Two powerful coming-of-age stories take the stage and shine a light on the dangers of keeping secrets and the freedom to be found in breaking away from the path laid out for you.

Resilience, belonging, and making bold moves are at the heart of Diana Anyakwo’s My Life as a Chameleon and Shirley-Anne McMillan’s Grapefruit Moon, two new novels perfect for Young Adult and New Adult readers alike. Relatable protagonists search for inner strength and belonging in worlds full of restrictive social norms and cookie-cutter identities, a struggle that will resonate with readers long after they’ve turned the last page.

Join the authors as they discuss their latest stories and reflect on the challenges they themselves faced while growing up and learning to love their own inner selves.

Diana Anyakwo currently works as a freelance writer and editor of English Language teaching materials. She loves reading, writing and binge-watching TV series.

Shirley-Anne McMillan has worked as a teacher, an Online Writer in Residence for the Irish Writers Centre, a youth worker with LGBTQ young people and a creative writing tutor.