By Shelby Brooks
Inspired to showcase diversity in young adult literature, Pakenham’s Jessica Walton is celebrating the release of her first graphic novel.
‘Stars in their Eyes’ is about a queer amputee teenager Maisie just trying to live her life without falling over, falling in love or accidentally inspiring anyone.
Jessica, who also identifies as a queer amputee, grew up not seeing herself represented in books, TV or movies.
“The book is partially based on my life,” Jessica said.
“I didn’t see myself in books. As a queer disabled person you’re looking for representation and you’re not in anything.
“It’s like a big group project for authors these days who are writing themselves in young adult (YA) books because they saw that gap when they were growing up.”
Jessica, who is the author of picture book ‘Introducing Teddy’ (Bloomsbury 2016), said she had wanted to get into the YA scene for a while.
“I had wanted to have a go at a YA book for some time and was collaborating with someone on different idea when Fremantle Press called to say they were interested in turning a short story of mine they had published into a graphic novel,” Jessica said.
“I did not expect that at all.”
Jessica collaborated with Aśka, a WA based illustrator who she had admired for a long time.
“I have no artistic talent what so ever,” Jessica said, laughing.
“It was a unique experience because Aśka was in a different state so we emailed and video chatted a lot.
“She had me video myself sitting up and down, getting in and out of the car so I could show her how I moved with a prosthetic and she could reference that in her drawings.”
The protagonist in Jessica’s novel is Maisie, described as a bisexual amputee with chronic pain and anxiety.
“All aspects of me are in the book. I’m like ‘let’s cram it all in there!’ I want see all of me in a book at least once,” Jessica said.
“I also wanted to show that someone like me does deserve to be a main character but also just depict her as a normal teen going about their life.
“Maisie is geeky like me too. My partner and I love board games and PC games, and I love going to PAX (big games convention).
“I’ve had similar experience to Maisie at one of those, where the crowds and noise made me pretty anxious, and I had to find a quiet space to recover before I could go back out and enjoy it. Also the pain of walking around on a prosthesis all day is in there too! But I still loved it.”
Another character in the book is Ollie, a non-binary teenager.
Jessica said she has close family and friends who identify as non-binary and transgender.
“So I was keen to write about the diversity around me in my family,” she said.
‘Stars in their Eyes’ was launched 9 October through the Pakenham Library, where virtually Jessica shared some of her best writing tips and experience as well as readings from the book.
‘Stars in their Eyes’ is available in book stores and online at fremantlepress.com.au/products/stars-in-their-eyes.
