JOFFE BOOKS PRIDE Q&A – JOY ELLIS

Here at Joffe Books we’re looking to celebrate Pride Month over the month of June. We’re very keen to show how proud we are of our LGBTQ+ authors, their hard work and their amazing achievements.

For our last week we caught up with #1 bestselling author Joy Ellis — read below to find out what Pride means to her.

I think that I should start by mentioning two things, prior to answering your questions.

First, I was born in the 1940s, and attitudes to gay men and women were mainly either negative, horrified or plain disgusted. I realized that I was a lesbian at the age of 20, because although being very fond of the young man I was engaged to, I fell in love with my flatmate, Elizabeth. From that point on, my life became a constant battle. Everything was ‘underground’ and clandestine. My London employer found out about my preferences and sent me to a top London psychiatric consultant, to be cured! When it didn’t work, she sacked me. Seriously, I could write a book on growing up gay in the 1960s! Hence, because of my age, and the fact that I have been with my married partner, Jacqueline, for over 25 years, I possibly have a different outlook to younger gay people.

Second, I have come a long way since those days, and although I have fought a private war for recognition of what and who I am, it was never about trying to change the world; it was about asking people to see what was beneath the exterior and not to judge others. I applaud every single LGBTQ+ soul, and every group that has had the courage to stand up and be counted, and the outcome has been civil partnerships and marriage. What an incredible achievement. But I have to end by saying that being a lesbian woman does not define me. It is part of me, like a lot of other multifaceted parts, and I believe that what truly counts in life is a kind heart.

I hope this in no way detracts from my answers to the questions . . . but this is me.

Which book are you most proud of writing and why?

I’m not sure proud is the right word here. As a writer with imposter syndrome, no matter how many books I have sold, I’m always fretful as to whether each new book is good enough. However, I’m proud of every title that makes it through to publication day, and very proud of my amazing publisher who guides it there! I think if I had to choose, it would be Their Lost Daughters, in the Jackman and Evans series, and simply for one scene, where Jackman and his team find a locked door in a tunnel beneath the marsh. I admit to a feeling of pride at the tension, and the horror experienced by my characters when they finally enter the locked room. I also take great delight in the fact that one of my readers’ favourite characters is Rory Wilkinson, the gay Home Office pathologist!

How do you celebrate Pride Month and what does it mean to you?

At my age, with six dogs (four being rescued girls) and living in a village in the Fens, we rarely go out! Celebrating usually means lifting a glass of wine from my office chair! I may not be out there celebrating on the streets, but the fact that it is happening is wonderful! It means so much, because of all the changes that I’ve seen in my lifetime. When you consider the time has progressed from homosexuality being an arrestable offence to dancing in the street with thousands of others and carrying a massive rainbow flag, it’s hard to get your head around it!

Little factoid here: if you’ve ever wondered about that colourful flag. In 1978, the flag had eight colours (sexuality symbolized by hot pink, life by red, healing by orange, the sun by yellow, nature by green, art by blue, harmony by indigo and spirit by violet). It was designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker and has been adopted worldwide. The following year, a six-colour flag, which is in common use today, appeared (with red, orange, yellow, green, blue [harmony replaced art, as symbolized by blue in the flag] and purple/violet), partially because of the unavailability of some of the fabric colours.

Who is an LGBTQ+ author that everyone should read?

He may not be a writer who is instantly recognised as a LGBTQ+ author, but I’m thinking entirely about his skill. As a crime writer, I do lean towards others in the same genre, so I will nominate Truman Capote. I read In Cold Blood (a true crime story, written using techniques usually found in fiction to bring the book to life) many years ago, and the tension he created literally gave me the shivers, and still does!

What advice would you give to aspiring LGBTQ+ writers?

My advice would be no different to any other aspiring author. You have a unique voice, so . . . write with conviction. Write from your heart. Write what matters to you. Find a genre that sits well with you and you enjoy writing. Find the courage to keep writing and never be afraid of rejection letters — just keep going! As soon as you write the words ‘Chapter One’, you are starting an apprenticeship, so learn your trade. Oh, and don’t be frightened of editors, it might not seem like it when they pare down your precious words, but they are trying to make your book the best it can be!

How do you think allies can help raise awareness of the issues that the LGBTQ+ community face?

I think allies can make a massive difference, especially in the workplace and in universities. No one works well if they can’t be themselves. To feel alienated or the need to maintain secrecy is so sad in a modern age. Support and acceptance mean a lot more to LGBTQ+ people than most realize. Allies can be a life-saving link against depression and discrimination.