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Hello and welcome!  I’m Leone, a creative writing researcher, artist, and teacher based in the beautiful Holme Valley in Yorkshire.  I’m interested in storytelling of all kinds, but the lion’s share of my work is related to fiction for the young.

The element of creative writing which interests me most is the creation of character.  It was this passion that led me to embark on a PhD, which I completed in 2024.  During my research journey, I became particularly interested in how writers create and think about AI characterslike robots or talking computers.  So that’s what I decided to explore.

Using ideas from something called posthumanism, (a way of thinking that encourages us to look beyond traditional views of what it means to be human), I set out to discover how we could make sure these AI characters do not reinforce old, harmful ideas about gender.  In other words, I tried to work out how storytellers can avoid making these characters too much like humans, especially in ways that could lead to misunderstandings about what boys and girls (or men and women) can do or be.

Thanks to what I learnt from my research, when I write stories, I now try to do it with reflexivity.  That is to say that I think very deeply about my own biases and assumptions when I create characters, in the hope of ensuring that the narratives they inhabit convey a message of inclusivity.  I’m also keen to learn how other writers consider these matters, and to explore and reflect on our practices together.

Turning to the subject of children’s fiction more generally, one of the reasons it’s of special interest to me is that it gives me the opportunity to make use of more than one of my creative skills: writing and painting.  I love crafting stories and bringing them to life with illustrations.  I also like to spend time immersing myself in other people’s work.  For example, I’m an avid reader of picture books—there’s nothing I like better than to sit down with a nice cup of tea and leaf through pages of beautiful illustrations, marvelling at how the words and images work together.

Middle grade fiction is another area which fascinates me, both as a writer and an academic.  As you might imagine given my interest in AI characters, anything containing a robot or a talking computer is something I’ll want to read and when I do so, I try to work out what such characters reveal about our own, human culture and beliefs.

Children’s literature aside, I have a background in screenwriting.  I went to film school some twenty years ago and completed an MA in that subject.  Since then, I’ve helped many writers hone their screenplays into dramatically effective work, both as a university lecturer and through professional script development.

When I’m not working, I pursue my passion for botanical painting.  Occasionally, I even sell some.  I find experiencing the natural world through art deeply relaxing, and I’m always happy to encourage anyone who shares that interest.  I also enjoy reading poetry, and watching science fiction.

At the moment, I’m trying to work out what to do next, now that my PhD is complete.  Ultimately, I hope to help myself and others create new worlds and characters that inspire and entertain, and which will lead to new areas of research.  Whether you’re a young reader, a fellow writer, a fellow academic, or just curious about the magic of storytelling, I hope you find something here that sparks your imagination and encourages you to go on reading, writing, and celebrating the myriad of narratives we humans create.