As a writer, publishing a book is the biggest dream-come-true-moment of all time. And while once all the press starts, it might look like getting a book deal was easy, authors know the truth (spoiler: it’s not, which is why it’s The Dream for writers). AllBright meets the impressive new novelist Kirsty Capes to talk about her book Careless.

British author Kirsty Capes grew up spending her lunchtime in the library instead of the playground. From the age of two, she also grew up in care, and it’s a narrative she’s set on shifting. “I think that because stories about care can very often focus on the negatives, it’s important to change the narrative around kids in care, and what they are capable of, to effect wider public opinions,” she says. 

Her brilliant debut novel – 5 years in the making – is called Careless, and it follows Bess, a fifteen-year-old girl in foster care, who finds out that she is pregnant. In the book, Capes explains, “Bess must decide what to do about her pregnancy, all the while navigating difficult foster parents, and a failing romantic relationship. Her best friend Eshal is the most important person in her life, and the novel is really about celebrating these two girls’ friendship and their unconditional love for one another.” Careless has been called "the hottest fiction debut of 2021 and the literary equivalent of gold dust!". Did we mention Capes was just 27?

We spoke to Capes about the career of a writer and what it feels like getting your debut novel published in your twenties, the narrative around children in care and why hard work really does pay off.

Careless, by Kirsty Capes

You were an avid reader from a young age – what are your earliest memories of books and reading?

My first memories of reading are spending my lunchtimes in primary school in the library instead of the playground! Growing up, I loved Phillip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart series, anything by Jacqueline Wilson and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Can you share what the narrative is in TV and media around children in care?

There are lots of different care experienced narratives in the media, but very often they can be quite negative and focus on the more troubling parts of being in foster care. There is a pervasive stereotype around people who have been in care – that they are no good, won’t amount to anything, or pre-determined to fail. I think this can be really harmful and damaging to both public perceptions of care-experienced people, and that community in and of itself.

You’ve spoken about how it’s important to have stories about the care experience that are positive – can you share why this is so important?

I think that because stories about care can very often focus on the negatives, it’s important to change the narrative around kids in care, and what they are capable of, to effect wider public opinions. I think it’s also really important that all marginalised communities are able to see themselves reflected truthfully and positively in the fiction they read and the other media they consume.

Can you share your own experience in care?

I was taken into care at the age of two and stayed in the system until I was in my twenties. Unusually, I had a long term placement which meant I stayed in one place with the same foster family for many years, and I think that this is why I have had such a positive journey through the system. 

And how you hope to change this in your book?

We don’t see many honest and nuanced portrayals of the care experience in media, and I hope that Careless goes some way towards changing public perceptions of looked-after children, and perhaps offers an insight into what it’s like to grow up in care in a way that is not usually seen in the mainstream. I think it’s also incredibly important to have more care experienced voices telling their own stories, to combat some of the issues I have mentioned. 

Can you share what Careless is about?

Careless follows Bess, a fifteen-year-old girl in foster care, who finds out that she is pregnant. Bess must decide what to do about her pregnancy, all the while navigating difficult foster parents, and a failing romantic relationship. Her best friend Eshal is the most important person in her life, and the novel is really about celebrating these two girls’ friendship and their unconditional love for one another.

Careless looks at how sometimes it’s easy to fall between the cracks – how did you explore this concept?

Care experienced people are sometimes forgotten about, in the media and in the public consciousness. It’s because Bess doesn’t really have anyone looking out for her that her life begins to spiral out of control. I wanted to explore how it can be very easy for children in the system to become ‘lost’ in the eyes of society. Care leavers are more likely to experience addiction issues, mental and physical ill health, and are more likely to have a criminal record. But despite this it’s important to focus on the many positive aspects of care experienced people’s lives, and show how this is not their whole story; that this is a marginalised community that is just as valuable as any other.

You spent over 5 years writing Careless – how does it feel to now have it out in the world?

It feels very surreal and kind of like it’s not really happening! I feel like I have been having an out of body experience for the past few months. It has been so wonderful to hear readers’ responses to the book and how Bess’s story has affected them. 

What changes would you like to see around diversity in literature?

I think that there needs to be more representation across the board for marginalised communities. Lots of work is being done at the moment, but there could always be more. And publishers need to continue that work in the years to come with the same commitment and tenacity as they are now. We need to see the makeup of the people in power in the big houses change too, so that the books acquired are more representative of the general population. I think it’s going to be a long road to more equal representation in books, but where we are now is a start.

What advice do you have for children growing up in care?

Look after yourself, put yourself first, and remember that hard work pays off.

What career advice do you have for aspiring young writers?

Look after yourself, put yourself first, and remember that hard work pays off(!)

Also: something that served me well was putting myself up for every opportunity out there that I could feasibly go for. That’s workshops, mentorship schemes, prizes, small publications and so on. There are so few opportunities available that whenever one comes your way, you should grab it with both hands. Build a community of fellow writers and readers who are at the same career stage as you, because it can get lonely working in isolation. Read as much as you can. Grow a very thick skin and take every piece of criticism as an opportunity to improve your craft and develop your voice.

And what did you learn from the experience of getting a book published – was it a long process and how did you handle any knockbacks? And how did it feel when you found a publisher?

It was a really long process – even longer than I thought it would be. All in all, it took me about five years from the moment I started writing the book, to get a book deal. I started out by approaching agents, and I was rejected many times. Then, when I got representation, the submissions process was incredibly nerve-wracking, and there was lots of waiting, frantic email refreshing, and inevitably even more rejection. I’ve lost count of how many rejection emails I received, but I couldn’t be happier with the team that I now have behind Careless. The whole process has been equally as rewarding as it had been exhausting.  I think that the thing that kept me going through the knockbacks was a sheer gut determination and the (somewhat arrogant) conviction that my story was one worth telling. It can be hard to keep going but it’s important to keep the end goal in sight always.

How would you describe the life and career of a writer?

For me, I still have a full-time 9 to 5 job, so not much has changed, except all my writing is done on evenings and weekends. It’s a bit like setting myself homework that never ends, but I still love it. I try not to focus too much on word count, and instead carve out the time I need to do the brain work to tell a story. A lot of my writing is done in my head long before I ever put a word on a page. I set myself small goals to keep myself motivated, and when I hit a target or write something that I’m particularly proud of, I give myself small rewards (usually involving online shopping or food). There’s also a lot of non-writing work that goes with having a writing ‘career’: lots of admin, and other things like press and social media, so I think it’s a bit of a myth that writers are kind of detached from reality. I think that to write professionally requires an inordinate amount of discipline, organisation and patience. 

Careless by Kirsty Capes is published on 13th May by Orion, hardback, £12.99