inclusivity and representation.” And while Black Lives Matter has pushed the debate up the agenda, real change will only be possible with actions. Worryingly, the experience of ESEA Communities during Covid has reinforced the notion that racism and prejudice is never far away for people from minority groups.
With some politicians, notably former President Donald Trump, happy to label Covid-19 “the China virus”, it is little wonder that some have taken this as a green light to be overt in their prejudice. Sue says that for many the streets no longer feel safe, with a marked increase in verbal and physical attacks on ESEA communities and says: “There have been times when I have been nervous to leave the house.” Sue says that this has been one of the low points of Covid, but also points to communities and individuals working together as a sign of hope for the future. She also acknowledges the potential of a younger generation that is learning about and practicing empathy in a way that offers wider hope to the world. There is talk of a sequel to Chinglish, but Sue admits that a year of lockdown has not been conducive to writing that particular story. However she has not spent lockdown twiddling her thumbs, and there is a new middle grade book on the horizon.
Spring-Summer 2021
A guide to life
Maddy Yip’s Guide to Life is the first in a series and it will be released on 5 August, and is described as “filled with belly-laughs and packed with drawings! Perfect for fans of Tom Gates and Sam Wu. Maddy Yip is perfectly happy in life, until she realises that everyone she knows has a talent – except for her! Maddy is determined to change that, with the help of her brothers, bewildered granddad and her best friend Dev.
“There are disastrous attempts at breakdancing and playing the recorder, revolting cakes, and a magic disappearing trick that ends up with an escaped guinea pig. Will Maddy ever find her true calling?”
Sue says: “Maddy Yip is the book I wanted to read when I was young. Maddy is an everyday kid doing everyday things, getting it wrong a lot, but that’s ok. And she just happens to be Chinese. “When I was a kid we had no books in the house. Instead, I went and bought comics at the local newsagents: The Beano, The Dandy, Whizzer and Chips – I devoured them all and ended up with a pile taller than I was.
“When I was able, I got myself a membership card from the public library and started reading other books: Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, C. S. Lewis... Then Adrian Mole came along and changed my life. At last! A character that seemed real, that I could totally relate to. Adrian was a
hapless teenage outcast trying to fit in but failing miserably, written honestly and hilariously by Sue Townsend, one of my biggest influences.” For Maddy Yip Sue returns to those comic styles of her childhood for inspiration, and adds: “As an author of colour, it was only natural that I created a character that reflected that. I didn’t see myself in any of the books I read as a kid, so I think it’s important that children get the proper representation reflecting society today. Maddy’s dad is Chinese, her mam is English, and her Chinese granddad (Agung) lives in the garage conversion. I’ve based it in the North East where I once lived on a council estate, so because it was my experience, I made a point of making the Yips working class.
“My ultimate aim with the Maddy Yip series is to make people laugh and remind them that life isn’t perfect, and that’s ok!” PEN&INC.
l
www.thediversebookawards.co.uk
l Chinglish: An Almost Entirely True Story Story and pictures By Sue Cheung Published by Andersen Press ISBN: 9781 78344 8395
l Maddy Yip’s Guide to Life Story and pictures By Sue Cheung Published by Andersen Press ISBN: 9781 83913 0496 Released: 5 August 2021
PEN&INC. 17
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