Canberra author Angel Hellyer is breaking new ground with their new book being led by a non-gendered character.

Their young adult urban fantasy novel, Just Human, will be released on 15 November.

The 214-page book aimed at 14-18-year-olds is described as “a gripping tale of resilience, friendship, and the courage to stand out when everything around you changes”.

Just Human features supernatural classmates, deadly mysteries, and, of course, homework.

“One thing I love about the book was making it not about romance, because I always got sick of it when I was younger,” they said.

“That’s part of the inspiration, because I saw a post saying, ‘Why are all these shows about werewolves and vampires focused on romance? Young people don’t really care that much; we want stories about social justice.’

“That was one of the inspirations for writing the book, that’s so much more important than romance.”

“It is about growing as a person and as an individual and learning about who you are and what you believe in and what your values are.”

The novel is showcased in the form of diary entries, something that Hellyer has done themself.

“I do a lot of journaling myself for my own mental health journey,” Hellyer said.

“I learnt the importance of journaling, but for me, part of the reason for actually doing it is that it meant I didn’t have to gender my main character.

“And being non-binary, it was really important for me to have a main character where anyone can see themselves in that role, regardless of gender.”

Hellyer said growing up in the then-conservative regional Queensland town of Toowoomba, being queer was generally not accepted.

“I’d always known I didn’t feel like a woman or a girl,” they said.

“It had just never been right for me, but I just hadn’t realised there was an option.

“So, once I did, it fit so well, and it explained to me so much. Gender just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Hellyer said they did not realise they were queer until their early 20s – they also identify as being neurodivergent.

“I left Queensland just before turning 25 to move to Canberra—the usual story; I got a grad job with the government,” they said.

“Moving to Canberra was really the awakening for me because of how inclusive Canberra is; the fact that it wasn’t a big deal that people are queer.

“In Canberra, there’s so much acceptance, it’s about being your authentic self rather than being the person that society wants you to be.

“That really led me to explore who I am and how I claim to be pansexual and non-binary, how I claim these parts of myself. But more from a ‘let me be who I am’ perspective rather than having to conform to these ideas of who I should be.”

Just Human is available to purchase online at Amazon or at Hague Publishing, and several bookstores from 15 November.

Hellyer will launch the novel at Book Cow in Kingston on 17 November at 3pm in conversation with Country Woman: A Memoir of Not Belonging and Once a Stranger author and Riotact columnist Zoya Patel. Hellyer will read the first chapter and share their inspiration, followed by a Q&A session. The event is free but bookings can be made at events.humanitix.com/book-launch-just-human-by-angel-hellyer

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