60 APRIL 2020 http://www.writers-online.co.ukBeing different
Author Joseph Elliott talks to Amy Sparkes about the
importance of representing children with additional needs in booksI
t is estimated that over 286,000
children in the UK (age 0-17)
have a learning disability^1 ,
and over 1.3 million children
have special educational needs^2
(14.9% of children). In addition,
10% of children and young people
aged 5-16 have a clinically diagnosable
mental health condition^3. And each of
these children has a story to tell.
The good news is that the publishing
industry is becoming more proactive
about diversity in children’s books,
creating opportunities and trying to
readdress the balance. It’s absolutely
vital that all children have the
opportunity to see themselves reflected
in stories and books, as they grow up.
Debut author Joseph Elliott is
passionate about creating characters
who are different, and his new book
reflects this.What is The Good Hawk
book about?
‘The Good Hawk is the first book in
an epic new fantasy trilogy, Shadow
Skye, set in an alternate version of
Scotland. It’s about a clan from the
Isle of Skye who get enslaved by
invaders from across the seas and the
two teenagers who must cross the
mysterious, plague-ridden mainland to
rescue them. It’s aimed at readers aged
12+ and I’m hoping it will fill the gap
there sometimes seems to be between
middle grade and young adult novels.
12 to 14 is such an integral age to
keep children reading, particularly
boys. It’s exactly the kind of book I
enjoyed reading at that age (and still
love reading now).’What’s the story behind
the story?
‘I’m an actor, and during my “resting”
periods I used to work as a teaching
assistant in a special needs school. One
day, I broke my foot playing football
(it’s fair to say my playing style is
maximum enthusiasm with minimal
skill...), so I couldn’t do either job for
quite a few months. I’d always had the
ambition to write a novel and – with
my leg in plaster and unable to do
much else – I decided to give it a go.
‘The story started with the image
of a girl stood on a wall, looking out
to sea. I knew she was in Scotland – a
country I have always loved for its
dramatic landscapes and atmospheric
weather – and, inspired by some of
the children I was working with at the
time, I also knew that she had Down’s
syndrome. The story unfolded as I
tried to work out who this girl was,and why she was there.
‘The book took me about two and a
half years to write as I juggled it with
my other jobs. Once it was finished, I
sent it off to a handful of agents and
was extremely fortunate to be picked
up by the phenomenal Claire Wilson
at RCW (Rogers, Coleridge & White).
A few months later – after several
suggestions from Claire and tweaks by
me – Claire submitted it to publishers.
I was on holiday at the time so had to
have all these important conference
calls with publishing people from
around the world whilst chilling on
the beach. The whole experience
was very surreal. I had an instant
connection with Walker Books, who
were excited to publish the book
simultaneously in the UK and the
US. It’s since been picked up by
international publishers as well, and
is going to be translated into both
Spanish and Italian. I’m still pinching
myself that it’s all real’Who are your main
characters and why are they
different?
‘Agatha is a fifteen-year-old girl with
Down’s syndrome, living in a world
where her condition is unnamed. She
is often ridiculed or belittled by other
members of her clan, but she is brave,
fierce and loyal, and proves that the
ways in which she thinks differently
are often her greatest strengths. She
is also incredibly loving, which is one
of the reasons I enjoy writing her so
much; she’s like a friend who is always
able to cheer me up with her unique
humour and her big-hearted smile.
‘Jaime is thoughtful andREFERENCES1
https://writ.rs/learningdisabilitiesstats12
https://writ.rs/senstats3
https://writ.rs/mhstats