Alison Evans is an Australian novelist and writer. They[1] are a transgender non-binary person who identifies as bisexual, and their work often features queer and transgender characters.[2][3][4] Evans grew up in the town of Emerald among the Dandenong Ranges, a setting which went on to heavily influence their work.[5][6]
Alison Evans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Novelist and writer |
| Website | www |
Their first two novellas on Less Than Three Press were 2015's Long Macchiatos and Monsters and 2016's We Go Forward.[7] Since 2017, they have published three young adult novels with Echo Publishing: Ida, Highway Bodies and Euphoria Kids.[8][9][10] They won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award in the People's Choice category for Ida in 2018.[3][11][12]
Evans has contributed short stories to various anthologies - including Kindred, Hometown Haunts and Everything Under the Moon[7] - and works as both an author and editor of zines, including #EnbyLife with Rae White.[13] They co-edited the 2024 Fremantle Press anthology Avast! Pirate Stories from Transgender Authors with Michael Earp, while also contributing the short story "CHANGELINGS".[14] They have also written non-fiction articles for the ABC, Overland, The Guardian and The Saturday Paper.[15][16][2][3]
In 2024, Evans was one of several authors at the centre of the ongoing State Library Victoria Teen Writing Bootcamp controversy in which a scheduled workshop for children was cancelled by the Library ostensibly due to the need for a "child and cultural safety review".[17] Various Library staff made claims published in The Age and The Guardian that Evans and the other writers' support of Palestine was the actual reason and that the library had engaged in political censorship.[18][19][20] These claims were later supported by the release of internal emails from the library.[21]
Bibliography
editNovels
edit- Ida (2017)
- Highway Bodies (2019)
- Euphoria Kids (2020)
Novellas
edit- Long Macchiatos and Monsters (2015)
- We Go Forward (2016)
Short stories
edit- "Stormlines" (Kindred, 2019)
- "Angel Eyes" (Hometown Haunts, 2021)
- "Moonfall" (Everything Under the Moon, 2023)
- "CHANGELINGS" (Avast!: Pirate Stories from Transgender Authors, 2024)
- "It's probably fine" (Overland, 2024)
References
edit- ^ "Bibliophile: Ida by Alison Evans". Out in Perth. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ a b Evans, Alison (28 February 2017). "My gender didn't exist in fiction when I was growing up – so I wrote myself into existence". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ a b c Evans, Alison (10 February 2018). "Winning as a non-binary person". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Gallagher, Alex (16 October 2020). "Why should trans people trust non-trans authors to lead the conversation about our identities?". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Sloan, Jodie (20 February 2019). "Interview: Highway Bodies author Alison Evans talks representation, non-binary teens, and a very Aussie apocalypse". The AU Review. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ Kerr, Jodie (8 November 2019). "State of euphoria: Alison Evans on 'Euphoria Kids'". Books + Publishing. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Short stories". Alison Evans official site. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Woodhead, Cameron (30 January 2017). "Ida review: Alison Evans' YA fiction with a message of tolerance and diversity". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Kavanagh-Ryan, Kit (10 December 2021). "These science fiction and fantasy books centre and celebrate disabled characters". ABC News. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Gesa-Fatafehi, Meleika (29 February 2020). "Alison Evans - Euphoria Kids". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Harmon, Steph (1 February 2018). "Sarah Krasnostein wins $125,000 at Australia's richest literary prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Steger, Jason (1 February 2018). "No trauma as Sarah Krasnostein wins $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ "Zines". Alison Evans official site. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ "Avast! Pirate Stories from Transgender Authors". Fremantle Press. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ Evans, Alison (2 August 2020). "After Harry Potter: Five children's books that celebrate diversity". ABC. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Evans, Alison (1 June 2020). "Being a caretaker: a response to JK Rowling". Overland. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Burke, Kelly (6 March 2024). "Writers puzzled after State Library Victoria cancels workshops for teens citing 'child and cultural safety'". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ O'Brien, Kerrie (29 April 2024). "Top writers boycott State Library Victoria over accusations of censorship". The Age. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ O'Brien, Kerrie (14 March 2024). "State Library revolt over treatment of pro-Palestine writers". The Age. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Beazley, Jordyn (14 March 2024). "State Library Victoria staff accuse management of 'censorship and discrimination' over pro-Palestine authors controversy". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ Beazley, Jordyn (17 July 2024). "State Library Victoria surveyed presenters' social media for political content before terminating contracts, emails show". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2024.