What's young adult fiction got to do with mental health and identity?

In this episode of the Soul Sessions with Jodie Gale, I interview, Author and Winner of the CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers, Pip Harry. We discuss young adult fiction, mental health, diet culture, competitive sport and identity.

Pip Harry is an Australian author and journalist, currently based in Singapore. She is an author for children – penning three well-received young adult novels published by the University of Queensland Press: I’ll Tell You Mine, Head of the River, and Because of You, which was shortlisted for the 2018 CBCA Children’s Book of the Year Awards, Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, and Queensland Literary Awards. Pip’s latest middle grade novel, The Little Wave, was shortlisted for the 2020 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and won the 2020 CBCA Children’s Book of the Year Awards. It has been adapted for the stage by Meerkat Productions. She is working on a new middle grade novel, Are You There Buddha? due for release in mid-2021 with Hachette Australia. Pip was a recipient of the 2019 May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellowship and was awarded a 2012 Australia Council Literature Board Grant for Emerging Writers. She was selected for the 2015 Djerassi Resident Artists Program for Young Adult Writers. Pip’s currently works as Editor for the not-for-profit Australian and New Zealand Association (ANZA), as well as presenting for schools, festivals and other bookish events. pipharry.com

In What’s Young Adult fiction got to do with mental health and identity? Pip and I talk about:

Pip’s personal story, her struggles with weight, dieting and competitive sport, and how she overcame them
Pip’s career history including being a former editor of New Idea
The long road to success which included many knockbacks
Pip’s young adult fiction novels including I’ll Tell You Mine, Head of the River & Because of You
What is young adult fiction?
What age is young adult fiction aimed at?
What kind of concerns do young adult fiction cover?
Why is it important for this age demographic to read about mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, disordered eating, mother-daughter issues?
How competitive sport puts pressure on young people in terms of their relationship with food and their body
Do authors write about the struggles in their own lives?
Pip’s advice for anyone else struggling with these concerns
How writing can help in recovery
Why are so many adults reading YA books?
Pip recommends buying your books from your local Indie bookstore and if that isn’t possible, online with free delivery via Book Depository