Book Launch - Just Human by Angel Hellyer

Hear Canberra author Angel Hellyer discuss their new young adult urban fantasy fiction novel, Just Human, with Zoya Patel (author of No Country Woman & Once a Stranger, and Riotact columnist). Angel will read the first chapter and share their inspiration, followed by a Q&A session.

Just Human is a gripping tale of resilience, friendship, and the courage to stand out when everything around you changes. 

No one knows how or why people became vampires, werewolves, banshees, pixies, elves, and more. Some woke up with wings or pointed ears, while others only discovered their transformation when they burst into flames under the sun or turned into werewolves on the next full moon. The world has shifted, and those left human have found themselves at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Being a nerdy outcast was hard enough before this supernatural upheaval. Now, as a human in a school filled with "cool" Creatures, life is even more challenging. But just as things seem to settle, strange and dangerous events start occurring—more mysterious than their dad turning into a werewolf.

Angel is a queer writer and communication professional. An avid reader as a young person, Angel loved losing themselves in fantasy novels, as well as roleplaying games. But they didn't consider themselves creative and, following a rough childhood, prioritised clarity in life so they studied maths and computing. As Angel grew into their authentic self, they realised they actually loved the greys between the blacks and whites. They moved into a communication career, applying creativity professionally and building belief in their imagination. After a vivid dream in 2013 that they thought would make a great book chapter, Angel wrote (over the course of eight years) their first novel, The Design of Resistance, and eventually self-published it. Over this time, they became far more progressive than they would ever have expected from their rural Queensland upbringing, working both personally and professionally to advance social justice, equity and equality. So it wasn't that surprising that their second book idea was inspired by some progressive social media posts. Angel lives in Canberra with a chatty and fluffy cat.

Zoya Patel is a writer and editor based in Canberra. She is the Founding Editor of independent feminist journal, Feminartsy, through which she publishes the work of writers from across Australia, hosts monthly feminist reading nights, and co-hosts the Read Like a Feminist bookclub. Zoya writes fiction, non-fiction and memoir, and has had her work published in a range of publications including Junkee, Women's Agenda, i-D.co, Right Now, The Canberra Times and more. She is the author of two books, No Country Woman and Once A Stranger.