Alice Oseman | |
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Born | Alice May Oseman 16 October 1994 Chatham, Kent, England |
Alma mater | Durham University (BA) |
Genre | Young adult fiction |
Years active | 2014–present |
Website | |
aliceoseman |
Alice May Oseman (born 16 October 1994)[1] is an English author of young adult fiction. She[a] secured her first publishing deal at 17 and published her first novel Solitaire in 2014.[2] Her novels include Radio Silence, I Was Born for This, and Loveless. She wrote and illustrated the webcomic Heartstopper, which has been published as multiple graphic novels and which she adapted into a TV series, earning her a BAFTA TV Award nomination and two Children's and Family Emmy Awards as both a writer and producer. Her novels focus on contemporary teenage life in the UK and have received the Inky Awards.
Alice Oseman was born in Chatham, Kent and grew up in a village near Rochester, Kent with her younger brother, William, and attended Rochester Grammar School.[3][4] She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Durham University in 2016.[5][6]
Oseman's debut novel Solitaire was published by HarperCollins in 2014 after a bidding war.[2][7] It follows the story of Tori Spring, a pessimistic teenager, who meets Michael Holden, her polar opposite and an unbelievable optimist. They attempt to discover who is behind a series of pranks at their school. Other characters include Tori's brother Charlie, who has a severe eating disorder and is explored further in Oseman's webcomic Heartstopper. The novel explores themes such as friendship, mental health issues, eating disorders, and LGBT+ relationships.
Oseman published two ebook novellas based on characters from Solitaire and Heartstopper, titled Nick and Charlie (July 2015) and This Winter (November 2015). Both were published by HarperCollins Children's Books.[8]
In 2016, Oseman published her second novel, Radio Silence.[9] The novel follows Frances Janvier, a high-achiever whose life revolves around her admission to the University of Cambridge, who meets the shy creator behind her favourite podcast, Aled Last. Themes such as academic pressures and LGBT+ relationships and identities are central to the novel. According to Oseman, Frances' experience in Radio Silence is similar to her school pressure and later disillusionment with academia following her education at Durham University.[10] This novel has been praised for representing characters of various ethnicities, genders, and sexualities.[11] Radio Silence was named one of the Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Best Books of the Year in 2017.[12] Oseman has often written about the importance of writing diversely on her blog and has spoken about the lack of diversity in Solitaire in interviews.[13][14][15] The novel won the 2017 Silver Inky Award for young adult literature.[16]
Oseman's third book, I Was Born for This, was published in May 2018.[17] It follows the story of Angel Rahimi and Jimmy Kaga-Ricci. The story is about a band called The Ark and their fandom, with a particular focus on fandom among teenagers.[18] Isabella Stocka, an author at The Nerd Daily, said that she "would have liked it to be a bit different and perhaps another chapter or two would not have hurt the story."[19]
Oseman is also the author and artist of the webcomic Heartstopper,[20][21] which follows the romantic relationship between Charlie Spring (brother of Tori Spring) and Nick Nelson, both of whom are characters featured in Solitaire. Hachette Children's Group has published the first four volumes of the comic.[22] Volume one was published in October 2018, volume two in July 2019, volume three in February 2020 and volume four in May 2021.[23]
In 2018, to celebrate the release of a third young adult novel, I Was Born for This, all of Oseman's published books received new, matching covers.[24][non-primary source needed] The re-designed covers were released in May, along with the new book.
In July 2020, Oseman published Loveless, a young adult novel based on her own experiences in university.[25]
Oseman's novels have been praised for being "relatable"[26] and realistic in their portrayal of contemporary teenage life. Her first book Solitaire was particularly praised due to her young age at the time of the publishing deal, which contributed to a BBC Breakfast interview on 22 July 2014.
In July 2024, Oseman received an honorary degree from the University of Kent at a Rochester Cathedral graduation ceremony for Doctors of Letters and Arts.[27]
See-Saw Films optioned the television rights to Heartstopper in 2019. On 20 January 2021, it was revealed that a live-action television adaptation of Heartstopper was ordered to series by Netflix, with Oseman writing the script and Euros Lyn directing. Patrick Walters of See-Saw Films serves as executive producer.[28] Kit Connor and Joe Locke star as Nick and Charlie respectively.[29] It premiered on 22 April 2022, to critical acclaim.[30]
On 20 May 2022, Netflix announced that the series was being recommissioned for a second and third season.[31]
The show's second season was released on 3 August 2023 and received high praise for tackling more serious issues while maintaining the optimistic feel of the first season.[32] Season 3 will be released on 3 October, 2024.
