Here it is! The super cute cover to Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories!

Isn’t it adorable? It’s designed by the amazing Amy Daoud!
Can’t you just see it sitting on your bookshelf at home? Let’s all take a moment to visualise that, shall we?

Mmm lovely! Come June, this dream will be a reality!

QUICK! Add it to your GOODREADS!

The blurb from the back cover will read: 

What does it mean to be queer? What does it mean to be human? In this powerful #OwnVoices collection, twelve of Australia’s finest queer writers explore the stories of family, friends, lovers and strangers – the connections that form us.

 

Compelling queer short fiction by bestsellers, award winners and newcomers to the #LoveOzYA community including Jax Jacki Brown, Claire G Coleman, Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Erin Gough, Benjamin Law, Omar Sakr, Christos Tsiolkas, Ellen van Neerven, Marlee Jane Ward, Jen Wilde and Nevo Zisin.
Attendees of the Centre For Youth Literature’s YA Showcase in December got to hear a little bit about Kindred, and luckily, it was live streamed!
You can watch it HERE
Nicola Santilli, my wonderful editor at Walker BooksAustralia, spoke briefly about each of the stories in the collection. You can watch her in the video from 1hr 49min. But here’s what she said:

 

I’m so proud to be introducing Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories to you. In this powerful #OwnVoices collection, some of Australia’s finest queer writers explore the connections that make us human.

 

I’m thrilled that Kindred has given us the first YA story by disability activist Jax Jacki Brown. It’s about a young woman discovering first love and disability pride. Equally exciting is the YA debut of award-winning Indigenous author Claire G Coleman. Her piece reimagines the coming out narrative in a future where society favours the genderless. Anthology editor Michael Earp also contributes, and his tender and bittersweet fantasy features two young lovers on a life-and-death quest.

 

We’re so pleased that Kindred also features #LoveOzYA favourite Alison Evans! Their piece is about two non-binary teens trying to find their place in a future world drowned by climate change. Another #LoveOzYA darling, Erin Gough, writes a feverish tale of a young woman who gets more than she bargained for. And Asian Australian writer Benjamin Law contributes a personal reflection on growing up, coming out and asking the tough questions.

 

In his contribution to Kindred, Arab Australian poet and writer Omar Sakr weaves faith and culture around one teen’s struggle to hide a monstrous secret. And multi-award winner and bestseller Christos Tsiolkas gives us a poignant meditation on family, religion and forgiveness set against the backdrop of marriage equality. Writer and poet Ellen van Neerven looks ahead at the connections between friends, family and lovers in future Indigenous queer communities.

 

 

Kindred also includes Marlee Jane Ward’s fast-paced meet-cute set in the tech-savvy not-too-distant future. And you’ll fall in love with Jen Wilde’s story about friendship, fandom and finding your home. Keep an eye out for the #ActuallyAutistic rep! Last but not least, Nevo Zisin’s YA and fiction debut is an evocative exploration of the self, told through the eyes of an unreliable narrator.

 

Then, if you want to watch me answering questions about Kindred (of course you do! I’m delightfully camp with my Christmas nails!) then jump to 2hrs 23mins.
There’s more exciting Kindred news coming very soon! So keep an eye on your social medias for that! We’ll be using #KindredStories to keep all the buzz easy to follow.

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