bruised; a Q+A with Tanya Boteju Overcoming grief and emotional pain by virtue of community ALEXIS ZYGAN Contributor
Tanya Boteju's latest young adult novel, Bruised, focuses on how the roller derby community aids each other in dealing with grief. Her first published novel, Kings, Queens and In-Betweens, immerses the reader into the colourful drag scene and touches on themes of acceptance and loss. In Bruised, the teenage protagonist, Daya Wijesinghe, discovers that there is strength in vulnerability as she grieves her parents’ sudden deaths. Boteju has a degree in English and Education from the University of British Columbia, in addition to a Masters of Arts from Columbia University’s Teaching College. For the past 18 years, Boteju has been an English teacher at a Vancouver-based high school. Working as a teacher for over two decades has shaped Boteju’s ability to write about the everyday struggles impacting LGBTQ+ teenagers, as well as her own experience in the drag community. Alexis Zygan: In Bruised, Daya's practice of roller derby catapults her to uncover the truth about love and healing. Were you ever on a roller derby team? If so, how did this experience impact you?
I have admired [roller derby] for many years and had plenty of people in my life on teams. I don't participate in [roller derby] because I am a huge wuss.
Tanya Boteju:
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AZ: What was your inspiration for Bruised?
Whereas Kings, Queens and In-Betweens came out of the direct experience. I brainstormed the idea for Bruised, thinking about communities I want to dive into and explore and young people’s experiences I had seen. Roller derby is similar to drag in terms of the power of community and sheer female-driven energy.
TB:
AZ: How do your students inspire your writing? TB: I don't think I could write a young adult book without engaging
with [my students] and seeing how they manage what they go through. I am in awe of all [my students] take on. Some of them don't always manage—most of us don't. Even moments where they struggle are an inspiration because that is just real.
AZ: How has your work in teaching encouraged you to pursue a writing career?
I started professional writing because I wanted to challenge myself. I also felt like a hypocrite teaching creative writing for ten years. I wanted to say to them I use these techniques, skills, and strategies in my writing. There is nothing I ask them to do that I don't also do in my writing.
TB:
