Hello everyone! It’s my pleasure to bring you the next interview for GeekDis 2023. Please join me in welcoming children’s author Sally Doherty who is joining us today to talk about her middle grade books, the Toby Bean series, and disability representation as a chronically ill author.

Hi Sally, thank you for joining me today for GeekDis 2023! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi Heather! Thanks so much for having me. I live in leafy Surrey with my husband and three-legged (but speedy) rescue dog. After studying French and German at university and subsequently working for a year in London, I unexpectedly fell ill with M.E. Many (many) moons later, I’m still stuck at home and largely in bed, but have discovered the wonder of writing and escaping into fantasy worlds.

What representation can readers find in your books?

My Toby Bean series (the first book being Toby and the Silver Blood Witches) features a young carer whose mum has M.E. I also have a book coming out next year which I’m not supposed to talk about yet *cough* but there may be *cough* wheelchair-representation and I can’t wait to share more about it. (You didn’t hear this from me.)

How did your own experiences shape your writing?

I never consciously intended to write about chronic illness. But then I also never intended to start writing! It just sort of happened, and it’s not a surprise that my own experiences influence my stories. I’m so pleased if they help to raise awareness. But at the same time, chronic illness is not the main theme of my books. It definitely affects the way my characters act sometimes (you can’t escape that with an all-consuming illness such as M.E.), but there is also action and adventure and hair-raising escapades.

What are your thoughts on disability representation?

This is a tough one. There is definitely not enough disability representation in books, TV, film and the media. We need to normalise it so people don’t feel awkward when they meet someone in a wheelchair, for example. And so they understand a disabled person is not identified by their disability.

But here’s where it gets controversial. Personally, I think we should leave disability representation to be written about by the actual people who have lived experience of it. I know some people will disagree with me on this. But as someone who lives with an illness which has been badly misrepresented in the media, the last thing I would want is someone to portray it who didn’t fully understand it (even if they have the best intentions) as it can cause a lot of harm.

How have people responded to the M.E. representation in your books?

On the whole, I’ve been really pleased with the response. You can never get the representation right for everyone because everyone has different experiences themselves, and I can only write from my own experience. But the response has been 99% positive, ranging from readers with M.E or who are young carers saying they can relate to it to other readers understanding more about life with this illness.

What are some of your favourite books with disabled representation?

This is an easy one! For middle grade, I absolutely love The Secret of Haven Point and The Stickleback Catchers by Lisette Auton. Both contain wonderful disability representation and gorgeous adventures with a splash of fantasy – from a secret mermaid lair to feathers which transport you into memories.

For YA, I highly recommend the autobiographies, A Girl Behind Dark Glasses, and the sequel, A Girl in One Room, by Jessica Taylor-Bearman. They are a captivating and important read about Jessica’s life with M.E., with a strong, chatty voice and surprising bursts of humour despite the huge challenges she faces.

Thank you, Sally, for taking the time to talk to us!

Thank you for reading my interview with Sally Doherty, I hope you enjoyed it!

You can learn more about Sally’s writing at her website, and do take the time to check out her books on GoodReads. You can also find her on social media; she’s on Facebook and Twitter.

This interview was part of the GeekDis event which you can follow on social media using the #GeekDis. You can also view all this year’s content at GeekDis 2023 content hub!

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