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Faber to publish definitive anthology on growing up disabled

By Faber Editor, 9 October 2024

Faber acquires the definitive anthology on what it’s like to grow up disabled featuring autobiographical stories from twenty-two of the most celebrated writers in the disabled community. Edited by Jen Campbell, James Catchpole and Lucy Catchpole, Owning It: Tales from our Disabled Childhoods will publish on 24 April 2025.

A powerful and much-needed book, this anthology of firsthand experiences of childhood disability will be a welcome companion for disabled children, whilst providing non-disabled children with an essential own-voice perspective.

With artwork by illustrator and Paralympian Sophie Kamlish, Owning It will feature contributions from Ali Abbas (UK), Polly Atkin (UK), Imani Barbarin (USA), Jen Campbell (UK), James Catchpole (UK), Christa Couture (Canada), Carly Findlay (Australia), M. Leona Godin (USA), Eugene Grant (UK), Jan Grue (Norway), Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini (UK), Ilya Kaminsky (USA), Sora J. Kasuga (USA), Jessica Kellgren-Fozard (UK), Elle McNicoll (UK), Daniel Sluman (UK), Nina Tame (UK), Rebekah Taussig (USA), Steven Verdile (USA), Alex Wegman (USA), Ashley Harris Whaley (USA) and Kendra Winchester (USA).

Alice Swan acquired World Rights to the full anthology. Owning It: Tales from our Disabled Childhoods will publish in paperback on 24 April 2025.

James and Lucy Catchpole said:

‘What does a girl losing her eyesight in San Francisco have in common with a boy losing his arms in Baghdad? Disability is as wildly varied as the human body, and manifests in all different walks of life, in different countries and cultures. So when we asked our disabled peers to tell us stories from their childhoods, it was the differences that struck us first. But then, as we read through these stories – these memories – we started to see the common threads. Despite the diversity of experience, disability solidarity is real and vital and powerful. Many of us editors and contributors to this anthology discovered this only in adulthood. We want new generations of disabled readers to make this wonderful discovery as children. We want to pass on what we’ve learned.’

Jen Campbell said:

‘Once upon a time we were disabled children; now we’ve grown up to be disabled authors. The title of our anthology, Owning It, is both ironic and hopeful. Most of the disabled writers within these pages did not own their disabilities when they were young – myself included. We simply did not have the tools to do so. Now we do, and we know firsthand that books are mighty spell work, so this is both a gift to ourselves, as well as an offering to a new generation of readers. Pull up a seat; we have stories to share.’

Alice Swan, Associate Publisher, Faber said:

‘We are extremely proud to publish these childhood tales from this incredible collective of the very best writers from the disability community around the world. The tales are at times thought-provoking, funny, challenging, angry, happy, sad, full of love – stories to share and to reread and to cherish. We cannot wait for this bold and brilliant anthology to hit the shelves.’

 

James Catchpole runs a children’s literary agency with his wife Lucy in Oxford, England. He sometimes writes books about a child-version of himself called Joe – in picture books What Happened to You? and You’re So Amazing!. He filled some of the time between being Joe’s age and the age he is now, by being an amputee footballer and itinerant busker, two professions where it actively helps to have one leg.

Lucy Catchpole is the author of Mama Car and co-author of You’re So Amazing!. She’s a full-time wheelchair user and has written about disability for the Guardian and the BBC, and more often on her Instagram @thecatchpoles, where she and James also post about children’s books and family life with their two daughters.

Jen Campbell is an award-winning poet, and the bestselling author of fourteen books for adults and children, spanning fiction, nonfiction, poetry and picture books. Her titles include the Franklin and Luna series, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers and The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. She is also an editor and a disability advocate, and she reviews books online, in print and on the radio. You can find her talking about reading, the history of fairy tales, and disability over on her YouTube channel, where she has a following of over 70,000. www.jen-campbell.co.uk

Sophie Kamlish is an illustrator, animator and 3-time Paralympic athlete based in Bath, England. She graduated from Kingston University in 2019 with a degree in Illustration and Animation and has illustrated for the BBC and animated for both Channel 4 and The Royal Opera House. In 2019, her final year animation, in which she discusses the pros and cons of life as an amputee, was nominated for the London International Animation Festival. Sophie ran the 100m for Great Britain at the London 2012 Paralympics when she was just 16. Life as an athlete has taken her all over the world – her pencil case firmly packed alongside her prosthetic running blade.

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The definitive anthology on what it’s like to grow up disabled. With twenty-two autobiographical stories from the most celebrated writers in the disabled community.