Wow.
There were just far too many wonderful, profound and heartwarming conversations going on there to keep up. We really have only one thing to say: if this chat is representative of people’s attitudes, then it’s only a matter of time before mental health is treated with the same dignity, respect and lack of stigma as other serious illnesses. That day cannot come soon enough.
The debate is still rolling and will be for some time we suspect, so head over to #gdnbluemonday if you want to keep reading. Or if you’ve still got some steam yet, head over to #UKYAchat for more teen fiction tweeting.
Here on Guardian Children’s Books it’s well past our bedtime so books, blankets and hot chocs all round! A huge thank you to all our participants – authors, experts, teen readers and everyone else. Goodnight!
And that's it!
With a wiping of the metaphorical brow, the hour is up!
Charity Rethink Mental Illness have this excellent advice if this debate has got you thinking or you feel the need to take anything further:
There’s lots of info and advice on all kinds of mental health issues on our website http://owl.li/HApea
Jennifer Niven tries to divine the line between being part of the problem and part of the solution:
@Jenny_books_art @gayleforman I wrote the story I needed to write. And it was tough and sad and hopeful. I hoped readers... #Gdnbluemonday
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
@Jenny_books_art @gayleforman would find hope in it too but what was most important was that it inspired discussion and let #Gdnbluemonday
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
@Jenny_books_art @gayleforman them know they’re not alone. #Gdnbluemonday
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
Given the enormous response this evening, that seems to be exactly what’s happening. Anyone looking for a kind, loving and supportive community this evening, #gdnbluemonday is for you. There aren’t even proper questions and answers anymore, that’s how kind, loving, supportive and IN AGREEMENT everyone on here is tonight!
And hopefully this is what that talk will do:
You wan't to portray the truth, and show the challenges, but also show young people that there is hope, support, community. #gdnbluemonday
— gayle forman (@gayleforman) January 19, 2015
This is exactly what we want to do.
Loving these #Gdnbluemonday posts. Let's talk about mental health. Let's talk and talk and talk until stigma suffocates and is no more.
— Kristen Simmons (@kris10writes) January 19, 2015
There are just 10 minutes left to join this fascinating chat – ask your questions using #gdnbluemonday or email childrens.books@theguardian.com.
Matt Haig is definitely in lone wolf mode today:
Totally off message, but idea a writer SHOULD include more mentally ill characters is wrong. Let stories happen naturally.
Do we need to “force” the issue first, though? Will it happen if left naturally?
And now some practical advice from an actual expert:
.@GdnChildrensBks @youngmindsuk Dr Olivia says ‘most important thing is to talk about it and GIVE PERMISSION to be honest.’ #Gdnbluemonday
— James Dawson (@_jamesdawson) January 19, 2015
What about some practical advice?
@GdnChildrensBks @Rethink @youngmindsuk I would encourage that friend to reach out when needed, to not be afraid to speak up #Gdnbluemonday
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
The omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent SF Said seconds that:
@LokisFool I think Jacqueline Wilson is a great example of someone who deals with mental health issues in an accessible way! #Gdnbluemonday
— SF Said (@whatSFSaid) January 19, 2015
This is a great shout, especially for younger readers:
Jacqueline Wilson deals well with emotions, ups and downs
Joking aside, we know tea and cake is not the answer. In fact, maybe it’s part of the problem…?
@_jamesdawson YES. I kept feeling like a failure because I COULDN'T. They'd be like TRY HARDER and I'm like BUT HOW. #Gdnbluemonday
— Jamie M. (@brokeandbookish) January 19, 2015
We promised you a couch moment. We have one. Annabel Pitcher:
I suffered anxiety, bouts of agoraphobia, depressive episodes and OCD as a teenager - but I didn’t KNOW that I did...
This is a really difficult one. Are we talking to the right people tonight, then?
@LibWithAttitude @nicolamorgan I second that. A parent wrote me to say she loved my book but doesn’t want her teen reading #Gdnbluemonday
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
And if ever you needed proof that this webchat is being run by the Brits…
@eleanorreads tea with a friend can be just what's needed! #Gdnbluemonday
— Sita Brahmachari (@SitaBrahmachari) January 19, 2015
This one is certainly a lone voice though. I mean, who on earth hates rice pudding?!
@CreativeBCuk @GirlGoneDreamer @flvral I hate The Perks of Being a Wallflower more than I hate rice pudding. #Gdnbluemonday
— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) January 19, 2015
Really pleased poetry is coming into its own here, the eternal voice of the human condition. SF Said votes for Sylvia Plath.
Remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now. Live it, feel it, cling to it. I want to become acutely aware of all I’ve taken for granted
But at the same time, we need to have these discussions and we need to get people to understand THIS, from Jennifer Niven:
I think people are afraid of mental illness. They view it as something to be ashamed of when it’s NOT.
It’s a very fine line to tread, but our panel are doing it magnificently thus far!
