Alice May Oseman (born 16 October 1994) is an English author and illustrator of
young adult fiction
Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...
. She secured her first publishing deal at 17 and published her first novel ''Solitaire'' in 2014.
Her novels include ''Radio Silence'', ''I Was Born for This'', and ''
Loveless
Loveless may refer to:
Comics and literature
* Loveless (comics), ''Loveless'' (comics), a comic book series by Brian Azzarello, Marcelo Frusin, Danijel Zezelj, and Werther Dell'Edera
* Loveless (manga), ''Loveless'' (manga), a manga series by Y ...
.'' All stand-alone novels in the same extended universe, they focus on contemporary teenage life in the UK and have received praise for their realism, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and portrayal of mental health struggles. She has received several awards for her works including
silver Inky Award, a
British Book Award
The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by ''The Bookseller''. The awards have had several previous names, owners and sponsors since being launched in 1990, including the Na ...
, and three
Goodreads Choice Awards
The Goodreads Choice Awards is a yearly award program, first launched on Goodreads in 2009.
Winners are determined by crowdvoting, users voting on books that Goodreads has nominated or books of their choosing, released in the given year. Most boo ...
.
She also writes and illustrates the webcomic and graphic novel series ''
Heartstopper'', which has been adapted into a critically acclaimed
TV series
A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...
, earning her a
BAFTA TV Award
The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955.
Background
The first-ever Awards, given in ...
nomination and two
Children's and Family Emmy Awards
The Children's and Family Emmy Awards, or Children's and Family Emmys, are a part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts a ...
as both a writer and producer. In recognition of her work, Oseman was named to the BBC's
100 Women list in November 2023,
and in October 2024 she was named to Time's
Time100 Next list.
Early life and education
Alice Oseman was born in
Chatham, Kent
Chatham ( ) is a town within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. In 2020 it had a population of 80,596.
Th ...
and grew up in a village near
Rochester, Kent
Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about east-southeast of London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Kent, Chatham, ...
with her younger brother, William, and attended
Rochester Grammar School
Rochester Grammar School (known as Rochester Grammar School for Girls until 2006) often abbreviated to RGS is a grammar school for the education of girls between the ages of 11 and 18. It has Academy (English school), academy status. It is now k ...
. She graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
in English Literature from
Durham University
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...
in 2016.
Career
Debut novel and ''Heartstopper'' webcomic
Oseman wrote her debut novel ''Solitaire'' when she was just 17 and secured a publishing deal for it by the time she was 19. It was published by
HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
in 2014 after a bidding war.
The book follows the story of Tori Spring, a pessimistic teenager, as she meets Michael Holden, her polar opposite and an unbelievable optimist. They attempt to discover the truth behind the anonymous group 'Solitaire' who commit a series of pranks at their school.
Other characters include Tori's brother
Charlie, who has a severe eating disorder, and his boyfriend
Nick
Nick may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Nick (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Désirée Nick, German actress and writer
Places
* Nick, Hungary, a village
* Nick, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, a ...
. The novel explores themes such as friendship, depression, eating disorders, and
LGBT+
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...
relationships.
''Solitaire'' was praised for its compelling characters and Oseman's young age at the time of publishing, landing her a
BBC Breakfast
''BBC Breakfast'' is a British television breakfast news programme, produced by BBC News and broadcast on BBC One every morning from 6:00am. It is also broadcast on the UK feed of BBC News channel on weekends. The simulcast is presented live, ...
interview on 22 July 2014.
Oseman later published two ebook novellas based on characters from ''Solitaire'' – a sequel titled ''Nick and Charlie'' (July 2015) and a prequel titled ''This Winter'' (November 2015).
Upon "falling in love" with the characters of Nick and Charlie, Oseman decided their story needed further exploration and began the ''Heartstopper''
online webcomic series.
The episodic comic first appeared online on
Tumblr
Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...
and
Tapas
Tapas () are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They can be combined to make a full meal and are served cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as , which are battered, fried baby squid; or , spicy potatoes). In some bars ...
in September 2016 and follows Tori's younger brother Charlie through high school as he meets and then begins dating Nick Nelson.
While the comic features some of the same characters and takes place in the same universe and timeline as ''Solitaire'', its tone is notably different. Where Solitaire is a grimly realistic depiction of mental illness and struggle, ''Heartstopper'' provides a more uplifting view of the world and focuses much more on romance.
Coming-of-age novels and critical success
In 2016, Oseman published her second novel, ''Radio Silence''. The novel follows Frances Janvier, a high-achiever whose life revolves around her admission to the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
, who meets the shy creator behind her favourite podcast, Aled Last. Themes such as academic pressures and LGBT+ relationships and identities are central to the novel. Oseman noted that Frances' experience in ''Radio Silence'' was similar to her own school pressure and later disillusionment with academia following her education at
Durham University
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...
