Death in the Spotlight has been out for a month in the UK and Ireland – and so has Daisy Wells! If you’ve read it, you’ll know that in this book, Daisy finally gets her first crush … on another girl.
I’m not going to tell you who, just in case you haven’t picked up Death in the Spotlight yet – but it’s a story line that I’m so excited to have written, and I’m thrilled at the responses it’s had from readers.
Now my friend Charlie Morris, who read an early draft of Death in the Spotlight, and I have written an article for the Penguin website about what Daisy coming out means to us, and why it’s so important that children’s books should be full of LGBTQ+ characters. Enjoy – and thank you so much for your support!
Hi Robin,
Oh, wow I was not expecting that! I have still not read it yet but I am trying my hardest to get through my books. I am so happy you have touched on LGBTQ characters because it is important for people to understand that love is love and you can like whoever you like. Also, I love the book rainbow!
Thank you, Lydia! I think it’s so important to put LGBTQ+ characters in books – it’s so normal in real life but somehow people don’t expect it to happen in stories. I want to help change that!
It’s cool that you can use the books to make the pride flag!🏳️🌈
Did you always know when you started writing the series that Daisy would be LGBT?
It is really unusual to find LGBTQ characters in books especially based in historical settings
Isn’t it great? I don’t think I knew in the first book, but I was thinking about it from the second (you can start seeing hints in the way I write about her). It is really unusual, especially in children’s books, and I want to help change that, because of course LGBTQ+ characters have always existed – we just haven’t heard about them.
I love that LGBTQ characters are being included, the really nice couple that live next door to my family are gay and when they came round for coffee with mum I told them about this series, and they loved it! They also said it was clever how the book colours lined up to make a rainbow – the symbol of the LGBTQ community.
That is so lovely, Wren, thank you for telling them! I love that the books make a rainbow – we didn’t start off meaning to do it, but I’m so pleased that we have.