British author Lisa Williamson speaks to Sapna Sarfare about her novel The Art of Being Normal which deals with youngster dealing with gender identity and need to get acceptability for who they really are.
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| Lisa Williamson |
Some
books just connect from the moment you read the first sentence. One such book
has been The Art of Being Normal by British author Lisa Williamson which
is a remarkable story of friendship. David Piper has a secret known to few – he
wants to be girl. He meets Leo Denton who prefers being invisible to hide a
secret. Their friendship begins when Leo saves David from a bully. But it also
has to go through some fire. Will they know each other’s secret? What happens
if others know about it? The story is about 2 people with dreams which others
might not understand.
A
native of Nottingham, Lisa trained as an actor before discovering the writer
within. She also worked at London-based Gender Identity Development Service
(GIDS) which helps underage kids deal with gender identity. She speaks about
her debut novel, the thought behind it and more.
I loved the book. It read like a page out
of real life yet was fiction. How did that
happen?
I
don’t know! I think my lack of planning actually perhaps works in my favour
sometimes. I tend to start writing not necessarily knowing where the story will
go. As a result, I think the action tends to unfold in quite an authentic and
organic way. I also always remember something a creative writing once said, and
that was to include lots of ‘strange but true’ details in your work. Life is
weird, people are weird, even the ones to seem really ordinary. We all have our
strange little quirks and habits so I always try to include as many of these as
possible. I also always aim to end chapters on, not a cliffhanger, exactly, but
with an unanswered question in the air.
The story was different &
touching. Was there any reason of picking it for your debut novel?
Yes.
I was directly inspired by the young people I met through my job at the time –
as administrator for the Gender Identity Development Service. I was struck by
the lack of fiction featuring transgender characters, particularly aimed
at a young adult audience. The books I did find tended to be quite gloomy so I
set about writing an entertaining, engrossing book that explored gender
identity in a way that I felt reflected some of the experiences the young trans
people I’d met had had. I didn’t want it to be defined by one theme/issue.
Above all, it’s a book about being a teenager and all the ups & downs this
brings.
While writing, what were the struggles you
faced, as the theme is of one lead character wanting to be a girl and another
hiding a secret?
I
struggle with plotting. I don’t like to plot in advance because I feel it
stifles me and often forces me down paths that don’t feel right. At the same
time, it’s quite scary not knowing where your story is going! For ages, Leo and
David lived in separate cities and I spend weeks and weeks trying to come up
with realistic ways for them to meet. I then decided to have them attend the
same school but again it took ages to work out how to make their lives collide
without sacrificing the authenticity. On the other hand, I actually found
keeping Leo’s secret very fun! I liked dropping in little clues along the way
and building up to the reveal.
I loved the fact that the topic dealt with
issues like bullying, transgender people, school life, teenage issues and
society in a sensitive yet light manner. How did the process go in your mind
before writing?
I
always wanted the book to be sensitive yet not weighed down by any one issue or
theme. Life is full of light and shade so I wanted the book to reflect this. I
also knew from the start that I wanted a happy, hopeful ending so even when I
was writing a painful scene, at the back of my mind I knew things were
ultimately going to be okay.
How are the issues in your book seen in the
west?
Things
have changed a lot since I started writing the book (in 2012). There has been a
huge increase in the coverage of trans issues in the arts and media and
although prejudice remains, the response has been largely positive. By making trans
people and issues relevant to them mainstream and visible, it’s helping to
remove the sense of fear and the unknown that so many people base their
prejudices on. I’ve had lots of lovely emails about the book. Equally, I’m
aware I’m in a bit of a bubble. The majority of my friends are very open and
liberal so it’s often shocking to me when I realise how prevalent trans phobia
still is. Things are improving (slowly) but there is still a lot of prejudice
and ignorance. We’ve come a long way in a short space of time but there’s still
so much to do.
How has the response been to the book? Any
response which touched you or even made you think?
It's
been really, really lovely! I’ve had lots of emails and tweets that have
touched me deeply. I’ve had messages from young trans people saying it’s helped
them come out to friends and family; others say it’s helped just knowing it exists
and is sold in mainstream high street bookshops. I’ve also had messages from
older trans people saying they wish they’d had a book like it when they were
younger.
What’s your next book going to be?
My
next book is called All About Mia and
is out in February 2017. It’s about a girl called Mia who is a middle child,
sandwiched between two very impressive sisters.
BOOK: The Art of Being Normal
AUTHOR: Lisa Williamson
GENRE: Young Fiction
LANGUAGE: English
PUBLICATION: David Fickling Books
PAGES: 353 
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