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| Losing It - Julia Lawrinson |
It’s becoming clear
that young adult fiction is reaching audiences outside of its initial target
age group and that it’s not just being read, but devoured. YA authors Amanda Betts
(chairperson), Julia Lawrinson, and Vicki Wakefield led the discussion and questioned
why people of all ages are reading teenage fiction. Before the discussion I
thought about this and it ultimately came down to YA being relatable (everyone
has been a teenager amiright?) and that it can be so fast paced, so vibrant,
and so full of possibilities for authors to explore and to push the boundaries.
The Not Just for Kids seminar
definitely confirmed this and then some.
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| All I Ever Wanted - Vicki Wakefield |
The session started
off with Julia Lawrinson reading a humorous sex scene from her latest book Losing It, which follows the story of
four girls who want to lose their virginity before Schoolies Week (for
non-aussie readers this is essentially a celebration week full of parties for
students finishing their final year of high school). Besides a few others, and
myself, most of the audience consisted of people in the 30+ range and they were
in absolute hysterics at this awkward fumbling scene like you would not
believe. I think that Vicki Wakefield accurately narrowed down the popularity
of YA to four words: Hope, Heart, Humour, and Horniness. While not all YA has
every single one of these elements, I think it’s fair to say that it’s a
category that enables people to engage with a text that can freely explore so
many avenues, and can play with the characters and the audience in various ways.
Another factor as to
why YA is so appealing to adults is because when they, themselves were
teenagers, a category of books designated for their age group simply didn’t
exist. And in a way it enables older readers to feel nostalgic and remember
what it was like when they were a teenager, because being a teen is full of so
many potential firsts – whether it be a first exam, first job, first kiss, or
first girl/boyfriend. It’s also a period in time (even though we don’t
necessarily realise this until we’re older) that in a way we are free due to
their being less responsibility and stress from “adult thingz”.
Ultimately, the
categorical name of “young adult fiction” is a marketing ploy to try and
attract a specific target audience, or rather the audience that marketers
believe would most enjoy these books, when in fact, people of all ages can
enjoy them. I don’t doubt that there are plenty of teens that would rather read
so-called “adult” books; therefore it’s only fair that there would be plenty of
adults interested in so-called “teen” books. Read YA with pride people!
Why do you think YA is so appealing to older readers ? Comment below or tweet me @faultystairs :)
Why do you think YA is so appealing to older readers ? Comment below or tweet me @faultystairs :)
Yes, yes, yes! I read one study which concluded that 55% of YA fiction is purchased by consumers aged 18+ - it seems the stats totally agree with this! :D
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that you brought that stat up because Amanda mentioned it during the seminar as well. It sounds as though it's particularly popular amongst the 30-35 age group. Thanks for the comment Jack :)
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