Juno Dawson: Difference between revisions

| image = juno dawson 2023 1.jpg

| caption = Dawson at the [[British Library]] in 20182023

| website = {{urlURL|https://junodawson.com}}

'''Juno Dawson''' (formerlyborn '''James Dawson''';<ref name=ES2017":0"/> born 10 JuneJuly 1981) is an English author of [[young adult fiction]] and non-fiction. Dawson's notable works include ''[[This Book Is Gay]]'', ''Mind Your Head'', ''Margot & Me'', ''The Gender Games'', ''Clean'', ''Meat Market'', and the series, "Her Majesty's Royal Coven".

Dawson was born at Bradford Royal Infirmary in West Yorkshire and was assigned male at birth.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kay|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Kay (writer)|date=2020|title=Dear NHS 100 Stories to say Thank You |chapter=Juno Dawson|publisher=Orion Publishing Group, Limited |isbn=978-1-3987-0118-2}}</ref> Dawson lived in [[Bingley]] and was educated at [[Bingley Grammar School]].<ref name=Gendergames>{{cite book| author=Juno Dawson|title=The Gender Games| year=2017}}</ref><ref name="hogan">{{cite news|last1=Hogan|first1=Michael|title=Juno Dawson: 'Teenagers have seen things that would make milk curdle'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/apr/01/juno-dawson-clean-interview-transgender-anorexia-drugs|access-date=3 May 2019|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=1 April 2018}}</ref> After graduating from [[Bangor University]],<ref name=Gendergames/> she worked as a primary school teacher and later became a [[Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education|PSHE]] co-ordinator.<ref name="armstrong">{{cite news |last1=Armstrong |first1=Rebecca |title=Juno Dawson on sex education: 'Nobody had thought to tell these young people that sex was pleasurable' |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/education/juno-dawson-young-adult-fiction-sex-education/ |access-date=3 May 2019 |work=[[i (newspaper)|i]] |date=20 April 2018}}</ref> While working as a teacher, she began writing books aimed at [[Young adult fiction|young adults]] and became successful enough to leave her job.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=httphttps://www.heraldscotland.com/newslife_style/arts_ents/15314005.__39_Transition_is_exhausting__No_one_does_it_to_be_trendy__39___Author_Juno_Dawson_on_her_new_book_The_Gender_Gamestransition-exhausting-no-one-trendy-author-juno-dawson-new-book-gender-games/|title='Transition is exhausting. No-one does it to be trendy': Author Juno Dawson on her new book The Gender Games|last=Taylor|first=Marianne|date=28 May 2017|work=The Herald|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref> She wrote a number of young adult fiction books including ''Hollow Pike'' and ''Say Her Name''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/10/24/international-best-selling-author-comes-out-as-transgender/|title=International best selling author comes out as transgender|last=Williams|first=Joe|date=24 October 2015|work=Pink news|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref> Her books often feature [[LGBT]] people, and Dawson has advocated for other books to feature more prominent LGBT characters.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/james-dawson-cassandra-clare-gay-ya/|title=James Dawson: 'Young Adult literature should celebrate being gay'|last=Hawkes|first=Rebecca|date=24 July 2015|work=The Telegraph|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref>

In 2014, Dawson received the [[The Book People#Queen of Teen award winners|Queen of Teen award]].<ref name="eyre" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Caitlin |title=Queen of Teen dethroned |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/childrens-books-site/2016/feb/11/queen-of-teen-dethroned |work=The Guardian |date=11 February 2016}}</ref>

In 2019, Dawson began started the popular ''[[Sex and the City]]'' podcast [https://open.spotify.com/show/1gqy7kQZPjKsiW4Fuxs8Ek 'So I Got To Thinking']. Her co-host is journalist and QX editor Dylan B Jones.