.
The novel was praised for its compelling central character and realistic writing style and relatability, as well as for representing characters of various ethnicities, genders, and sexualities. Oseman has frequently commented about the importance of writing diversely and expressed regret over the lack of diversity in ''Solitaire''. ''Radio Silence'' was named one of the Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Best Books of the Year in 2017 and won the 2017 Silver
Inky Award for young adult literature.
Oseman's third book, ''I Was Born for This'', was published in May 2018. It follows the story of Angel Rahimi and Jimmy Kaga-Ricci who are, respectively, a massive fan and the lead singer of boy band The Ark. The book explores
Fandom
A fandom is a subculture composed of Fan (person), fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significan ...
culture, obsession, and identity alongside Oseman's trademark depictions of teenage friendship, sexuality and gender, and mental illness. It was nominated for Best Young Adult Fiction Book in both the
Goodreads Choice Awards
The Goodreads Choice Awards is a yearly award program, first launched on Goodreads in 2009.
Winners are determined by crowdvoting, users voting on books that Goodreads has nominated or books of their choosing, released in the given year. Most boo ...
and The Bookseller Awards.
To celebrate the release of her third novel, Oseman's previous two novels and her two novellas all received new, matching covers, designed by Oseman.
In July 2020, Oseman published her fourth young adult novel ''
Loveless
Loveless may refer to:
Comics and literature
* Loveless (comics), ''Loveless'' (comics), a comic book series by Brian Azzarello, Marcelo Frusin, Danijel Zezelj, and Werther Dell'Edera
* Loveless (manga), ''Loveless'' (manga), a manga series by Y ...
''.
''Loveless'' tells the story of 18-year-old Georgia Warr as she begins her first year as a student at
Durham University
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...
and who, despite being an avid
fan fiction
Fan fiction or fanfiction, also known as fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF, is fiction typically written in an amateur capacity by fans as a form of fan labor, unauthorized by, but based on, an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted ...
writer and lover of romance movies, has never kissed anyone or had a crush before.
In addition to Georgia's personal journey of self-discovery as she realises she is
aromantic
Aromanticism is a romantic orientation characterized by experiencing little to no romantic attraction. The term "aromantic", Colloquialism, colloquially shortened to "aro", refers to a person whose romantic orientation is aromanticism.
It is d ...
and
asexual, the book also discusses sexuality, identity, and discrimination within the LGBT community, as well as the effect of abusive relationships.
While not an autobiographical book, Oseman has said that ''Loveless'' draws a lot from her own experiences growing up and discovering asexuality.
She also emphasised the importance of writing a book centered around platonic love, stating that she "wanted to craft a story that had the structure of a romance but was about a friendship."
''Loveless'' received positive critical reception from literary reviewers and media outlets, with many praising the novel's treatment of asexuality and its intersectional and diverse depiction of sexuality.
Jonny Yates of ''
PinkNews
''PinkNews'' is a UK-based online newspaper marketed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning community (LGBTQ+) in the UK and worldwide. It was founded by Benjamin Cohen in July 2005, initially released in print, b ...
'' wrote that the novel is "perhaps one of the most notable and popular books with aromantic characters"
and Ani Bundel of ''
Paste'' expressed how asexuality in novels is "a rare thing still, and the burgeoning world of LGBTQ+ love stories needs more of them."
The novel received the
YA Book Prize in 2021,
and was nominated for Best Young Adult Fiction Book in the
Goodreads Choice Awards
The Goodreads Choice Awards is a yearly award program, first launched on Goodreads in 2009.
Winners are determined by crowdvoting, users voting on books that Goodreads has nominated or books of their choosing, released in the given year. Most boo ...
.
Osemanverse timeline
All of Oseman's novels take place in the same universe and many of the same characters re-appear in later works. ''Solitaire'' focuses mainly on Tori Spring, but her younger brother Charlie and his boyfriend Nick Nelson both feature heavily. They are then the main focus of ''Nick and Charlie'' as well as ''Heartstopper'' while ''This Winter'' features all three. Similarly, Aled Last first appears as a supporting character in ''Heartstopper'' as one of Charlie's close friends before becoming one of the two main protagonists of ''Radio Silence''.
While the official timeline is ambiguous, ''Radio Silence'' is set roughly two years after the events of ''Solitaire'', ''I Was Born for This'' takes places around four years after that, and the events of ''Loveless'' occur around a year further on from that. The ''Heartstopper'' comics begin about a year prior to ''Solitaire'' but eventually catch up to and continue past it. The ''Nick and Charlie'' novella is the last chronologically in terms of Charlie and Tori's story, taking place about a year before ''Radio Silence'' begins.
