Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert: Inclusivity, diversity and visibility

As a writer I see the question being raised again and again: “But how do I authentically include a diverse cast of characters?”

And now, when I’m trawling the NaNoWriMo forums every November, I can say with great confidence “just go read ‘Get A Life, Chloe Brown’. Because if I could only mention one thing about his book it would be how seamlessly and effortlessly it includes a vast range of people within its pages.

It’s without fanfare or tiptoeing, it doesn’t give you a big neon sign to point at each “diverse” character, nor does it give off that “wow, I’m so inclusive, applaud me” vibe. You know the one? *looks at those books because they know who they are*

Isn’t it daft? That writers even feel like they need to ask that question, because people are people and no one singular is the same as another. Even identical twins, who might present as such, have thoughts and experiences and reactions completely independent of the other.

What I’m trying to say is, look to your immediate circle of friends. Look really hard, passed the surface, and I bet you can list a dozen things that sets each apart from the other. Then think about your local community, and the list gets longer.

If you can’t think of one thing that would make someone you know different from you or more “diverse” (and I use this word here almost with an *eye roll* because it is so often used to make regular people seem “other”) then congratulations, you’re a privileged white person. See also: Ignorant.

You can’t shoehorn diversity into your writing if it doesn’t feel authentic to your life experience. You gotta start seeing the world as a nuanced, diverse and challenging place. See it for what it really is. That’s a starting block. But sometimes you do have to walk the walk to be able to talk the talk.

Can you still create a romance book that’s as satisfying as sucking on an mint Aero, while also embracing a diverse cast of characters? Heck yeah you can. Again, read ‘Get A Life, Chloe Brown’ by Talia Hibbert.

I love love love what the author has created with their characters. A masterclass in how you do it with serious style and gentle understanding.

You wish you could write like that.

But you don’t know until you try, eh?

‘Get A Life, Chloe Brown’ by Talia Hibbert is out BookClubbers pick for May!

Book details here. Book club stuff here.

Written by Sarah