Books

by Libby Hargreaves

Avid readers who engage in online communities such as BookTok know that these spaces are saturated with ‘queer’ recommendations which only exist to fulfil a social quota: Call Me by Your Name (vastly problematic) and Red, White and Royal Blue (yet another mlm romance) are only two examples. It’s beyond time to focus on a more diverse range of queer literature - especially that which represents the trans and non-binary communities.

In my opinion, the perfect place to start is Kacen Callender’s YA sensation Felix Ever After. Cishet society often requires labels, which leave little room to move beneath the ‘out and proud’ exterior of many queer folks. Callender masterfully captures this struggle for identity, whilst still maintaining a light-hearted, positive narrative. Don’t be fooled by the love triangle or enemies to lovers trope, this remains complex and compelling - older readers are welcomed into a sense of high school nostalgia without the all-American cheese. The discussion of the ever-evolving nature of living on intersections of identity, and exploration of friendship, love and family should make this your first summer read.

If a whirlwind historical fantasy is more up your street, then allow me to introduce you to the world of She Who Became the Sun. Shelley Parker-Chan transforms the accession of Zhu Yuanzhang, who unified China and became the founding Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, into a genderqueer romance-filled adventure. The nuance of gender identity, presentation and societal roles are all explored within the pages of Parker-Chan’s brilliance, which has been described as “Mulan meets Song of Achilles” though I’d personally say that is a disservice to both the characters and writing of her work. They set a tone which keeps the novel tight in your grip and close to your heart, even after the final words are read.

My own current obsession is Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe - a must-read for graphic novel lovers and newbies alike. An autobiographical comic, it centres around self-identity, yet, as written in the synopsis, “is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity for humans everywhere.” Representation, in whatever form it takes, is vital to queer folks everywhere, no matter their age. Unparalleled discoveries are made through trans and non-binary books, from seeing themselves in tales of misplaced teen crushes, to the comfort of knowing dysphoria is shared by a community, and that trauma isn’t written in every queer person’s fate.

By Sam Gordon Webb

Ashley Hickson-Lovence arrives for coffee; he orders a latte, and I order a cappuccino. As the coffee machine grinds, he removes his tinted sunglasses, “I can’t see anything in these,” he jokes, opting for his reading glasses. “That’s better.”

Ashley says no question is off-limits. “I’ll answer absolutely anything. I’m an open book.” We begin by discussing the inspiration behind his most recent novel, reviewed by the Guardian as “a nervy psychodrama fuelled by ambition, envy, doubt and ego”.

Your Show tells the story of the Premier League’s first and only black referee, Uriah Rennie, embarking on his incredible career. Rennie was appointed to the Football League list of referees in 1994 after over a decade of refereeing the Northern Premier League. His big break came on 23 August 1997, a Premiership game between Leeds United and Crystal Palace at Elland Road.

Writing a fictional story about a real person, Ashley had his work cut out. “Originally, I wanted to write an autobiography about his [Uriah’s] life, because that was the only form I knew. I wanted to write about him since I was 16 years old, before I discovered my writing voice much later.”

Telling the story of Rennie was a challenge. “We met in a leisure centre in Sheffield. He’s humongous. We drank coffee and joked about Caribbean food and music. But he still needed convincing.”

Convincing?

“He didn’t understand why I wanted to write about him. I told him that I wanted to celebrate his career, putting his story at the forefront of our national conscience.”

Your Show is about more than football. “It’s a bit strange,” Ashley admits, sipping his latte. “A second person poetically styled novel about a referee - I could not have written a less marketable book. Faber picked it up, and it was a dream come true. I have a lot of respect for them for choosing an experimental form.”

The title itself perfectly encapsulates Rennie’s fiercely independent spirit. “The title Your Show was inspired by my PhD supervisor, Andrew Cowan, who wrote Your Fault entirely in the second person. I also wanted it to allude to Uriah taking ownership of the situation. This was his show, his chance to shine on the biggest stage. It felt like a performance.”

Despite the novel’s poetic form, embracing lyrical and rhythmic diversity, the truth of it blows louder than a referee’s whistle. “I wanted to blend my interests in prose and poetry to build a compelling story. This is a book about a man, on his own, doing his job under incredible pressure. It’s not just a book for football lovers.”

What’s next for Ashley? “I’m always thinking about my next big project, a bit like Uriah. I’m writing a 32,000-word piece of fiction. I’m not worried about the word count. As a writer, the most important thing is to accept that not everyone will like it.”

