Juno Dawson: Difference between revisions

Dawson was born James Dawson<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lynch |first1=Dónal |title=Juno Dawson: ‘Transwomen like me experience the same kind of misogyny that any woman does’ |url=https://www.independent.ie/life/juno-dawson-transwomen-like-me-experience-the-same-kind-of-misogyny-that-any-woman-does/a1808873348.html |work=Irish Independent |date=28 May 2023 |language=en}}</ref> at Bradford Royal Infirmary in West Yorkshire.<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=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15314005.__39_Transition_is_exhausting__No_one_does_it_to_be_trendy__39___Author_Juno_Dawson_on_her_new_book_The_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 2015, Dawson came out as a [[transgender]] woman, having begun her journey of transitioning 18 months prior. While initially continuing to use the name James,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Strudwick |first1=Patrick |title=Internationally Bestselling Author Comes Out As Transgender |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/patrickstrudwick/internationally-bestselling-author-comes-out-as-transgender |work=BuzzFeed |date=24 October 2015 |language=en}}</ref> she formally changed her name to Juno in January 2016.<ref>{{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> She began hormonal transition in early 2016.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hawkes |first=Rebecca |date=14 October 2015 |title=YA author James Dawson: 'I'm becoming a transgender woman' |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/james-dawson-transgender-woman/ |access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref> She was signed to write a column in ''[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]'' magazine documenting her experience of transitioning.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Duffy |first=Nick |date=5 January 2016 |title='This Book is Gay' author to document her transition in Glamour |work=Pink News |url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/01/05/this-book-is-gay-author-to-document-her-transition-in-glamour/ |access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref> She represents the LGBT charity [[Stonewall (charity)|Stonewall]] as a School Role Model.<ref name=ES2017>{{Cite news |last=Levine |first=Nick |date=31 January 2017 |title=Juno Dawson on her life, her novel and debunking trans myths |work=Evening Standard |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/juno-dawson-on-her-life-her-novel-margot-me-and-debunking-trans-myths-a3454056.html |access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref> Dawson sat on the judging panel for the 2016 BBC Young Writers' Award.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 March 2016 |title=Transgender author Juno Dawson joins judging panel for BBC Young Writers' Award |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/transgender-author-juno-dawson-bbc-young-writers-award/ |access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref>