• Bookshop
  • News
  • Login
  • Donate
  • Programmes
    • Young Writers Programme
    • Young Writers Festival
    • Summer residential
    • Folio Mentorships
    • National Writing Day
  • Writers
    • Our ambassadors
    • Who we work with
    • Becoming a First Story writer
  • Schools
    • Partner schools HUB
    • Free writing resources
    • BBC Teach x First Story resources
    • Becoming a First Story partner school
  • Locations
    • North of England
    • East Midlands
    • Greater London
  • About
    • About us
    • Our impact
    • Staff and trustees
    • Vacancies
  • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Make a donation
  • Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

First Story

England's leading creative writing charity for young people

  • Bookshop
  • News
  • Login
  • Donate
  • Programmes
    • Young Writers Programme
    • Young Writers Festival
    • Summer residential
    • Folio Mentorships
    • National Writing Day
  • Writers
    • Our ambassadors
    • Who we work with
    • Becoming a First Story writer
  • Schools
    • Partner schools HUB
    • Free writing resources
    • BBC Teach x First Story resources
    • Becoming a First Story partner school
  • Locations
    • North of England
    • East Midlands
    • Greater London
  • About
    • About us
    • Our impact
    • Staff and trustees
    • Vacancies
  • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Make a donation
Juno Dawson
Photograph: Eivind Hansen

Exclusive interview with Juno Dawson

8 November 2019 //  by First Story

Juno Dawson is a best-selling author of YA fiction, a successful journalist with bylines in publications from Glamour magazine to The Guardian, a former teacher who specialised in PSHCE and behaviour, and a former First Story Writer-in-Residence. Ahead of her appearance at our Young Writers’ Festival next month, we caught up with Juno to ask her about writing for and working with young people.


Has being a teacher influenced what you write about and how you write?

Not really… I think what is has done is kept me in contact with young people. There is nothing worse than adults attempting to mimic the way teenagers speak and interact. It’s so important not to patronise or preach when you’re writing for teenagers. A great starting point is to read what teenagers are actually writing themselves.

Your writing is full of strong female characters and strong LGBT characters – how important is representation in writing? What more could we be doing to encourage these stories?

I think the best thing we can do is empower marginalised writers to tell their stories. It’s one thing to represent minority groups, but it’s better to create a space at the table for writers from those groups. That said, no minority writer is forced to write memoir – we should all have the freedom to create characters and put ourselves in the shoes of people who might lead different lives to us.


It’s one thing to represent minority groups, but it’s better to create a space at the table for writers from those groups.


Your non-fiction work also deals with pressing conversations – mental health, gender, sexuality – why do you think these topics interest young people? Does this research influence your creative-writing?

We’d all love young people to get through school effortlessly, but that’s simply not going to happen. Young adults are dealing with all the same trials as adults but with the added horror of it being for the first time. I think we have a responsibility to talk about sensitive topics. They are a reality for thousands of young people.

Finally, what was it like getting to write a Doctor Who book!? And to write the opening novel for the first female Doctor?

Writing for Doctor Who was a dream come true – although very challenging. It’s very difficult when you can’t, in any meaningful way, change the characters. I had to give them back as I found them. The thing with the Doctor is their inherent ‘Doctorness’, I’m not sure the fact a female actor was playing her especially informed my writing if I’m honest. She is always the most brilliant person in any room.


Juno will be headlining our Young Writers’ Festival in December 2019. To find out more and book your place click here.

Category: News, Young Writers' Festival

Previous Post: « Announcing our 2019-20 Rathbones Folio Mentees
Next Post: First Story moves into CLPE to create new literacy hub Literacy Hub: DYT, CLPE and First Story»

Primary Sidebar

More news

  • Eco-poetry competition winners 2022
  • Pilot of First Story’s new CPD course for teachers, ‘Think Like a Writer’
  • First Story Young Writers Festival 2022 – a writer’s perspective
  • 100 Word Story Competition Winners 2022
  • First Story partners with Goldsmiths University to further the careers of emerging young writers  

Above Footer

First Story's funders include

Footer

Contact us

44 Webber Street
London
SE1 8QW

020 7481 7777

info@firststory.org.uk

  • First Story North
  • First Story East Midlands
  • First Story London
  • Vacancies
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Safeguarding
  • Pandemic response
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Notice
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube

Site Footer

© First Story Ltd. All rights reserved | Registered Charity No: 1122939 | Company No: 06487410