Leaf Journal: On Writing for Young People

About the Journal

Publishing scholarly articles on the practice of creative writing for young people. Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky.

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Vol. 2 No. 1 (2024): Leaf Journal: On Writing for Young People

View Vol. 2 No. 1 (2024): Leaf Journal: On Writing for Young People

Published: 24.05.2025

Editors' Letter

Volume 2 Editors' Letter The journal editors, Elen Caldecott and Lucy Cuthew, introduce the seven articles that make up this issue of 'Leaf Journal, On Writing for Young People'

Elen Caldecott, Lucy Cuthew (Author)
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Scholarly Articles

Representing “Otherness”: Animals in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Beyond Author Piu DasGupta considers the issue of the alterity (or “otherness”) of animals as a category, in classic fiction and in her own writing.

Piu DasGupta (Author)
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When the Plot Thickens: Writing the Textured Children’s Novel in an Era of Corporate Taste Noah Weisz illuminates techniques writers can use to thicken their stories’ textures and build more impactful novels without falling afoul of industry constraints.

Noah Weisz (Author)
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Writing Hopeful Climate Fiction for Middle Grade Readers Many children suffer from climate anxiety. Rupert Barrington asks, how can children’s fiction help them?

Rupert Barrington (Author)
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Learning Curve: The University-Set Novel Made Palatable, and Appropriate, for Young Adult Readers Caitlin Clements makes the case for the university setting in YA literature, done appropriately for young readers.

Caitlin Clements (Author)
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“A Balance Between the Real and the Fictive”: Writing Nuanced Queer Representation in Young Adult Historical Fiction Julia Dielmann identifies potential narrative strategies for writing queer historical fiction and considers their application in her work.

Julia Dielmann (Author)
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How Do Authors Negotiate Contemporary Notions of Gender and Historical Accuracy When Creating Female Characters in Middle Grade Historical Fiction? Anna Trusty considers how notions of gender have been interpreted in children’s historical fiction.

Anna Trusty (Author)
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A Call to Mind: How are MG Authors Challenging the Stigmatisation of Mental Health? Elaine Lambert asks how Middle Grade fiction can encourage openness around mental health problems.

Elaine Lambert (Author)
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Leaf Journal is materially supported by Lancaster University and Bath Spa University in the UK. We are very grateful for all their help.