Helen #mixedmonday

This weeks #mixedmonday is Helen, @helen_jcomerford. This week sees the publication of her debut novel The Love Interest!

Hello I'm Helen. I'm a mixed author now based in South Wales with my partner and our staffy (Cocoa; the Princess of Wales). When people ask where I'm from, I default to Kent, where my lovely Nana lived, because I grew up in a military family moving around the UK and Germany. I kept moving as an adult, touring the UK and abroad as a theatre stage manager and working for brilliant companies including Shakespeare's Globe and Wise Children. Now, I'm pretty settled, writing stories at home and climbing the drizzly Welsh hills. I'm very very excited that after years of submissions, pitching and editing, my debut young adult novel, a feminist, superhero, rom-com called The Love Interest comes out on Thursday 6th June!

How would you describe your ethnicity? 

I use mixed heritage or mixed race intermittently to describe my Black Caribbean and white British ethnicity. I also identify as a woman of colour. I have an Irish surname, but my grandparents on my mum's side are from Guyana and my dad's side have a roots in England, Ireland and Italy. 

Has your mixed-ness influenced your career in any way?

100%. Growing up I don't think I read a single story about a mixed heritage girl. Black characters were just about making it onto the shelves, thanks to the fantastic Malorie Blackman, but I didn't see anyone who looked like me or who had a family like mine. Now that I'm an author my mixed-ness is a major part of character creation. I'm on a mission to represent mixed heritage children and teens. My main characters in The Love Interest, both come from mixed British families and I'm committed to including mixed main characters in everything that I write. My books are also, intentionally, not about racial identity. I think it's vital for young people to see themselves represented whilst also enjoying some action-packed escapism.

If you could describe your mixed identity in one word, what would it be?

Lucky.

What is the best thing about being mixed heritage?

My family; having Caribbean heritage on one side and history in England and Ireland on the other means that I am made of such a tapestry of stories. I think learning about vastly different histories has also led me to be more open to the narratives around me. Both sides of my family are also lovely and good fun at a family gathering!