A former referee himself, still supporting the FA in bringing about greater diversity, Ashley sees racism as a key aspect of Uriah’s life. “He’s still the only black referee. He’s still on his own, in that sense. And yes, it’s shameful.”

But I sense uncertainty. “The reason I hesitate when I say that is because I know work is being done. I’m optimistic about the future, and I’m certain they’ll be another black referee in the next few years.”

Before we finish up, I wonder how he feels about the book’s positive reaction. “I don’t really care what people think about my work. Someone came up to me the other day and said “Your Show was the first book they’ve read cover to cover. That will always stick with me.”

By Emily Kelly

Anyone who knows me in real life will know that crying is a big part of my dayto-day life, though much of it doesn’t come from real life situations. Instead, my imagination pulls out worst case scenarios and makes problems out of thin air. I think this is why I tend to cry more at books than I do at movies.

Seeing something traumatic or shocking play out on screen leaves no room for ambiguity, no space for interpretation. One Day by David Nicholls, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky are all examples of this: on screen, the stark reality of each of the plot twists in these stories hits you like a bus, but you immediately move past it into the next scene. When reading the texts, however, one can re-read, ponder and imagine the intricacies of the story changing each time you pore over the words.

I would personally recommend any of these if you’re looking for a good cry, but there are so many books which elicit these passionate reactions from their readers, some of which have gained specific reputations for doing so. Before The Fault in our Stars, there was Little Women, Angela’s Ashes or My Sister’s Keeper. Even children’s books can surprise you, with classics such as What Katy Did or A Little Princess exploring deep themes and very

adult concepts, which can still produce a tear or two. It would be wrong of me to write this list and not talk about Jacqueline Wilson: if you can make it through Vicky Angel or The Illustrated Mum without a tear, I’d love to know your secrets. The most recent book which made me

cry, however, was an autobiography- and not even for the reasons you might expect. Theroux the Keyhole, from everyone’s favourite TikTok sensation and documentary star Louis Theroux, is a diary detailing the descent into lockdown and the takeover

of Covid-19 from a filmmaker’s perspective: the cancellations, changing of plans and having to rethink how our day to day lives function. I, along with many others I think, have spent two years attempting to repress these changes and the impact they had on every aspect of my life, so to find them so matter-of-factly described on these pages had me in tears after about five minutes of reading. Probably best saved for another day.

By Louise collins

Shakespeare is known throughout the ages and across every continent. His plays are performed across countless theatres and are studied in countless schools. They’ve made a huge literary impact, so much so that adaptations are constantly being made. Teen film classics like 10 Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew) and She’s The Man (Twelfth Night) dominate our screens, as do the many variations of West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet). Disney movies, such as The Lion King duology (Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet), and other animated movies like Gnomeo and Juliet. All of these are iconic takes of some of Shakespeare’s best works, following the themes but making their own impact. Likewise with novels.

Honourable mentions include, The Academy by Emmaline Andrews: a sci-fi/dystopian with similarities to Twelfth Night, this was one of my first introductions to Shakespeare. Warm Bodies by Isaac Manon was the zombified version of Romeo and Juliet which inspired the film. Finally, We That Are Young by Preti Taneja is an Indian retelling of the gruesome King Lear. Some writers, like my recent favourite Chloe Gong, go all in on the Shakespearean adaptation. She adores the work of the historic playwright, following his plays with her own fantastical twists. Her debut duology, These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, follows Roma Montagov, the heir to The White Flowers, and Juliette Cai, the heir to the Scarlet Gang, as they make their way through 1920s Shanghai. With real Chinese history mixed with a supernatural threat, tensions are high for this young pair, in more ways than one. Based on Romeo and Juliet, we see the rival gangs, echoes of classic characters – Marshall, Benedikt, Tyler – and even iconic Romeo and Juliet quotes, such as “these violent delights have violent ends”. The duology isn’t where her adaptations end, though. Later this year, a spinoff duology, beginning with Foul Lady Fortune, features Rosalind, a Scarlet, and newcomer Orion, as they deal with the Japanese expansion into China in the 1930s. This duology is loosely inspired by As You Like It and is described by Chloe Gong as “speculative historical noir”. In summer 2023, the first in her upcoming Adult trilogy, Immortal Longings, has a fantasy 1990s setting, and takes inspiration from Anthony & Cleopatra. As a Shakespeare nerd, and a lover of all things YA and Fantasy, I can certainly see all my money going to Gong’s works. Bring on the Shakespeare adaptations.