This Week in YA — Issue #64
Welcome to the Voyage newsletter!
It’s another new week and another installment of this newsletter for you this week, my fellow YA enthusiasts. Things continue to be a bit wild in the YA publishing world—more details on some of the recent ups and downs below. In the meantime, we at Voyage are still accepting submissions of poetry and short stories for our next anthology, so make sure to get on that before the April 3 deadline! We also have a special opportunity for any writers looking to experience an MFA program at a fraction of the cost AND without any disruption to their life. Check out PocketMFA at the bottom of this newsletter!
News and Resources
First off, Karen at Teen Librarian Toolbox is dishing out some really interesting observations: New Reports Show a Decline in YA Book Sales and I Have Some Thoughts as to Why That Might be Happening.
In book banning news, ALA reports record number of demands to censor library books and materials in 2022.
Jen at Pop! Goes the Reader recently shared 80 Most-Anticipated Young Adult Books: April-June 2023. Plenty upcoming YA to get on your radar.
Kate at Book Riot has 24 of the Best Coming-of-Age Novels. Many of these are of course YA, but there are some great adult and MG titles to round out the list too.
The staff at the Boston Public Library came up with another great list, this one of Young Adult Books by Transgender and/or Non-Binary Authors.
Finally, in adaptation news, Julie Plec Sets Young Adult Show ‘We Were Liars’ at Amazon.
The 5 Questions Interview Series
Each week, this newsletter will include interviews with industry professionals sharing insight about the who, what, where, when, why in YA today.
Today we’ve got an interview with YA and children’s author Rebecca Caprara, whose debut YA verse novel, Spin, releases today! I love Rebecca’s work and was lucky enough to read an early version of this book. I can’t even with how much I love it. As I wrote in my blurb, “Perfect for Madeline Miller fans!” Seriously, if you loved Circe, you will love this as well.
5 Questions Interview with Rebecca Caprara, YA and children’s author
ABOUT SPIN
The Song of Achilles and Circe get a sapphic, young adult twist in this gorgeously lush, feminist retelling of the myth of Arachne spun in moving verse.
Sixteen-year-old Arachne is ostracized by all but her family and closest friend, Celandine. Turning to her loom for solace, Arachne learns to weave, finding her voice and her strength through the craft. After the tragic loss of her family, Arachne and Celandine flee to the city of Colophon, where Arachne’s skills are put to the test. Word of her talent spreads quickly, leading to a confrontation with the goddess Athena, who demands that Arachne repent.
But Arachne will not be silenced. She challenges Athena, and a fateful weaving contest ensues, resulting in an exposé of divine misdeeds, a shocking transformation, and unexpected redemption.
ABOUT REBECCA CAPRARA
Rebecca Caprara is the author of multiple acclaimed novels and the recipient of the Marguerite W. Davol Picture Book Critique Scholarship and the Jane Yolen Scholarship from the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. An artist and avid globetrotter, Rebecca has lived in Italy, Singapore, and Canada. She is now growing roots in Massachusetts with her family. Visit her at RebeccaCaprara.com.
1. Who: Who are your instabuy, go-to YA authors? And which new talent have you discovered recently?
I love Frances Hardinge’s deliciously dark and textured stories, Elizabeth Acevedo’s stunning and rhythmic verse, Jason Reynolds’ groundbreaking books, Elana K. Arnold’s unflinching heroines, and Nikki Grimes’ heartfelt and honest poetry. I think Colby Cedar Smith is a new voice to watch in YA. I loved her debut, Call me Athena: Girl from Detroit. It’s a richly researched novel inspired by her own family’s life, layering past and present voices with exquisite writing.
2. What: What was the most joyful moment in preparing to bring Spin into the world?
The process of drafting this book was actually pretty euphoric. I started it in the midst of the pandemic after a really bad spell of writer’s block. Once I tapped into Arachne’s voice, the words finally began to flow. I became a woman possessed, writing into the wee hours of the night for several weeks until the first draft was done. Later, it was so gratifying (and joyful!) to connect with an agent, and later an editor, who shared my enthusiasm, vision, and love for Arachne’s tale. But perhaps the most joyful moment was sharing the finished book with my mother. The story features a deep and meaningful mother-daughter bond, and I dedicated the book to my own mom, so it was very special to share a copy with her and see her reaction. There were lots of happy tears!
3. Where: Where is the state of YA right now, from where you sit? Where do you hope to see it go next?
I hope we continue to see a wide and inclusive array of diverse voices and stories. I’m especially excited to see more books published by Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperChildren’s helmed by Cynthia Leitich Smith, which centers Native and First Nations stories and authors. I would also love to see more graphic novels for young adult readers in the marketplace. I run a book club for middle grade readers, and they voraciously consume every MG graphic novel they can get their hands on. As they get older and transition into YA books, they’re still eagerly seeking these stories and formats, but finding fewer of them on the shelves.
4. When: Looking ahead to next year (or beyond), what exciting things are next on the horizon for you?
I’m hard at work on a handful of new projects… two new middle grade novels: one in verse and one in prose. The Ripple Effect, coming out with Charlesbridge, is full of small-town charm and celebrates the unexpected effects of small acts of kindness. The other MG novel is about extreme sports and features a young and daring female phenom. They’re very different books, but I’m equally excited about them both. And I can’t say too much about my next YA just yet, but I’m in the drafting phase and it is lush, dark, lyrical, and a little bit sinister in a delightfully creepy gothic way. It’s not a myth retelling, but it is very much in the same vein as Spin in terms of theme and voice. Speaking of Spin and exciting developments…I just signed on to work with film agent Berni Barta from CAA, who will be helping to find potential partners to adapt the book for film/TV. This is a whole new world for me, but I’m thrilled by the possibilities!
5. Why: Why YA? What draws you to writing for this age group?
Prior to Spin, I had published several middle grade novels and a couple picture books, but to be honest, the world of YA intimidated me a little bit! I love to read YA, but I always considered middle grade to be my writing sweet spot. However, when I re-discovered Ovid’s version of Arachne’s myth I knew right away that my own re-imagining of the story would need to be either YA or adult. I was also craving a new challenge, and writing this story for older readers felt liberating. I think the finished book lands somewhere in the crossover territory, very much rooted in the coming-of-age young adult world, while also appealing to adult readers. And now that I’ve dipped my toe into YA, I’m excited to continue writing for this age group. Teens today are so smart, savvy, and engaged. They can also smell inauthenticity from a mile away, so it really pushes me to write from the heart, to dig deep and not be afraid to be vulnerable. My own teen years were such a rollercoaster of emotion and self-discovery. It’s a rich and challenging time in a person’s life, and there is no shortage of stories to tell.
Writing Inspiration from Kip
You know what can be even more exciting than seeing your own project develop from a spark of an idea to a published book? For me, there’s almost nothing as exciting as seeing the progression of a critique partner’s work from an early draft to an ARC to the actual final version.
I consider myself lucky to have worked with many, many critique partners and beta readers. Some were published long before I was, some just before or just after, and some haven’t been published yet—yet being the key word there. On my end, I get so much from my critique partners’ feedback. I definitely couldn’t do it without them—my work would never make it to the necessary level without their help.
But on the critiquing end, I likewise get a ton out of it. Not only do I selfishly get to see the beginnings of something that has all the potential, but I also get to see the project develop as the author works hard on it. All of that of course gives me the chance to learn more—how do they use feedback to rework and polish their story until it becomes something amazing? Soak it up, friends, because critique partners are magic!
Thank you for joining me on this voyage!
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