''Heartstopper'' graphic novels
Oseman is also the author and illustrator of the webcomic ''
Heartstopper'', which follows the romantic relationship between
Charlie Spring (brother of Tori Spring) and
Nick Nelson, both of whom are characters featured in ''Solitaire'' as well as its spin-off novellas ''Nick and Charlie'' and ''This Winter'' (both published by HarperCollins Children's Books in 2020)''.''
Published online since 2016, the comics have been hosted via
Webtoon
Webtoons () are a type of episodic digital comics that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones
A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allo ...
since August 2019. There are currently 7 chapters available in full online, with the eighth, and final, chapter currently being released. In October 2018, Hachette Children's Group acquired the rights to physical publishing of the first two volumes of ''Heartstopper'', and by January 2019, the third and fourth volumes.
Volume one ''(including Chapters 1 and 2)'' was published in October 2018, volume two ''(Chapter 3)'' in July 2019, volume three ''(Chapter 4)'' in February 2020, volume four ''(Chapters 5 and 6)'' in May 2021, and volume five ''(Chapter 7)'' in December 2023. A sixth and final volume including chapter 8 and an epilogue has been announced and is expected to be published in late 2025.
TV adaptation
See-Saw Films
See-Saw Films is a British-Australian film and television production company founded in 2008 by Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, with offices in London and Sydney. Their productions include ''The King's Speech'', ''Top Of The Lake'', ''Lion'', ...
optioned the television rights to ''Heartstopper'' in 2019. On 20 January 2021, it was revealed that a live-action television adaptation of ''Heartstopper'' was ordered to series by
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
, with Oseman writing the script and
Euros Lyn
Euros Lyn (; born 1971) is a Welsh Film director, film and television director, best known for his work in ''Doctor Who'', ''Sherlock (TV series), Sherlock'', ''Black Mirror'', ''Daredevil (TV series), Daredevil'', ''His Dark Materials (TV seri ...
directing. Patrick Walters of See-Saw Films serves as executive producer.
Kit Connor and
Joe Locke star as
Nick
Nick may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Nick (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Désirée Nick, German actress and writer
Places
* Nick, Hungary, a village
* Nick, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, a ...
and
Charlie respectively. It premiered on 22 April 2022, to critical acclaim with the first season receiving nine nominations and five wins, including Outstanding Young Teen Series, at the
inaugural ceremony of the
Children's and Family Emmy Awards
The Children's and Family Emmy Awards, or Children's and Family Emmys, are a part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts a ...
. Oseman appears in a brief cameo in episode eight of season one.
On 20 May 2022, Netflix announced that the series was being recommissioned for a second and third season. Following the release of the series, the first volume of the ''Heartstopper'' graphic novel became the top-selling children's bestseller in the UK.
The show's second season was released on 3 August 2023 and received high praise for tackling more serious issues while maintaining the optimistic feel of the first season. Season 3 was released on 3 October 2024 and was similarly praised for further developing the show's themes and for its nuanced and respectful discussion of mental health and relationship struggles.
Personal life
While promoting ''Loveless'', Oseman opened up about being
aromantic
Aromanticism is a romantic orientation characterized by experiencing little to no romantic attraction. The term "aromantic", Colloquialism, colloquially shortened to "aro", refers to a person whose romantic orientation is aromanticism.
It is d ...
and
asexual. Oseman uses
she/her and
they/them pronouns. Oseman announced that she was going on hiatus from ''Heartstopper'' in 2022 due to stress and mental health issues. The series returned in April 2023.
In July 2024, Oseman received an
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
from the
University of Kent
The University of Kent (formerly the University of Kent at Canterbury, abbreviated as UKC) is a Collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom. The university was granted its roya ...
at a
Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is in Rochester, Kent, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Rochester and seat (''cathedra'') of the Bishop of Rocheste ...
graduation ceremony for
Doctors of Letters and
Arts
The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...
.
Bibliography
Oseman's body of work is set within a cohesive fictional universe. For instance, the characters Nick and Charlie initially debut in Oseman's novel, ''Solitaire'', and reappear in various works, most prominently in the ''Nick and Charlie'' novella and the ''Heartstopper'' graphic novels. This shared narrative universe has been informally termed the "Osemanverse" by some fans and even adopted by certain retailers.
Awards and nominations
In November 2023, Oseman was named to the BBC's
100 Women list.
In October 2024, she was named to Time's
Time100 Next list as an Artist.
Book awards
Television awards
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oseman, Alice
1994 births
21st-century English LGBTQ people
21st-century English women writers
Alumni of St John's College, Durham
Aromantic women
Asexual women
British child writers
English women television writers
British writers of young adult literature
Children's and Family Emmy Award winners
English graphic novelists
English LGBTQ writers
English screenwriters
English webcomic creators
Living people
People educated at Rochester Grammar School
People from Chatham, Kent
Aromantic writers
Asexual writers
Women screenwriters