With the upcoming announcement of this year's winner, our Young Adult Prize shortlist authors talk about their inspiration, the creative process, their perfect reader, their favourite writing advice, and what they hope readers take away from their books.

What was the initial inspiration for your story?

Alice Boyle (Dancing Barefoot): The initial inspiration for Dancing Barefoot came in my final year of my creative writing degree. I was doing a subject on writing for young adults and children, and it brought back memories of being a gay teenager starved for positive queer representation in the early 2000s. I did some digging and found that there were still very few queer YA rom-coms out there – especially local ones – so I decided to write my own. Thankfully, things have improved a lot since then, but there’s still a huge need for diversity in books for young readers. It’s vital that everyone can see themselves represented on the page.

Ann Liang (If You Could See the Sun): I wanted to write a book set in a Beijing international school like the one I attended as a teenager, because it’s this really fascinating environment where you’re surrounded by people who speak three languages and have lived in multiple countries and are the children of business owners and diplomats and even celebrities. Once I figured out the setting of the story, I had the idea of this ambitious, morally gray protagonist using their superpowers not to save the world, but to make money or simply to survive, so the invisibility element and secret-stealing business developed naturally from there.

Maiya Ibrahim (Spice Road): The absence of Arab and SWANA representation in fantasy when I was growing up was really disheartening, and when I began writing, I knew I had to tell a story that I would’ve been overjoyed to read in high school. The inspiration for Spice Road’s plot came from the Arab spice traders who would discourage business competitors by spreading rumours that their spices grew in remote places guarded by magical creatures. Upon reading the historical accounts, I began imagining a secret land where monsters and mythical beasts roamed, and a fiercely guarded spice grew that could grant magical powers when ingested. Spice Road was born!

Lystra Rose (The Upwelling): I was surfing at Kirra Point on the Gold Coast (yes, that’s why I named my protagonist Kirra) and wondered what this part of the coast looked like before colonisation. 

I also wanted readers to experience the depths of First Nations culture (humour, philosophy, science) – the beauty of our culture – not just the usual elements of art, dance, and song. I thought, wouldn’t it be fantastic if people read a great story and at the end, they learnt culture because they were immersed in it? I was careful not to force, teach or preach; instead, I hoped that learning First Nations culture was a by-product of simply reading this story in the comfort of readers’ homes.

Biffy James (Completely Normal (and other lies)): This is super embarrassing, but Completely Normal (and other lies) was inspired by two cute boys. I know, it sounds really bad. Very Bad Feminist of me. But, the first cute boy was a very good friend of mine, who, quite frankly, I would have married if he’d asked. He did not. What did happen, however, was that he died, very suddenly, and far too young. And that experience made grief a Very Real Thing for me. In a very different way to what I’d ever experienced before. (I would also like to point out that, even if this incredibly dear friend was still alive, he still wouldn’t have any interest in marrying me. We would still be very dear friends though, which, in my opinion, is even better!) And so Isaac, I think, was a combination of him, and a Very Cute Boy – The Sequel. Who was not a dear friend, even though I thought he was ...

Can you tell us about the creative process?

Ann Liang (If You Could See the Sun): I feel like I’m always writing, even when I’m not actively typing words down on the page. When I’m going on a stroll or listening to music or making dinner, I’ll be combing through plot threads or visualising a scene in the back of my head, so that when it comes time to actually draft, I have a rough idea of what to write. I always like to outline my books, but leave enough room for me to change things as I go along and fill in the details. I also have a tendency to hop around between scenes, depending on my mood. If there’s a scene I’m particularly excited about, I’ll jump into that while the inspiration lasts. Another thing I like to do during the writing process is to read over and tinker with what I’ve already written; even if I know I’ll be doing more comprehensive revisions down the line and the scene will end up changing, I find that doing this helps me immerse myself in the story.

Maiya Ibrahim (Spice Road): Revisions and more revisions. I tend to write long and cut away in passes, occasionally layering elements back in until I settle on the story I want to tell. I always write to music and create mood boards that I often come back to for inspiration.

