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Kalynn Bayron is an award winning YA fantasy and horror author, whose works include Cinderella is Dead (2020) and This Poison Heart (2021). Bayron's writing centres Black queer characters and she spoken about the importance of diversity and representation in media, particularly after her debut novel Cinderella is Dead (featuring a Black LGBT protagonist) was banned in multiple school districts due to its inclusion of themes of race and sexuality.[1][2] Bayron is a CILIP Carnegie Medal nominee, two time Cybils Award Nominee, and winner of the 2022 Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBT Fiction.
Career
editBayron has published numerous novels since her debut with Cinderella is Dead (2020) including YA fantasy duology This Poison Heart and middle grade paranormal series The Vanquishers. Bayron's writing prominently features Black queer characters and stories.
Bayron's debut novel Cinderella is Dead (2020) is a dystopian fairytale re-telling which follows the Sophia Grimmins, a young Black queer girl, living in the world of Cinderella, 200 years after the princess's death. In the book, young girls are forced to attend an Annual Ball when they come of age to be married off to male suitors. Sophia decides to flee instead and soon finds herself unravelling the mystery of the real story of Cinderella.[3] The book faced considerable pushback due to themes of sexuality and its inclusion of a queer Black protagonist and was banned in multiple school districts and public libraries as a result.[2] When asked about the importance of diversity in fantasy and fairy tale stories, Bayron said "I wanted queer Black girls to feel like there was a place for them, that these stories could and should include them." [1] Despite pushback, the book received critical acclaim and gained numerous accolades, including nomination for both the CILIP Carnegie Medal and the Cyblis Award.
In 2021, Bayron published her second YA novel, This Poison Heart (2021), which was then followed by the sequel, This Wicked Fate (2022). This contemporary fantasy duology follows the story of Briseis, a young queer Black girl from Brooklyn with a magical gift for growing and controlling plants, after she learns that she has inherited an old house in Rhinebeck, New York after the death of an aunt she has never met. Relocating with her parents gives Briseis a chance to learn how to control her powers properly for the first time but she quickly that she has inherited family secrets along with the estate and Briseis finds herself unravelling the mysteries of the past and trying to discover who she truly is.[4] Family, and in particular queer family, is a central theme of the story and Bayron commented "I wanted to show these queer parents being supportive and just being allowed to exist." [5] The book also includes nods to Greek mythology interwoven with the science and magic of plants and draws inspiration from Little Shop of Horrors and The Secret Garden. Bayron also cites DC Comics's Poison Ivy as inspiration for the character of Briseis.[5]
The Vanquishers series is a middle grade trilogy includingThe Vanquishers (2022), Secret of the Reaping (2023) and due to culminate with the upcoming publication of Rise of Wrecking Crew (2024). The series tells the story of Malika "Boogs" Wilson set in a world of vampires and vampire hunters.[6]
In her upcoming novel Sleep Like Death (2024), Bayron will return to fairytale re-tellings and put her own spin on the story of Snow White.
As well as her numerous novels, Bayron's short stories have also been included in several anthologies which tackle themes of race and sexuality including the upcoming Black Girl Power (2024) edited by Leah Johnson.
Personal Life
editIn interviews, Bayron has opened up about her experiences as a queer Black woman and how this influences the stories she chooses to tell. She identifies as pansexual.[5] Bayron grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and now lives in San Antonio, Texas.[7] She is a classically trained singer and loves scary movies and musical theatre.[8]
Publications
editBooks
edit| Title | Date of Publication | Publisher | IBSN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinderella is Dead | 2020 | Bloomsbury | 9781547603879 |
| This Poison Heart | 2021 | 9781526632791 | |
| This Wicked Fate (This Poison Heart #2) | 2022 | 9781547610693 | |
| The Vanquishers (#1) | 9781547609772 | ||
| The Vanquishers: Secret of the Reaping (#2) | 2023 | 9781547611577 | |
| You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight | 9781547611546 | ||
| My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix | Feiwel and Friends | 9781250833563 | |
| Doctor Who: The Monster in the Cupboard | BBC Children's Books | 9781405957038 | |
| Sleep Like Death | 2024 | Bloomsbury | 9781547609765 |
| The Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew (#3) | Upcoming, 2024 | 9781547611607 |
Anthologies
edit| Title | Date of Publication | Publisher | IBSN | Edited by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eternally Yours | 2022 | Viking Children's Books | 9780593206874 | Patrice Caldwell |
| Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder | Inkyard Press | 9781335425898 | Saundra Mitchell | |
| All These Sunken Souls | 2023 | Amberjack Publishing | 9781641608398 | Circe Moskowitz |
| Night of the Living Queers | Wednesday Books | 9781250892966 | Shelly Page and Alex Brown | |
| Cool. Awkward. Black. | Philomel Books | 9780593525098 | Karen Strong | |
| Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For | Feiwel and Friends | 9781250823816 | Zoraida Cordova & Natalie C. Parker | |
| We Mostly Come Out At Night | 2024 | Running Press Kids | 9780762483198 | Rob Costello |
| The White Guy Dies First | Upcoming, 2024 | Tor Teen | 9781250861269 | Terry J. Benton-Walker |
| Black Girl Power | Freedom Fire | 9781368098960 | Leah Johnson |
Awards and Nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Wordery Children's Book of the Year | Cinderella is Dead | Won | |
| CILIP Carnegie Medal | Nominated | |||
| Books Are My Bag | YA Fiction | Won | ||
| Book Shimmy Award | We Need Diverse Books | Won | ||
| Cybils Award | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Young Adult Speculative Fiction | This Poison Hearth | Nominated | |
| ProjectLIT Book Club Selection | Nominated | |||
| Booklist Editor's Choice | Book for Youth | Nominated | ||
| Autostraddle Best Queer Books of 2021 | Nominated | |||
| Book Shimmy Award | Cover Lust | Finalist | ||
| Best Books for Teens, New York Public Library | Won | |||
| Boston Public Library's Best YA Books of 2021 | Won | |||
| Waterstones Best Books of 2021 | Teens & YA | Won | ||
| Wordery Children's Book of the Year | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults | Cinderella is Dead | Nominated | |
| YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults | This Poison Heart | Nominated | ||
| IGNYTE Award | Young Adult | Finalist | ||
| LOCUS Award | Finalist | |||
| Reading the West Book Award | Finalist | |||
| Rainbow Book List Selection | Finalist | |||
| Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ fiction | Won | |||
| 2022-2023 | North Star YA Award | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Bram Stoker Award | Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel | You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight | Finalist |
References
edit- ^ a b Galluscio, Erica (2022-09-19). "Banned in the USA Q&A: Kalynn Bayron calls challenges 'clearly homophobic'". PEN America. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ a b Stroshane, Eric (2022-09-21). "Censorship Dateline". Journal of Intellectual Freedom & Privacy. 7 (1): 37–87. doi:10.5860/jifp.v7i1.7888. ISSN 2474-7459.
- ^ "Cinderella Is Dead". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "This Poison Heart (This Poison Heart, #1)". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ a b c Grey |, Idris. "Q & A with Kalynn Bayron". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "The Vanquishers (The Vanquishers, #1)". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ Koehler, Mimi (2021-06-25). "Q&A: Kalynn Bayron, Author of 'This Poison Heart'". The Nerd Daily. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Kalynn Bayron author bio". kalynnbayron. Retrieved 2024-06-24.