Introducing IBC Awards judge, Cathy Reay

Cathy, what made you decide to write How to Be Disabled and Proud (or at least kinda sorta okay with it...)? 

Many disabled children are born into families and communities that have little to no direct experience of being disabled or of disability advocacy. As a result, parents, teachers, carers and even medical staff are often learning on the go. This can all feel a bit isolating and confusing for disabled kids at times. And to be honest, even disabled kids who have knowledgeable disabled people around them feel a little lost sometimes, too.

As my own kids started hitting the middle-grade age bracket, I realised there’s really no books out there for them. There’s some stuff for parents, lots of stuff for doctors, but nothing for the disabled kids themselves that’s written by someone who was once a disabled kid too. How can we expect disabled kids to grow up feeling assured and confident in their identity if they can’t find anything that speaks to similar experiences on bookshelves?

More than anything, I wanted to write something that reassured disabled kids like mine that they belong in this world exactly as they are, that they’re not broken or less valuable, and they don’t need to be fixed or cured. And that being disabled is actually kinda cool. To find out why, you’ll have to buy a copy of the book!

We loved the interactive elements throughout the book: the checklists, tips and spaces to reflect. How important is it for your readers to feel ownership of what they’re reading and experiencing?

Thank you! That was incredibly important to me, especially in a book about identity, where it’s vital the reader has a personalised experience. I thought about how my own kids would prefer to digest a book like this and realised that breaking the content up into standalone chunks would enable them to dip in and out whenever they need support with a particular issue. Adding features like writing line guides and questions directed to the reader helps them to interrogate and reflect on how what they’re learning relates to their own experiences, too. 

Why did you agree to be a judge for the 2025 IBC Awards?

IBC is an incredibly important organisation. I really champion what you do (and I love that you’re not backed by dodgy fossil fuel companies or anything like that!). 

After the surge in popularity of what we call ‘diverse’ books in 2020, we’re now witnessing what appears to be a decline in popularity again. I saw this being referred to as ‘allyship fatigue’ (credit to whoever came up with that term; apologies for not remembering) which felt very apt. It’s so important we continue to champion and shout about marginalised stories, because we want future generations to build a society that has inclusivity at the heart. We can’t rest now — after all, books are just the start.

At our awards evening, you said you didn’t have any books by disabled or Black authors growing up and want to see more intersectionality in books. Could you elaborate on this?

Sure. So, my point was that there are a lot of books out now by Black authors, and by disabled authors too (great!). But rarely by Black disabled authors (not great).

In fact, I don’t know any non-white, working-class disabled authors, do you? Ones who are based in the UK and have major book deals like mine. Ones who have been given a promotional schedule and an advance payment that has afforded them time away from their day job. I know I don’t know everyone in the industry, but I know plenty of white middle-class disabled authors. That imbalance feels kinda messed up. 

At the end of the day, my writing can only speak to my experience, and my experience will be relatable for many, but it won’t be for many more. Kids from multiple marginalised backgrounds need to see themselves in books even more than white middle-class disabled kids. Publishers need to take bigger risks when it comes to bringing intersectional stories to life. 

Could you recommend a few inclusive children’s books or series for our readers?

• So Much by Trish Cooke and Helen Oxenbury
• The Betsey Biggalow series by Malorie Blackman, illustrated by
• What Happened to You? by James and Karen George
• Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
• Sulwe by Lupita N’yongo, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
• You Need to Chill by Juno Dawson, illustrated by Laura Hughes
• The Destiny Ink series by Adeola Sokunbi
• A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
• I Got This by Cara Mailey and Chrissy Sains
• The Breakfast Club Adventures by Marcus Rashford and Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Marta Kissi

And finally, what’s next for you? Do you have any intersectional inclusive children’s books in you, waiting to come out?!

Haha, not currently, and I’m not sure I’d be best suited to write them! My main aim was to write a book for my kids, and I’ve done that now, and I feel proud to be able to give it to them. Anything else that happens after that will be a bonus.

How to Be Disabled and Proud (or at least kinda sorta okay with it) by Cathy Reay,
illustrated by Jaleel Hudson and published by Puffin, is out on 27 March 2025.

To learn more about Cathy and her work, visit her website.