Will People Always Look Down on YA readers?

This is something I thought about whilst writing one of my other posts. It's something that is true. But maybe there's a bit of hope since the announcement of the YALC that will be held at the London Film and Comic Convention!

In secondary school, you are taught to look at the classics. Me, I looked at Frankenstein, The Crucible and To Kill A Mockingbird. They were books that are something that we should aspire to write like. They are the "finer" ways of writing. Ok, it sounds like I'm on a rant about classics. I'm not. To be honest I really wish I could get through them, but I can't. I don't know if it's that I choose all the wrong books or if it's just me with no reading stamina, but I have tried many a times and nothing seems to work.

When I was writing my personal statement for UCAS, at my college, you are supposed to give your personal statement to your tutor to check over. My tutor is a maths teacher and I wanted to give mine to an English teacher because the subject I wanted to study has something to do with English. My english teacher told me to write about some novels that I've read, which I replied to saying: "Should I write about books for the target audience I want to write for? Or classics?" He then went on and asked me what classic books I've read. I said: "I'm not really a classic reader and have only read two." (Ok, so I have read more than two but I was on the spot, I panicked!)

And then, this is where I was made to feel like a 'stupid' person, there was a teacher who sat behind his desk in the office and she laughed. Properly laughed. A 'I-can't-believe-she's-only-read-two-classic-books-and-she's-going-to-study-creative-writing' laugh. 

I came home and cried. I couldn't believe it. 

(*Huff* ...rant over..)

It was then when I kinda realizes that YA won't be classed as an acceptable piece of literature. My dad told me that I needed a thicker skin because otherwise how would I write my own novels without getting down. I believe that so much. I think it gave me a heads up on what I will face in the future. I mean, I know tonnes of authors (as in the authors who's books I've read) who don't care. It's not about if there are superiors who think that they are writing rubbish (well maybe it is important to drill into their heads that nothing is wrong with YA fiction!). But they write to please the young adult audience and not anyone else! That's what counts, not those who judge them for writing "proper" books!

Having said this, we need to bow down to Malorie Blackman *gets on hands and knees and worships* for the organising the Young Adult Literature Convention in the London! I am so excited for this. I've always wanted to go to the LFCC but have never got round to it but now with the YALC rolling in, it is a perfect opportunity to go ahead and get tickets. I've always been very envious about for America for constantly having events where herds of authors gather but now it's our time!!

Some of the authors who have been announced so far:
•    Malorie Blackman
•    James Dawson
•    Matt Haig
•    Derek Landy
•    Sophie McKenzie
•    Patrick Ness
•    Natasha Ngan
•    Darren Shan
•    Ruth Warburton

I feel that it is more acceptable in the US than anywhere else. They have their huge conventions, BEA, and most of the well know YA authors are American. Their bookshop displays are huge (or so I've seen via my Twitter timeline) but then when I go to Waterstones for a newly released book, all I get is a small stack on a table with a tonne of other books. No fancy sign saying they're just in stock or anything....But hey-ho, I want to see where this convention will take people opinions. Should be an awesome weekend!

What does everyone else think? Do you think that people look down on YA books? 

And who's going to the YALC??? (I'm thinking of buying the weekend ticket but haven't confirmed! Is it worth it?? Who's going? What days? Tell me people!!)