Kate Weston discusses her YA Book Prize shortlisted novel, Murder on a School Night

What inspired the story?

The story was inspired by some comments I’d received after my first book Diary of a Confused Feminist (Hachette Children’s) was published. It was very period positive, and the clever publisher had made some menstrual cup bunting to go alongside the book’s publication. It seemed to make some people angry who wrongly thought that periods should still be shrouded in shame and mystery. One man on twitter even went so far as to tag me and two of my favourite booksellers into a post calling us "utterly disgusting" for it. I also received a less than period positive response in some of the schools that I visited, which made me even more determined to beat the taboo. Rather than being quieter about periods, I decided it was time to double down on them. I wanted to write a book where periods and period products were talked about even more and in a casual way. After all, something can’t be taboo if you’re talking about it all the time. 

This all happened around the time of the pandemic, during which I found myself watching hours of "Midsomer Murders", and of course my favourite film of all time: "Booksmart". The idea of two best friends solving crimes that were committed with period products formed in my mind. It felt like a good way of making period products ubiquitous in the story but not being too serious. And once I started writing Annie and Kerry, I knew they were the detectives for the job!

What do you want readers to take away from your book?

I’d love for readers to take away a sense that talking about periods and period products is completely normal. I also included a mental health storyline with my main character Kerry which was very important to me. As someone who’s struggled with anxiety and OCD since I was a child, I really wanted a main character that could show people that even though she’d been diagnosed with anxiety, and she takes medication for it, she’s able to have great adventures and do incredibly brave and exciting things.

Which character is your favourite, and why?

It’s really hard to answer this because Annie and Kerry are so incredibly close to my heart. Both of them are brilliant in their own way. So in a way I feel like I have to exclude those to and say that Mrs R is actually my favourite character. She’s incredible, feisty, strong, hilarious, an old lady who doesn’t let age stop her from being an absolute legend.

What does being on this year’s YA Book Prize shortlist mean to you?

It means such a lot to be on this year’s YA Book Prize shortlist. I (like a lot of other writers) struggle with my confidence. It can be really hard to keep your motivation and self-belief going when you spend most of your time alone. So being shortlisted for something like this feels like the equivalent of being told: "You’re alright. You’re doing an ok job!" It also makes me feel like what I’m doing resonates with the people that I’m writing for somehow.

How do you think the YA genre has changed over the last 10 years?

I think it’s got more exciting, open, and more daring. There’s more variety in the genre now. I think as a genre there was—and still can be, although it has improved—a bit of snootiness around YA, which doesn’t make sense to me. YA focuses on such an important age in a person’s life, and to have books to support and celebrate that time feels important too. It’s such an honour to write YA books and to know that my books connect and resonate with young adults and adults alike. It’s so exciting to see bookshops with huge YA areas now, rather than just a few shelves, hidden away somewhere. And exciting to see adults embracing YA too.

Why do you write for young adults?

A few years ago, I had a very bad time with my mental health. While having therapy I realised that a lot of the things I was struggling with had first started when I was a teenager, especially with regards to anxiety and OCD. I think, as someone who read a lot, if I’d been able to see myself represented in a book at that time, I wouldn’t have felt so scared to talk to someone else about it, nor would I have felt so alone at that time. So, I wanted to write for people at that age specifically and write characters that were dealing with things I wish I’d felt more supported to talk about as a young adult myself. I include periods in this. They were such a taboo when I was growing up, and since age 17 mine have made me really unwell. It’s well documented that menstrual and mental health in this country is underfunded and, particularly in the case of menstrual health, under researched. While I can’t do much about that, I hope that my books empower young people to talk about menstruation and mental health more. By discussing menstrual and mental health freely and without shame, young people will hopefully build confidence to seek help when they need it. And it might stop someone from suffering for longer than they need to.

What was your favourite book as a teenager?

I loved the Louise Rennison books and the Jaqueline Wilson Girls books. Forever by Judy Blume was also an absolutely iconic book that once you’d managed to source a copy was great. It blows my mind that when I was a teenager you needed a letter from your parents to take it out of the school library. (Mostly I wanted to read it so I could understand what Ralph was and why everyone kept giggling about it). I’d hope that you don’t need a letter from your parents to take anything out of the library now. I also loved the Point Horror and Point Romance series and in my early teens devoured all of the Sweet Valley High series.

What do you need around you when you’re writing?

My cat. I’m not even joking; he needs to be present. I feel most at peace when he’s sat at my feet or on the big comfy chair by my desk. I’m less at peace when he’s sitting on my laptop, but I know that his belief is that I should be blessed by his presence. There are other things I need too, mostly tea and depending on how I’m feeling, a playlist to match the book I’m writing.

What songs would be on a playlist for your book?

See what I did there? Lead straight from the last question into the next? There are some songs that feature in the book that would have to be on the list, like "China in Your Hand" by T’Pau, "Push It" by Salt-N-Pepa, "Umbrella" by Rihanna, "Watermelon Sugar "by Harry Styles. Apart from that though I think Annie and Kerry would be absolutely massive Olivia Rodrigo fans as well as Taylor Swift. I feel like Kerry would have The Tortured Poets Department on loop at a few points in the book, while Annie would be trying to get her dancing to "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together".  

Which book, film or TV show would you recommend to someone who enjoyed your book?

"Booksmart" for sure. Also, a bit of Miss Marple, or "Midsomer Murders". Probably "Do Revenge" and "Only Murders in the Building".