Lystra Rose (The Upwelling): ... One of the most significant processes I had to learn was recognising if a piece of writing was 'better' or just 'different' and remaining at the same level. Again, instinct seems so undervalued, but when we face fear (emotional or physical challenges), our higher-thinking intelligence switches off, and we have to rely on instinct. It makes sense to utilise this strong human response when writing about strong human responses so our readers elicit strong human responses.

Rhiannon Wilde (Where You Left Us): My creative process is very character led, so typically those will come to me first and then I get lots of ideas about situations I’d like to put them in, the dynamics between them and things I’d like to explore. In terms of the writing itself, I’m a bit of a chaos demon in the sense that I don’t write linearly and like to jump around to different scenes following a (very rough) outline but almost never writing them in order. It helps me to see the big picture better which it totally shouldn’t, but it does!

Biffy James (Completely Normal (and other lies)): I would love to, but I don’t think I have one. I mean that in all honesty. I either write for twelve hours straight, or don’t write at all for twelve weeks. And beyond. For this book, however, I was extremely lucky because of COVID lockdowns. And I am not joking. Here I was, being forced to stay at home and do nothing, and so what else was I going to do except write a book? My only other choices were learning how to bake banana bread, or exercise. I was definitely not going to do those things. So Writing the Book it was!

Basically I got up, ate toast, wrote a whole bunch (while also kinda acting it out as I wrote, but in a weird kinda way. Like I’d talk to myself out loud when I’d write something. I’d write the sentence, ‘We’re only saying this because we’re you’re friends, and because we love you’, and out loud I’d be saying, ‘Are you SERIOUS, Sophie, you did NOT just say that, WOW.’

Who is the ideal reader for your book and/or what do you hope readers take away from it?

Alice Boyle (Dancing Barefoot): I wrote Dancing Barefoot because it was the book I would have loved to have read growing up. When I was a teenager, I would have killed for a funny, sweet, warm comedy about a gay girl falling in love. While I had my younger self in mind when writing, I'd like to hope that Dancing Barefoot is for all sorts of people.

Maiya Ibrahim (Spice Road): I think anyone who enjoys epic fantasy with magic and monsters in a non-Western setting would find something to like in Spice Road. But it’s important for me as well that Spice Road reaches Arab and SWANA readers. I hope that seeing themselves in a book like this helps affirm their voices and experiences, and reinforces that we, too, can be the heroes of epic tales.

Lystra Rose (The Upwelling): The ideal reader for The Upwelling  is a young person (young in age or at heart), but this novel is for curious beings who enjoy stories based on seemingly impossible truths. It’s for those who value emotional intelligence—developing empathy, which most readers gain when they learn and embrace different viewpoints and thought processes. I hope readers learn that the more they know themselves, the more they’ll know their purpose.

Rhiannon Wilde (Where You Left Us): I hope readers take away from this book that mental health challenges deserve to be met with compassion, understanding and tools to help, that familial love is complex and beautiful, and I hope they feel all the feels of first loves.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Lystra Rose (The Upwelling): Creative writing (an idea factory) uses the right side of the brain, which is imaginative, finds its rhythm, and explores feelings and visualisations. So we need to write without correcting spelling or worrying about grammar. After we get all those juicy imperfect ideas down, then go back and edit. We want ideas to flow uninhibited. Editing uses the left side of your brain, which is analytical, logical, and factual and stops that creative current. Sometimes, as writers (and I’m still learning this), we must give ourselves permission to forget those 'school rules' and get all those delicious ideas down any way we can. Worrying about 'getting it right' stifles our creativity. 

Rhiannon Wilde (Where You Left Us): 'The first draft of everything can’t be great' is something my editor reminded me of a lot across both of my books, which really helped quell my nerves so I could dive in without worrying if everything was perfect first go. Editing is such an underrated part of the process, but that’s literally what’s it for, to find the gold in those first drafts, and the first drafts are for getting that raw material out and the characters on the page. If you think too hard about the fact you’re writing a book it’s quite hard to write a book, I’ve learned!