While promoting Loveless, Oseman opened up about being aromantic and asexual.[33] Oseman uses she/her and they/them pronouns.[34] Oseman announced that she was going on hiatus from Heartstopper in 2022 due to stress and mental health issues.[35]
Oseman's body of work is set within a cohesive fictional universe. For instance, the characters Nick and Charlie initially debut in Oseman's novel, Solitaire, and reappear in various works, most prominently in the Nick and Charlie novella and the Heartstopper graphic novels. This shared narrative universe has been informally termed the "Osemanverse" by some fans[36] and even adopted by certain retailers.[37]
Title | United Kingdom | United States | ||||
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Publication date | Publisher | ISBN | Publication date | Publisher | ISBN | |
Solitaire | 31 July 2014 | HarperCollins | 9780007559237 | 3 January 2023 | Scholastic | 9781338863420 |
Nick and Charlie | 16 July 2015 | 9780008147877 | 9781338885101 | |||
This Winter | 5 November 2015 | 9780008147884 | 5 September 2023 | 9781338885132 | ||
Radio Silence | 25 February 2016 | 9780062335722 | 26 December 2023 | HarperTeen | 9780063374324 | |
I Was Born for This | 3 May 2018 | 9780008244095 | 18 October 2022 | Scholastic | 9781338830934 | |
Heartstopper | 7 February 2019 – present | Hachette Children's Group | 9781444951387 | 5 May 2020 – present | Graphix | 9781338617436 |
Loveless | 9 July 2020 | HarperCollins | 9780008244132 | 1 March 2022 | Scholastic | 9781338751932 |
In November 2023, Oseman was named to the BBC's 100 Women list.[38]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
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2017 | Inky Awards | Silver Inky (International Fiction) | Radio Silence | Won |
2018 | United By Pop Awards[39] | YA Book of the Year | I Was Born for This | Won |
2020 | Goodreads Choice Awards[40] | Best Graphic Novels & Comics | Heartstopper: Volume 3 | Won |
2021 | The Bookseller Awards[41] | YA Book of the Year | Loveless | Won |
2022 | British Book Awards[42] | Children's Illustrated Book of the Year | Heartstopper: Volume 4 | Won |
Waterstones Book of the Year[43] | Book of the Year | Heartstopper: Volume 1 | Nominated | |
Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards[44] | Breakthrough Author | Alice Oseman | Won | |
Readers' Choice | Heartstopper | Won | ||
Goodreads Choice Awards[45][46] | Best Graphic Novels & Comics | Heartstopper: Volume 4 | Won | |
Best Young Adult Fiction | Loveless | Nominated | ||
Book Shimmy Awards[47] | Pagemaster | Alice Oseman | Pending | |
Graphic Novel | Heartstopper: Volume 4 | Pending | ||
2023 | British Book Awards[48] | Children's Illustrated Book of the Year | The Heartstopper Yearbook | Nominated |
Hay Festival[49] | Medal for Fiction | Alice Oseman | Won | |
TikTok Book Awards[50] | Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time | Heartstopper: Volume 1 | Won |
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
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2022 | Attitude Awards[51] | TV Award | Heartstopper season 1 | Won |
C21 International Drama Awards[52] | Best Comedy-Drama Series | Nominated | ||
Children's and Family Emmy Awards[53] | Outstanding Young Teen Program | Won | ||
Outstanding Writing for a Young Teen Program | Won | |||
Dorian Awards[54] | Best LGBTQ Show | Won | ||
Best TV Drama | Nominated | |||
National Television Awards[55] | New Drama | Nominated | ||
Rose d'Or Awards[56] | Comedy Drama and Sitcom | Nominated | ||
TV Choice Awards[57] | Best New Drama | Won | ||
2023 | British Academy Television Craft Awards[58] | Writer: Drama | Nominated | |
GLAAD Media Awards[59][60] | Outstanding Kids and Family Programming – Live Action | Won | ||
Kidscreen Awards[61][62] | Best New Series - Tweens/Teens | Won | ||
Best Live-Action Series - Tweens/Teens | Won | |||
Best Inclusivity - Tweens/Teens | Nominated | |||
Queerty Awards[63] | TV Comedy | Won | ||
Satellite Awards[64] | Best Drama Series | Nominated | ||
Visionary Arts Awards[65][66] | Television Show of the Year | Nominated |
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