Interview met Angie Thomas – #THUGNL Blogtour

The Hate U Give is een boek dat eind deze maand uit zal komen bij Uitgeverij Moon. Dit boek is een bestseller van Angie Thomas, die het onderwerp Black Lives Matter aansnijdt. Ik ben een van de bloggers/booktubers die meedoet aan de blogtour onder de naam #THUGNL. Vorige week kon je bij de blog van Eline (All The Feels) lezen over het boek van Angie en waarom het zo belangrijk is dat je dit boek moet lezen (daarbij kan je het eerste hoofdstuk ervan lezen). Ik mocht wat vragen stellen aan Angie Thomas via de mail, waarbij de andere bloggers/booktubers Emmy (Zon en Maan), Eline en Chinouk Thijssen nog hebben geholpen met het bedenken van vragen. Aangezien de antwoorden op het interview iets later binnen kwamen dan verwacht, zijn de vragen en antwoorden in het Engels. Niet getreurd, het is makkelijk te begrijpen!

If you could put one of your characters in another book from another author, which character would you put in which book? (for example: J.K. Rowling puts Harry Potter in The Hunger Games)
I would put Starr in Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. She and Simon would be BFF’s despite their differences when it comes to Oreos haha.

Your characters are going to Hogwarts! Can you sort some of your characters in Hogwarts-houses?
Starr: Gryffindor
Seven: Ravenclaw
Chris: Hufflepuff
Maverick: Slytherin
DeVante: Gryffindor
Carlos: Hufflepuff

In which way do you think THUG will change the world, peoples mind etc.?
I hope that THUG creates empathy and helps more people understand why we say Black Lives Matter.

How important do you think initiatives like #DVPit are for diversity in publishing?
Initiatives like #DVPit are extremely important. They help make marginalized writers more visible and provide additional opportunities for their works to get published. I’m seeing so many writers become agented thanks to #DVPit, and I’m seeing more calls for #ownvoices and diverse books thanks to the efforts of We Need Diverse Books. It’s incredible and gives me hope.

Your book centers around police brutality in the US. What is it like to see it get translated into other languages and have it gather attention in other countries?
It’s amazing! I never thought that my words would travel the world, and I definitely didn’t think that so many people would connect with the story. But I’ve had readers from all over the world tell me that they see themselves in it in different ways. It just goes to show that some experiences are universal.

What is it like having your mom as your number one fan?
It’s great. She’s been my number one fan since I was writing Mickey Mouse fanfiction at six. She encourages me and motivates me, and I’m forever grateful.

What is your funniest/weirdest memory from your time as a rapper?
I didn’t get to do much as a rapper, so unfortunately I don’t have any stories 🙁

Do you have some Own Voices-book recommendations for us?
– History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
– The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
– Dear Martin by Nic Stone (forthcoming)
– Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
– The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (forthcoming)
– The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Dit was het interview! Ik vind de antwoorden van Angie erg mooi, jij ook? De komende weken kan je blogjes/video’s voorbij zien komen bij Emmy en Chinouk. Lees vooral het eerste blogje van Eline, zodat jij ook kan helpen met de campagne rondom #THUGNL. En kijk ook zeker uit naar The Hate U Give, want eind deze maand kan je hem gaan lezen!