We are proud and excited to announce Gary Lonesborough as the winner of The Readings Young Adult Prize 2024 for his coming-of-age novel, We Didn't Think It Through, about a sixteen-year-old boy finding his future and navigating the challenges of racism, family and friendship in a small Australian town.

We asked Gary about the inspiration for his work, the creative process, his perfect reader, favourite writing advice, and what he hopes readers take away from his book.

What was the initial inspiration for this story?

The initial inspiration was Jamie’s character and the stolen car in the beginning of the story. Jamie began to form in my mind after working with a number of young Aboriginal boys who were incarcerated at a juvenile justice centre. I was inspired to tell a story that shined a light on their experiences – a story that explored the issues these young people face and articulated the frustrations I was feeling during that time.

Can you tell us about the creative process?

I spent a lot of time just getting to know Jamie’s character, and then the stolen car and the police chase was the first scene that came to mind. My first drafts were very different and the story of Jamie’s family didn’t come for many revisions. It’ll take an essay to explain it all, but to be brief, I started with Jamie, then discovered the story as I wrote up to the stolen car, knowing Jamie would be going to juvie. I’m a 'pantser', so I discovered the story and the surrounding characters with Jamie. I had a lightbulb moment that this was also a story of family and relationships when I was rewriting on a First Nations fellowship at Varuna Writers' House.

Who is the ideal reader for you book and/or what do you hope readers take away from it?

My ideal readers are teen readers, but I particularly want this story to reach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teens and older readers. The spirit of the story is Jamie’s journey and his resilience, so I hope readers take away that resilience and know that our young people are strong and they can overcome anything with the right support.

What is the best writing advice you've ever received?

Write the story you want to read and don’t rush!

What was your pathway to being published like?

My pathway to publishing began in a slush pile. I submitted my manuscript to a few slush piles and received some rejections, but I persevered, revised and rewrote my entire manuscript then resubmitted to the editor who initially rejected me (in a very lovely way) at Allen & Unwin. Then, many months later, I had a meeting with a publisher and the rest is history! That being said, over the five or six years before, I wrote many other manuscripts, mostly unfinished and abandoned, but now, I see those projects as practice for my first novel.

Why do you write for teenagers children?

I love reading YA and love writing YA. I think my style and writing voice leans easily into the YA space. The stories I love to write are those about growing up and discovering who you are, coming of age stories, and those stories are perfect for a teen readership. 

What does being chosen for a prize judged by booksellers mean to you?

It really means the world to me. I feel so humbled whenever my book is included on lists amongst established, successful and excellent writers. I don’t really know how to respond to praise or recognition yet, but I do know I feel very grateful. So much unseen hard work went into this book, so many hours and doubts and sacrifices, and it is lovely to see that hard work recognised in such a beautiful way.

Discover the other category winners of the 2024 Readings Prizes here.