winner of the Carnegie Medal for Illustration is Olivia Lomenech Gill for Clever Crow (Walker Books) an “innovative” non-fiction picture book illustrated in “earthy” watercolours, charcoal, gouache and collage encourages readers to look afresh at a fascinating, but often maligned, bird.    

 

  • The winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing is King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore (Bonnier Books UK), a YA novel exploring young masculinity and peer pressure with “warmth, humour and authenticity.”

 

  • The second debut to triumph this year isHomebody by author-illustrator Theo Parish (Macmillan Children’s Books), which has won the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration. Homebody is an “empowering” graphic novel exploring identity, self-discovery and the importance of living authentically drawn in a “fun comic-like design.”
Posted in: Carnegie, Carnegies, Kate Greenaway

We Are Your Children

June 5, 2025 11:41 am ,

A gorgeously illustrated, accessible celebration of queer activism, by the creator of the award-winning Suffragette, David Roberts. With an afterword by Juno Dawson.

Touching on major moments in the story of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights including the Stonewall Uprising, the first Gay Pride Rally and the dazzling history of drag and the ballroom scene, We Are Your Children is a wide-ranging and inclusive account of a multifaceted movement, with detailed and characterful colour artwork.

This book showcases figures from queer history like Harvey Milk, Julian Hows, Carla Toney, Crystal LaBeija, We Wha, Vincent Jones, Marsha P. Johnson, Alan Turing, Sylvia Rivera and many more.

From the secret slang adopted by gay Londoners in the 60s, to the decades of sit-ins and marches, there are countless fascinating stories to be told: stories of resistance, friendship, love, fear, division, unity and astonishing perseverance in the face of discrimination and oppression.

Macmillan

This is the *most* beautiful book. Perfect for Pride month, although I went to a talk David gave about researching the book and he made a point of saying that it isn’t a book about Pride but the wider history of LGBTQ+ activism – notice there are no Pride flags or rainbows on the cover (though there is on the spine).

If you’ve seen David’s Suffragette you’ll have an idea of how wonderfully the pages are laid, out with illustrations and fascinating (and very well written) less-well-known information, though this is pitched for a slightly older audience (16+). The stories have been chosen mainly from the US and UK between 1950-2000, with a few pages about the 21st Century. Each decade begins with a timeline and a spread of influential voices from the time.

At the moment it does seem that so much of the progress is being massively rolled back, the final note on the 21st Century timeline is 2025 Trump announcing that trans, non-binary, and intersex people may no longer use their identities reflected on their passports etc. but the book doesn’t shy away from how much of a fight the LGBTQIA+ community is used to and capable of. As Juno Dawson says in the afterward:

By knowing our past, we can protect our future.

At his talk he shared photographs that inspired some of the stories (their sources are meticulously referenced in the back of the book), including this gorgeous gay liberation chain:

The amount of history packed in is astonishing, and the bits from my lifetime where I thought I knew about it still hit me hard. I was an 80s baby so my entire school career was under Thatcher’s Clause (section) 28 – from 1987 right up until 2003 – I only realised that a few years ago and so few people know about it.

David wrote a piece for us about the books he wishes he could have seen in his library when he was 16.

1. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, illustrated by Anshika Khullar Published by Hodder 

I adore this book. I found it very accessible to read for a person like myself who struggled with reading. I can only imagine how I might have felt emboldened to celebrate my own unique style, queerness and homosexuality if I’d had this book as a teenager. 

2. Jerome by Heart by Thomas Scotto, illustrated by Olivier Tallec Published by Enchanted Lion Books 

This book holds so much beauty, visually, in its storytelling and in its assertive expression of the love between two friends. A boy declaring his love for another boy in a picture book when I was growing up was unheard of but would have thrilled me! 

3. Voguing and the House Ballroom Scene of New York, 1989–92 edited by Stuart Baker, photography by Chantal Regnault Published by Soul Jazz Books 

As a big fan of non-fiction, information books often grabbed my attention more than fiction and I LOVE this one. Particularly accessible to me through its visual language of photography, I know I would have spent hours reading the pictures before embarking on the text. I would have found the fabulousness and joy captured in this book totally inspiring and an escape from the homophobic bullying I was experiencing. I’m sure if I’d had this book at sixteen, I would have walked a bit taller and with a swish in my step. 

4. The Naked Civil Servant by Quentin Crisp Published by Flamingo 

This book was actually out when I was sixteen as it was re-released in 1985, but I didn’t come across it until much later in life. I knew who Quentin Crisp was through television chat shows where he was often a guest and I thought he was fabulous and fascinating, witty and brilliant – the stories he would tell had me utterly beguiled. But it was only on reading his memoir that I realized what a trail-blazer he was in being unapologetically queer, never changing to please society’s rigorous expectations of masculinity, gender expression and sexuality. 

5. David Bowie Made Me Gay by Darryl W. Bullock Published by Duckworth Overlook

I’ve always been a big music fan. I mentioned in We Are Your Children how queer pop stars had been my first positive glimpses of queer people in the media. Seeing artists on Top of the Pops like Jimmy Somerville, Divine, Boy George and Marilyn, who fast became my heroes, absolutely opened up a road to finding my own positive acceptance of my queer self. This book would have shown me a multitude of queer musical artists not accessible to me at the time and broadened my understanding of queer art and music.

Thank you so much David for writing We Are Your Children, and to Two Hoots imprint of Macmillan for publishing it. It is out now!

Posted in: book lists, Education, Illustrator, non-fiction, Recommended by a Librarian, YA