James Dawson responds to the issue we raised at 19.16pm:
I think we (as authors) must be very careful that we don’t ‘pretty’ mental illness. It isn’t pretty. At all.
We’re saving the world, one tweet at a time.
.@GdnChildrensBks We’re tackling everything from braces and friendship issues to self-harm and psychosis. #Gdnbluemonday
— James Dawson (@_jamesdawson) January 19, 2015
A long-overdue nod to the soothing powers of poetry from Matt Haig.
@Ruby6918 #Gdnbluemonday I'd say the poems of Emily Dickinson, because they soothed me and are very simple and strong.
— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) January 19, 2015
Here’s one of our favourite quotes from Emily Dickinson, who may (or may not) have suffered from epilepsy, or “the falling sickness” as it used to be known:
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all.
SF Said – aka The Interloper – makes up for his unannounced visit with this:
Books show us that we are not alone. With that tweet, @gayleforman gets right to the heart of why books will always matter. #Gdnbluemonday
— SF Said (@whatSFSaid) January 19, 2015
James Dawson offers a sneak peak at his new book. You heard it here first, folks:
Mind Your Head will explore mental health as a continuum. I think we all exist on a sliding scale of wellness.
Two more very thought-provoking questions:
Do you think some books romanticise mental health? 'The Virgin Suicides' springs to mind. #Gdnbluemonday
— Girl (@alonewherself) January 19, 2015
@gayleforman Do books give enough of an escapism for young people battling with a mental illness? #Gdnbluemonday
— Delve into Dystopia (@Delvedystopia) January 19, 2015
These bring to mind the John Green/Fault in Our Stars ‘sick-lit’ controversy. How far can you write about something before you’re seen to be revelling in it?
Matt Haig chimes in with a vital observation – we’re not pigeonholing books here:
basically ANY book they can lose themselves in, doesn’t have to be about anxiety, just something that loses them.
What’s the response been from readers to All the Bright Places?
@Jenny_books_art Thank you! The response has been powerful and lovely. So much sharing of similar stories and readers who... #Gdnbluemonday
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
@Jenny_books_art … are grateful to find a book that deals honestly with these issues & makes them realize they’re not alone #Gdnbluemonday
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
With so many contributors, the debate is fast and furious! Get in on the act using #gdnbluemonday.
James Dawson says,
I want to move away from the idea that only *some* people experience mental issues. We all do.
And that’s why it’s important we all talk about it (voila!). As Jennifer Niven says,
If we’re afraid how can we expect others to ask for help?
. @GdnChildrensBks @kuderickwrites @jenniferniven Pleased to be here. We're all typing with British accents, right? #gdnbluemonday
— gayle forman (@gayleforman) January 19, 2015
Er, absolutely! If it’s right, it’s right…
This is a really important point. Hence the bold font. After all (as much as we hate to do ourselves down) there’s only so much literature can do.
#Gdnbluemonday and if there was a politician here I'd want to ask why only 6% of mental health budget on young people's mental health?
— Nicola Morgan (@nicolamorgan) January 19, 2015
James Dawson replies:
All young people must speak up and show their support for LGBTQ people - you never know who’s listening!
And one for Gayle Forman, complete with a philosophical answer:
. @BookAddictdGirl I don't ever try to lace my books with issues. But when you write about life, you write about life. #gdnbluemonday
— gayle forman (@gayleforman) January 19, 2015
So true.
Joshua is really out of the blocks fast! (I can’t help but feel we’re mixing metaphors here… And the evening has hardly begun *sigh*)
It’s one for James Dawson: What do you think we could be doing as teenagers to support LGBTQ youth, not just in fiction?
Let's get this show on the road!
Here’s your first starter for 10:
@thurrockjoshua It was hard but I needed to write it. I knew a boy like Finch & felt his story (and mine knowing him) was important to share
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
Get set…
Join me soon! (2pm ET) Live webchat: teen books and mental health http://t.co/Dsw1wXhcTK #allthebrightplaces #gdnbluemonday
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
Are you ready…
Getting ready for live Twiterchat for Guardian on teenage mental health 7pm @GdnChildrensBks Use #Gdnbluemonday to join in!
— Nicola Morgan (@nicolamorgan) January 19, 2015
You can pick the brains of our panel at anytime over the next hour, using #gdnbluemonday. If you want to address a particular author then make sure to ask them directly, or if you don’t tweet then you can still join in by emailing childrens.books@theguardian.com.
We’re just 15 minutes away now: the ticks are tocking and the tweeters are a-knocking!
If you want to follow the debate live on Twitter (and join in!), search #gdnbluemonday. Or hang around, we’re here all evening, and by gosh, there’s jolly japes to be had for all who do!
That’s the spirit!
#GdnBlueMonday and #ukyachat tonight! The plan to do some coursework might have just disappeared...
— Sophie Louise (@DayDreamsWorld) January 19, 2015
Never fear, there’s still plenty of time to add your questions.
