Holly Bourne (born 6 May[1]) is a British author of young adult fiction. She is the author of best-selling novel Am I Normal Yet? and several other critically acclaimed books. She also writes online on feminist issues and writes for The Mix, a charity-run advice website for under-25s.[2]
Career
Bourne is represented by The Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.[3] Her debut novel Soulmates was published in September 2013 by Usborne.[4]
Bourne's young adult novels deal with teenage romance, mental health and self-doubt.[5] Her young adult novel Am I Normal Yet? was praised for its realistic and sensitive portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder.[6] It was one of the 2016 World Book Night titles, a UK-wide book giveaway to promote reading for pleasure.[7] Bourne won Lancashire Book of the Year Award 2016 for the novel, an award where young people select the shortlist and overall winner.[8]
In 2017 Bourne was a judge of the BBC Young Writers’ Award, along with Nikesh Shukla, editor of The Good Immigrant.[9]
The screen rights to Bourne's debut adult novel How Do You Like Me Now? were optioned by production company Ecosse Films in 2017.[10] Her 2018 young adult novel Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? has been optioned for television by Duck Soup Films.[11]
In 2019, the publisher Hodder acquired the rights to a further two adult novels from Bourne.[14]
Bourne was one of the headlining authors of the 2019 London Book Fair, appearing as 'Children’s Author of the Day' on the final day.[15]
Recognitions
Bourne was shortlisted for the 2018 YA Book Prize from The Bookseller and We Love This Book, rewarding the best fiction for teenagers and young adults from authors in the UK and Ireland,[16] for her 2017 novel It Only Happens in the Movies.[17]
Bourne is a former news journalist, and was nominated for Best Print Journalist of the Year in 2010[18] while working as a news reporter at the Surrey Mirror.[4] She graduated from the University of Sheffield[19] with a first-class degree in Journalism.[20]
Bibliography
Standalone novels
Soulmates (2013)
The Manifesto on How to be Interesting (2014)
It Only Happens in the Movies (2017)
How Do You Like Me Now? (2018)
Floored, co-written with Eleanor Wood, Lisa Williamson, Melinda Salisbury, Non Pratt, Sara Barnard, and Tanya Byrne (2018)
Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? (2018)
The Places I've Cried in Public (2019)
What Magic is This? (novella, 2019)
Pretending (2020)
The Yearbook (2021)
Girl Friends (2022, UK) / When We Were Friends (2022, Canada)