Biffy James (Completely Normal (and other lies)): That writer’s block is a totally made-up thing! As in, it’s okay if you can’t write every day! Just write when you can and when you need to!

Why do you write for teenagers?

Alice Boyle (Dancing Barefoot): Young people are amazing! They make the most passionate, enthusiastic readers. They have original takes on the world and they’re ridiculously funny. I work with teenagers every day in my work as a secondary school teacher, and I think I’m one of the luckiest people out there because I get to spend my days with these brilliant young people. As a teacher and as an author, it’s a big responsibility to help teens figure out their place in the world. I remember what it was like to be a gay teenager who had very few gay role models or examples of how to live a happy queer life. It's a privilege to be able to offer young people a model of what that can look like.

Ann Liang (If You Could See the Sun): When I first wrote If You Could See the Sun, I was still a teenager myself, so it felt natural to write for readers who were similar in age. Now that I’m twenty-three, I still love – and plan to continue – writing for teenagers, because I feel like your teen years can be such an overwhelming, intense period in your life, and that goes for both the good and bad: the insecurities, the heartbreak, the friends you lose and make, the confusion, the pressure, the desire to blend in, the desire to be noticed. And then there are the moments that are so stressful and mortifying while you’re in them, but that you eventually look back on with nostalgia and maybe fondness. I also believe that everyone keeps part of their teen self with them even as they get older: you can be at a gathering in your mid-twenties or thirties and still feel like the kid left out at the sleepover, or you can be criticised by your boss and feel like a student getting told off by a teacher. There’s just something so universal about those experiences, and as a writer, that’s what I’m drawn to.

Maiya Ibrahim (Spice Road): As a teenager, I never saw myself positively or accurately represented in the books I loved and battled feelings of being unwanted and unworthy. So, aside from my love for the young adult fantasy genre in general, I write to become part of the change I want to see. Representation in media is extremely important for teenagers’ sense of self-worth, and Spice Road is hopefully a positive contribution to a growing body of Arab and SWANA fantasy for teen readers.

Rhiannon Wilde (Where You Left Us): There’s something uniquely lovely, rewarding and fascinating about characters who are just becoming who they are. The stakes and emotions are so high and so much happens in those late teenaged years, they’re just the best stories to write and read. It’s definitely a privilege to have my characters read by young people and hearing feedback that they identify with them in some way is the ultimate goal.

Biffy James (Completely Normal (and other lies)): ... I think, even when we remember our teenage years, we remember them through a nostalgic lens, and kinda filter out what teenagers are actually experiencing today. And that’s understandable, but also so unfair. I really do feel that we (alleged ‘grown ups’) can learn just as much from a 16-year-old as a 16-year-old can learn from us.

What does being chosen for a prize judged by booksellers mean to you?

Alice Boyle (Dancing Barefoot): I know BookTok and online shopping behemoths are gaining traction, but they can never do what a bookseller can do: hand pick a beautiful book just for you. Booksellers can never be replaced by an algorithm, so it’s an especially big honour to have Dancing Barefoot recognised.  

Ann Liang (If You Could See the Sun): It truly is such an honour, and I can’t express how grateful I am. I remember when I went bookstore hopping with a friend to sign my books, and as we were walking out of the last bookstore, she turned to me, slightly wide-eyed, and said, 'Wow, everyone we’ve met at these stores genuinely loves their jobs.' It really is the passion and the expertise of booksellers that make bookstores such magical places for everyone who walks in, and so to have my first book recognised by booksellers in this way means the world.

Maiya Ibrahim (Spice Road): It’s so affirming! There were many times that I felt nobody would be interested in reading a book like mine, so to have the support of individuals who read and recommend fiction for a living is the highest honour!

Lystra Rose (The Upwelling): It is such an exciting and overwhelming experience. We all hope our dreams become reality. Having a book published was that dream-come-reality moment. But the cherry-flavoured icing on the cake is being chosen for a prize, and when booksellers are the judges—well, it glows of success and every author wants that.

Want to know more about each shortlisted title? Explore the shortlist here.