Head to Twitter and start using #Gdnbluemonday. If you want to address a particular participant then make sure to ask them directly – check out the list below – then they know who should answer what! If you don’t tweet then you can still join in by emailing childrens.books@theguardian.com. Remember to keep your questions short as they still need to be tweeted by us, so aim for around 140 characters and head up your email “Mental health live Q&A”.
Half an hour to go and questions are starting to come in thick and fast - our panel had better have their tweeting thumbs in tip top condition!
Member some-infinities-katie asks @jenniferniven, what made you decide to give Violet depression and Finch bipolar disorder? #gdnbluemonday
— GdnChildrensBooks (@GdnChildrensBks) January 19, 2015
And Jennifer has actually jumped the gun and answered already!
@GdnChildrensBks AtBP was inspired by a real Finch and a real experience. He. is bipolar in the book because he was in life #Gdnbluemonday
— Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) January 19, 2015
Oh this isn’t the way it’s meant to be, people!
Shock! Horror! Swoon! A last minute entry!
Not only do we have the reigning Queen of Teen, James Dawson, in attendance, he’s also kidnapped brought along Dr Olivia Hewitt to help with the science bits! So here’s the full cast again, at your beck and call from 7pm, good ladies and sirs:
Jennifer Niven, @jenniferniven
Matt Haig, @matthaig1
James Dawson, @_jamesdawson
Nicola Morgan, @nicolamorgan
Gayle Forman, @gayleforman
Sita Brahmachari, @SitaBrahmachari
Madeleine Kuderick, @kuderickwrites
Rethink Mental Illness, @Rethink
Young Minds UK @youngmindsuk
Well this very nearly got us in a flap alright. But, you know, we’re using Blue Monday ironically, so…
http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2015/jan/19/blue-monday-most-depressing-day-year
What fantastic timing! Today James Dawson announces he is writing a new book, Mind Your Head, which aims to debunk myths and banish the stigma around teen mental health. It’s non-fiction, full of tips and ideas for managing your “emotional wellbeing”, as well as helping direct you to the right sources of support. It’s being written jointly with a clinical psychologist, Dr Olivia Hewitt, and is due for release in 2016 – but what great timing on that announcement! It’s almost like there’s a reason everything is happening today... Oh yeah. #gdnbluemonday
Before we get down to the real nitty gritty this evening – pencils ready, notebooks out – have you done your homework? No, we mean your real homework. Here’s what our panel of experts are setting you:
- Nicola Morgan, author of the Teenage Guide to Stress, shares her top 10 mental health tips for teens – how to survive exam season and more!
- Gayle Forman, author of If I Stay and I Was Here, tells us why we need to talk about depression (answer: we are!)
- James Dawson on why we need to take action on LGBTQ mental health
- Madeleine Kuderick’s top 10 books about mental health and read the first chapter of her beautiful new book, Kiss of Broken Glass
- Charity Rethink Mental Illness on what is bipolar disorder and where to get help
All these people and more will be here at 7pm to lie down on the proverbial couch and tell us their deepest darkest secrets. Do come along and eavesdrop!
So why are we all gathered here on this clear and chilly winter’s night? Well it was all sparked off by this: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, our new year Teen book club read and a heartbreakingly poignant story about two teenagers struggling with depression and bipolar disorder.
If you’re looking for something to wile away the hours until our chat gets underway, you could make a start and read the first chapter here. Or Jennifer wrote this fantastic list of the top 10 teen books to save your life, to which YA authors and Children’s Books site members have responded today with their own recommendations. There’s still time to add to the list: email childrens.books@theguardian.com or catch us on Twitter, @GdnChildrensBks.
120 minutes to zero hour, and counting!
Let's get started!
Hello and welcome to our live author Q&A, to celebrate (or should that be commiserate?) “Blue Monday”, officially (if you believe in pseudoscience) the most depressing day of the year. We’ve got an A-list cast of authors, experts and teenagers ready to get to grips with your questions about mental health, depression and teen fiction: how it’s represented, what authors feel about writing about it, whether things have really changed, and how books can help.
It’s a star-studded line-up we’ve got ready and waiting for you tonight:
Jennifer Niven, @jenniferniven
Matt Haig, @matthaig1
James Dawson, @_jamesdawson
Nicola Morgan, @nicolamorgan
Gayle Forman, @gayleforman
Sita Brahmachari, @SitaBrahmachari
Madeleine Kuderick, @kuderickwrites
Rethink Mental Illness, @Rethink
Young Minds UK @youngmindsuk
So how do you ask your questions? There are two ways. Either join in on Twitter using #Gdnbluemonday. If you want to address a particular participant then make sure to ask them directly – such as, @jenniferniven or @mindcharity – then they know who should answer what! If you don’t tweet then you can still join in by emailing childrens.books@theguardian.com. Remember to keep your questions short as they will still need to be tweeted by us, so aim for around 140 characters and head up your email “Mental health live Q&A”.
You can watch all the action live on Twitter and on this blog too, where there will also be loads of extra content going up throughout the evening.
So get your questions ready! Kick off is at 7pm.
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