''This Book Is Gay'', illustrated by [[Spike Gerrell]], was first published in the UK in September 2014 with subsequent publication in the US in June 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson |url=https://www.gaystheword.co.uk/product-page/this-book-is-gay-by-juno-dawson |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=Gay's The Word |language=en}}</ref> The book is a "manual to all areas of life as an LGBT person"<ref name="Guardian04Sept2014">{{Cite news |last=Dawson |first=Juno |date=2014-09-04 |title=Why my book is gay: and I'm proud of it |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/sep/04/this-book-is-gay-james-dawson |access-date=2017-07-31}}</ref> and "is meant to serve as a guidebook for young people discovering their sexual identity and how to navigate those uncomfortable waters."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-14 |title=Hilliard parents debate banning book from school libraries |url=https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/hilliard/hilliard-parents-debate-banning-book-from-school-libraries/ |access-date=2023-05-01 |website=NBC4 |language=en-US}}</ref>

''This Book is Gay'' has faced controversy since its publication. In November of 2014, residents of [[Wasilla, Alaska]] petitioned to remove the book from a public library, with a number of residents objecting to profanity and sexually explicit content.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-lgbt-book-for-teens-challenged-in-alaska-20151125-story.html|title='This Book Is Gay', an LGBT sex ed book for teens, is challenged in Wasilla, Alaska|last=Schaub|first=Michael|date=25 November 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref> Dawson responded by saying the event highlighted how "there is still such small-mindedness and hatred left to contend with."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/26/james-dawson-criticises-parents-who-attacked-his-lgbt-guide-for-children|title=James Dawson criticises parents who attacked his LGBT guide for children|last=Flood|first=Alison|date=26 November 2015|work=The Guardian|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref> In 2022, it was listed among 52 books banned by the [[Alpine School District]] following the implementation of Utah law H.B. 374, "Sensitive Materials In Schools."<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=2022-08-01 |title=Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship |url=https://pen.org/press-release/ban-on-52-books-in-largest-utah-school-district-is-a-worrisome-escalation-of-censorship/ |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=PEN America |language=en}}</ref> Ultimately, it tied for the tenth-most banned and challenged books in the United States that year, according to the [[American Library Association]]'s Office for Intellectual Freedom.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Albanese |first=Andrew |date=2023-04-24 |title=ALA Releases Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022 |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/92111-ala-releases-top-10-most-challenged-books-of-2022.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425102915/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/92111-ala-releases-top-10-most-challenged-books-of-2022.html |archive-date=2023-04-25 |access-date=2023-05-01 |website=[[Publishers Weekly]] |language=en}}</ref>

In 2017, Dawson published ''The Gender Games'', her first book aimed at adults, discussing themes of gender as well as her own life experiences.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=Harrington2017>{{cite news |last1=Harrington |first1=Suzanne |title=Author describes what it's like when a man becomes a woman |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-20453058.html |work=[[Irish Examiner]] |date=22 June 2017 |language=en}}</ref> Television rights to the book were acquired in 2018 by SunnyMarch, the [[production company]] founded by [[Benedict Cumberbatch]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/benedict-cumberbatch-sunnymarch-the-gender-games-1202829338/|title=Benedict Cumberbatch's SunnyMarch Banner Lands TV Rights to Memoir 'The Gender Games'|last=Kroll|first=Justin|date=4 June 2018|work=Variety|access-date=16 August 2018}}</ref>

In early 2018, it was announced Dawson would write ''The Good Doctor'', one of the first ''[[Doctor Who]]'' novels to feature the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] as played by [[Jodie Whittaker]]. The novel was released in October 2018.<ref name="drwho">{{cite news |last=Cowdrey |first=Katherine |url= https://www.thebookseller.com/news/alderman-and-dawson-write-doctor-who-universe-784391 |title=Alderman and Dawson to write Doctor Who tales |work=[[The Bookseller]] |date=10 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/may/11/new-doctor-who-regenerated-in-fiction-by-juno-dawson-and-naomi-alderman|title=New Doctor Who regenerated in fiction by Juno Dawson and Naomi Alderman|last=Alderman|first=Naomi|date=11 May 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=16 August 2018}}</ref>

Her novel, ''Meat Market'' won the 2020 [[YA Book Prize 2020]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/insight/third-time-lucky-dawson-author-wins-ya-book-prize-meat-market-1204700|title = Dawson's Meat Market wins the YA Book Prize &#124; the Bookseller}}</ref>

* ''WhatsWhat's The T?'' (2021)

[[Category:PeopleActors from Bingley]]

[[Category:WomenBritish women science fiction and fantasy writers]]