Laura Bates and Patrice Lawrence in conversation

The importance of representation in young adult (YA) literature

Presented by: Alton Arts Festival

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0	ALTON: Goldfinch Books
P	Monday 8th July, 2024
N	5:00pm

Event information

What is representation? Why does it matter? And why do young adults in particular need diverse books?

Join these two boundary-pushing, multi award winning writers and activists in discussion of this crucial topic.

Laura Bates is an activist, writer, speaker and journalist. She is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, an ever-increasing collection of over 200,000 testimonies of gender inequality. Laura Bates is the author of acclaimed contemporary Young Adult novels, 'The Burning' and 'The Trial', and the first in a new fantasy series, 'Sisters of Sword and Shadow'.

Patrice Lawrence is an award-winning writer for children and young people with a background in social justice and equality. She writes across genres and age groups. Her debut book for young adults, 'Orangeboy', was shortlisted for the Costa Children's Award and won the Bookseller YA Prize and Waterstones Prize for Older Children's Fiction. She has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal seven times. Her awards include the Little Rebels Book Award, the inaugural Jhalak Prize for Children and Young People, the Woman and Home Teen Drama Award, and the CrimeFest YA Prize twice. In 2023, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Patrice works extensively in schools inspiring young people to become storytellers and mentors adult writers from backgrounds under-represented in traditional British publishing.

This event is recommended for ages 12 and above.

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