Ashley Hickson-Lovence on Wild East and verse novels for tweens & teens

Meet Ronny - a fourteen-year-old Londoner whose life is turned upside down when tragedy strikes and his mum decides it's time to leave the only home he's ever known. In his new city, Ronny feels like an outsider, not least as a Black teenager in a mostly white school. But he also meets new friends who change his life and help him discover talents and opportunities that could just be the key to achieving his dreams. We absolutely loved this powerful, lyrical novel in verse. Hugely moving, packed with empathy and a cast of characters we were rooting for from page one, Wild East is easily one of the best things we've read this year and was an easy pick for our Macaw subscribers this month. Here author Ashley Hickson-Lovence tells us about what, and who, inspired the book, and which other novels in verse he recommends you read next.

What inspired you to write Wild East?

Young people. I do a lot of work with teenagers in various settings - from mainstream schools to prisons - and I wanted to write a book that was about them, spoke to them, put them right at the centre. The book is written in verse, has little illustrations and a music playlist at the beginning in an attempt to make it appeal to the teenage target audience. That said, like any good YA, I hope it will resonate with the adult readership too. It’s a book for everyone basically.

Are any of the characters or events based on real people and their experiences?

Nearly all of them! I like using real people, real stories and real anecdotes to add power to the narrative: to add depth and authenticity. I obviously change all the names and make sure that I am being as sensitive as possible to the person and specific context etc. but here’s a secret… even though I am a writer, I am not that imaginative. I need to use real stories as the bedrock to begin any of my books. The very emotional prologue in particular is loosely based on the very real and very tragic death of a close friend. Writing about what happened all those years ago was my therapy, my way of dealing with how unfair it was in a creative way.

We were struck by the connection between anger and creativity in the story. Why do you think the two so often go hand in hand?

I tried to harness any anger Ronny might feel after the death of his best friend and turn that into a positive. The world can be a very tough place for young people sometimes but instead of wallowing in the negativity of it all, I hope that through some of the messages in Wild East, readers are encouraged to lean into the creative things they enjoy: sport, dance, poetry etc. to help them make sense of the world.

What do you hope young readers will take away from the story?

Like Ronny does in Wild East, my main takeaway message for readers is for them to follow their dreams. Break through those glass ceilings. Dip their toe out of their comfort zone and try new things. And when things get tough… keep going! Even though I am the author of Wild East, Ronny is an inspiration to me; he has taught me that you can achieve anything you want to in life with a little bit of determination, perseverance and creativity. Thank you Ronny for being an amazing character to write!

Can you tell us anything about what the future holds for Ronny?

I think the future looks bright, all things considered, despite the adversity of all that he has gone through in Year 10. Due to his resilient nature and his positive outlook in life, I feel like he can achieve anything he sets his mind to, as long as he stays out of trouble!

Why did you choose to write books for this age group?

I do a lot of work with teenagers and young people. I wanted to write something that would particularly appeal to the teenagers I have work with, put some their experiences at the forefront so people can sit up and take notice.

Do you have a favourite place to write?

I quite like writing in coffee shops because I like writing to the backdrop of the coffee machine whirring and people chatting and the chilled music playlist in the background. I also love people watching; I find it very inspiring watching and listening to random people going about their day, eavesdropping into people’s conversations and thinking about the different stories of people’s lives and what I might be able to include in my own work. Apart from that, I like writing at home in front of the TV - watching a good TV series or a film with the subtitles on. I think it helps me write better dialogue!

Which other novels in verse for early teens would you recommend our subscribers read next?

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta; The Crossing by Manjeet Mann; Crossing The Line by Tia Fisher. And even though it’s for slightly younger readers The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow. All of the above books have proved inspirational to me in writing Wild East and are just generally brilliant books that I definitely recommend.

Copies of our Wild East pack, including a copy of the book and loads of fun activities to go with it, are now available for individual purchase. Grab a copy while stocks last!

This post includes affiliate links to our bookshop.org page, meaning we receive a small percentage of the sale should you purchase through them. Additionally, a percentage from all sales on the platform goes directly to local UK bookshops which is an initiative we're delighted to support!