Literary Representations of Non-heteronormative and Trans People in Polish Young Adult (YA) Literature: the example of Natalia Osińska’s trilogy and Anouk Herman’s novel Nigdy nie będziesz szło samo

Abstract

The author focuses on literary representations of LGBT+ youth in Polish novels classified as Young Adult Literature (YAL). They use a three-part framework created by Michael Cart and Christine A. Jenkins to analyse books viewed as emblematic for Polish queer YAL: Natalia Osińska’s trilogy (Fanfik 2016, Slash 2017, Fluff 2019) and Anouk Herman’s novel Nigdy nie będziesz szło samo [You’ll Never Walk Alone, 2023]. When describing literary representations of coming out and queer youth subcultures, the author draws attention to the multidimensionality of the identities of the characters in this type of literary work. They are presented not only in the context of their gender identity and sexual orientation, but also through the prism of their economic situation and place of birth. The queerness of the characters is not limited to issues of gender and sexuality, but also involves challenging the norm of neurotypicality. According to the author, the novels analysed represent an interesting cultural representation of the Polish community of young people who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender and non-binary, as well as their allies (parents, friends).