While a silver-sequinned jumpsuit called The Iris is the perfect attire to celebrate the publication of my new YA novel, We Are All Constellations*, it’s not the only outfit I’ll be wearing to mark the occasion. So too will I be donning vest, trainers and shorts. The second look may be far less spangly but running 31k in a shimmering all-in-one might raise a few too many eyebrows, and what we really want to raise is money.
Writing issue-led fiction, I have a somewhat necessary habit of subjecting my characters to more than their fair share of heartache. This is certainly true of Iris, my seventeen-year-old urban-exploring protagonist who, on discovering there is perhaps more to her mother’s death than she was led to believe, delves into something much scarier than abandoned buildings: the truth. The truth Iris yearns and resists in equal measure is two-fold. Yes, she wants to know how her mum died, but what she must also face is the truth about herself, about who she loves and how willing she is to express the myriad emotions that come with grief and, on the lighter end of the emotional scale, romance.
I truly believe books can offer readers a safe space in which to think not only about the characters’ feelings but their own too. And in a time when conversations about identity politics and mental health are so important, I hope Iris’ story ignites discussions both about how we define ourselves (and others) and how we might better articulate the thorny but inevitable emotions that come with being human.
That ability and opportunity to talk about difficult feelings is of utmost importance to me. Having volunteered for the Samaritans for the past three years, I’ve heard the difference that so often comes with talking, with being listened to without judgement or fear of repercussion. It’s for this reason that my friend and fellow Samaritan Emily and I are running from Samaritans in Shrewsbury to Booka in Oswestry, raising both money for, and awareness of, a charity that responds to a call for help every ten seconds.
31k isn’t a distance we’d usually choose to run. It seemed fitting, though, that we challenge ourselves, not only because we’re asking for donations but because, in the book, Iris pushes herself out of her comfort zone. And if I’m going to force my characters to do hard things then maybe I should do hard things too.
The run will end on a particularly high note because booksellers Carrie and Amy will join us for the last 13k. 13 because Booka is, this year, celebrating its 13th birthday. It may well be a number associated with bad luck but what brilliant fortune we have to live in an area with such a thriving community-minded independent bookshop. As a writer and reader, shops like Booka are among my favourite places. To be running towards it, then, will hopefully give us the surge we need to run further than we ever have previously. What will also help, of course, is the knowledge of the money we’re raising for a charity we hold so dear.
And on that note, any donations are hugely appreciated. (As are tips on how to best to keep my thousand or so sequins in peak shimmer and shine!)
*the sequins are as sparkly as stars and my protagonist is called Iris.