We are delighted to welcome C G Moore to the blog to talk about his new novel, Trigger which has published with YLG Publisher of the Year 2023 in Ireland.  Trigger is C G Moore’s third novel for young adult readers and is a gritty verse novel based around sexual abuse and raising important considerations around consent.  You can learn more about C G Moore at his website.

'Gut Feelings' won the KPMG Children's Books Ireland, Children's Book of the Year Award, how did it feel receiving this recognition and can you tell us about how the selection process for this works?

I was shocked. It wasn’t that I didn’t think Gut Feelings was a strong book but rather, I thought with some more established names contending for the title, I was just there to enjoy the day with my mam. I had no expectations that I would win. I scribbled some names on the back of a tram ticket just in case.

For the selection process, Children’s Books Ireland seek out independent judges for the awards including two readers aged 15+ as Young Judges. Publishers submit books they believe to be outstanding reads and the list of submissions is judges against the awards’ criteria including engagement, and how well written and conceived the story is. The list is whittled down to ten books and there are five awards in total including the Book of the Year Award.

Your new verse novel is called 'Trigger' and is publishing with Little Island books, can you introduce us to its themes?

Trigger is about a boy who wakes up in the park with no memory of what happened to him. He slowly comes to terms with the fact that he may have been sexually assaulted. He can’t move on until he knows what happened to him. While sexual assault and trust are key themes, Trigger raises awareness around consent in and out of relationships as well and hope and recovery from trauma.

Jay is struggling to piece together events that have happened to him and who he can trust, although the horrific events that he has been through have been very specific, in some ways this is a rites of passage.  In what ways do you think Jay changes by the end of the book?

Jay is very trusting before the events of the book and a part of him finds validation in being in a relationship. Even when he comes to terms with what happens to him, he still holds tight to his naïve beliefs that nothing happened and his boyfriend could not have been involved. There’s a poem in the book – Honey and Glass – that captures the before and after of his life-changing experience perfectly.

Like 'Gut Feelings,' it has been quite a personal book and it cleverly weaves narrative around trauma and resilience.  Do you find exploring your past through fiction helps to make sense of elements of your past?  What do you hope readers get from this?

There is always a cathartic feeling when I write about some of the difficult experiences I’ve endured. Spending a lot of time writing about these moments does unlock a different perspective that helps me to make sense of the past.

I’ve read some alarming statistics recently that The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published in which they found that 72% of young people aged 18-25 do not realise they can say ‘no’ after initially say ‘yes’ to a sexual encounter when they meet. Just as troubling is that a further 58% believe that rape cannot be committed in a relationship or marriage. I think many adults find it difficult to talk to kids about issues that are widely regarded as taboo like sexual assault and rape but with instant access to digital media via smartphones, children are growing up in a technological world where they are being exposed to smart devices as young as two. It’s naïve to think that teenagers can’t access more explicit content and with this in mind, it’s important to have these more difficult conversations at home and in schools. I can see how teachers and librarians might worry about students reading content that exposes them to issues like sexual assault, but surely it’s better done in a book where they can question and discuss these themes in a safe environment rather than being kept in the dark and becoming a part of a set of alarming statistics. Besides, young people are regularly subjected to sexualisation in the media and violence in video games and TV shows. I hope my book offers a discussion around consent and gets young adults to think about it. I know one book won’t change these damning statistics but if the book reaches and helps just one young person, I’ll be happy.

'Trigger' explores some complex issues and emotions what opportunities and challenges are there in exploring these through the verse form?

Verse novels limit your word count dramatically and can take you longer to find your voice. With prose, you have more time to develop the story and narrative voice but with verse, you have to be more precise while still allowing smaller moments for the reader to breathe. If you’re talking about complex issues like identity, disability or sexual assault, you still need to give the reader moments of relief. I also find it easier to plot a prose novel by chapter whereas my verse style doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense so I might have an outline of what I am going to do, but not every part of the story is mapped out. It’s exciting and it challenges me to find new ways to tell my stories.

What is it that appeals to you about the verse form and in what ways does the process differ from standard prose?

Verse allows me to say what I need to say in a way where every word on the page matters. If I’m talking about something that’s quite personal to me, I want to make sure that every poem is doing what it needs to do and contributing to the overarching narrative. With prose, you can take your time in building up a scene and fleshing out characters and story. In verse, your words need to be concise and for me, I need to be able to balance story and characterisation without adding any superfluous details.

You've just become part a Champion of Reading with Children’s Books Ireland, what will this involve and do you have any particular plans for how you will use this opportunity?

I am so proud to be a Champion of Reading for two schools in Ireland. As part of the scheme, the schools selected each received 250 books as well as a Champion of Reading who is tasked with engaging students and encouraging a ‘reading for pleasure’ culture within the school. I have my own plans on how I would approach this, but I am guided by the schools (what age groups they would like me to work with, reading abilities, interests etc.) to understand what type of activities they would like me to explore in workshops. One of the schools has asked for a workshop around creating suspense and character-building. I will be drawing inspiration from thrillers and murder mysteries to create an immersive series of activities that will invite students to solve a murder mystery in their own stories.

You work with The Reading Agency on their 'Reading Partners' programme.  What does your work entail and has it given you an ideas for your own writing and development?

As a Campaigns Officer with The Reading Agency, I get to support libraries and schools across the UK with offers including free author visits, read and review opportunities and library display packs and resources to help make libraries a more inviting and accessible space for all readers. I’ve grown and developed in this role professionally and being able to access a diverse range of reading opportunities has allowed me to read lots of different stories that have challenged my own writing.

Are you reading anything that you're particularly enjoying at the moment?

I’ve just finished reading Wise Creatures by Deirdre Sullivan – an exceptionally talented Irish author. It’s about betrayal, secrets, family and ghosts. I was a bit sceptical at first as I loathe reading about ghosts, but Deirdre managed to weave a story in lyrical prose and play with narrative voice to create a compelling read.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently working on an inside-out coming-out story (that’s a mouthful to say!) told in prose. I’m afraid I can’t say much more than that.

Thanks to Chris Moore for the interview and to Little Island Books for the opportunity.