What I Did
Novelist, poet and scriptwriter. My interest in young narrators stems from a desire to effectively capture the voices of children in my novels. Creative writing PhD studies with the University of South Wales encouraged me to research different strategies and techniques used by published authors and to experiment with them in my writing. The String Games my debut novel was the result of this academic and creative journey. Further novels continue to include young voices in a starring role as I get inside the heads of a range of characters. After a stint as a university lecturer, I dabbled in fiction for children and through a collaboration with illustrator Fiona Zechmeister, Pandemonium a children’s picture book was published in 2020.
Funny and compassionate, This Much Huxley Knows explores issues of belonging, friendship, and what it means to trust.
Shepherd is readers supported. When you buy through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission. This is how we fund this project for readers and authors (learn more).
Five-year-old Jack knows no existence beyond the space where he’s been imprisoned with his mother since birth. Outside is nothing more than pictures flickering across a television screen. Jack’s isolated upbringing is exemplified by his voice. Omission of articles a or the (as in the title) elevates everyday items into proper nouns as if they are friends and have personalities. The use of capital letters heightens the visual experience of reading and enhances the audible quality. It’s as if readers can hear the cogs of a young child’s mind turning. Following Jack’s dramatic escape, the challenge for mother and son lies in their ability to adapt to the big bad world.
Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and currently an AQA English Literature GCSE text, Pigeon English is a debut novel that captures the experiences of eleven-year-old Harrison Opuku. A new arrival from Ghana, he lives with his mother and sister amongst the gang culture on a south London housing estate. Harri is an appealing narrator who uses a mixture of West African slang and a rapidly acquired local vernacular. The text is enlivened by dialogue presented in the form of a playscript with illustrations and lists promoting the visual quality of the story.
Jude grows up in an abusive home following the suicide of her mother. Life is continually perplexing for Jude who tries to make sense of what’s happening in her home, school, and community life. The understanding that slips through her fingers is represented by the use of a range of typography including varied fonts and sizes, print from pale to bold, left and right justified margins. Jude’s vulnerability is juxtaposed with anger and hatred which makes for a heady mix of emotions. One can’t help but respect this young narrator for her ability to withstand.
5,309 authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about immigrants, France, and domestic violence.
We think you will like The Incredible Book Eating Boy, The Essential Calvin and Hobbes, and Sarah if you like this list.
From Diego's list on the best album books to unleash your children´s imagination.
The pages are filled with things to discover, it's one of those books that you will read and start over to find things hidden amongst the pages. The quirky lines makes the main character really nice for kids, resembling how they draw their own characters. And the story gives a really nice message about how fulfilling reading can be.
From Frans' list on the best children’s books that tickled my toes.
Because Bill Watterson is a master. Creative kids, so often misunderstood, as Calvin is by his parents, (often understandably) there are no bad guys in this comic strip, aside from the imagined creations running amuck in Calvin’s wonderfully weird brain. The drawings are superb, a great mix of flat graphics and Disney dimensionality, and the writing a great insight into lone kids’ behavior. Watterson created a timeless masterpiece that influenced many comics that followed.
From Marilyn's list on the best books about empowerment and hope.
Sarah by Laura Albert aka JT LeRoy captivated my attention right from the start. The story crackles with originality even years after its release. The writing is so vivid that it engulfs the reader in the story. The characters are three dimensional, and the tale being told in the first person and present tense makes you empathize more with the main character. Having gone through a difficult upbringing, the story of Cherry Vanilla and their quest to find love and acceptance spoke to me. This is a title I would highly recommend, not only for the merit of the writing but also because its message continues to resonate to this day. Also check out the audiobook of Sarah, read splendidly by Winsome Brown.