Laura Baggaley, YA Novelist
My new novel Dirt is out now!
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author photo: William Cheung
About me . . .
Words were always The Thing.They were The Thing for my parents too – my New Zealand-born English teacher mum and my England-born international-journalist dad. By the time I was twelve, we had lived in four different countries and I could happily fly alone from Heathrow to Nicosia. Travel was an essential part of life, and every journey involved a rucksack full of books.Books took me to university, to study literature – then came a plot twist. The theatre lured me away from writing. I trained as a director, and for years told stories on the stage.But I missed other kinds of storytelling. Coming back to writing was like returning to my own country after years of exile. Hard work, a lot of adjustment, but a feeling of rightness – ah yes, this is where I’m meant to be.I changed. And so did the world. I don’t travel by plane anymore (you can get a long way by train). I think a lot about the new world we need to build – a world with climate justice, renewable energy and sustainable economies.When I was a kid, the books in my rucksack were stories about rebels and poets. About people being brave enough to tell the truth and stand up to bullies. About people believing in a different, better world and, by imagining it, making it possible.Those are the books I try to write.
Books
My new novel Dirt is out now!
Food is scarce in Newbeck. Rations are meagre. Everyone grows what they can on government-allotted Squares of land, using seeds and soil bought from mysterious megabusiness, the Green Cultivation Corporation.
One hot day, a strange girl rides into town wearing a sunhat as big as a bicycle wheel. She arrives alone, on a desert track from nowhere, full of questions no-one’s ever asked before.
Local boy Sam is fascinated by her. Why won’t she talk about her family and where she lives? Why is she so curious about his way of life? And why can’t he get her out of his head . . .
A dystopian eco-romance for young adults, Dirt shows that even on stony ground, hope can grow.
My forthcoming book Enough will be published in 2026...
A medical breakthrough solves the problem of endless old age: if a person has had enough of life, their 'Switch' flips and they instantly die.Fifteen-year-old Margaretta lives in fear of her Switch. Since her mum died four years ago, she has lived alone with her violent father and survived only by shutting out all feelings. Margaretta's emotional armour starts to crack when she meets Sky, a charismatic vagabond, and runs away with him.Sky introduces Margaretta to the exhilarating atmosphere of the Blue Cat nightclub. But as the attraction between them intensifies, they find themselves drawn into a murky world of political corruption controlled by the club’s shady clientele. With dishonesty eating away at the heart of power, countless lives are on the line.Emotions can kill, but Margaretta has just begun to feel alive.
Dirt can be ordered here
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Workshops
I love visiting schools, libraries, festivals, bookshops – anywhere there are potential readers to connect with!
My theatre background has given me extensive experience in leading workshops, and I'm happy to tailor my visits to the needs of different groups.
Please contact me to discuss any of the following options:
Writing workshops for teenagers or adults (e.g. dystopian fiction, climate fiction, world-building, character creation)
Talks for adults or teenagers (e.g. the writing life, inspiration, writing & the environment, editing & publication)
Book readings, book signings, author Q&A
Combined drama & writing workshops for teenagers
Panel discussions, readings or interviews
This is me in workshop mode!
News & Events
My novel Dirt is out now and new book Enough will be published in 2026. See the books page for more information.
Enough was previously a finalist in the Mslexia Children's Novel Competition and an even earlier draft was longlisted for the Times / Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition.I'm now working on the final draft of my next novel, an early draft of which was longlisted for the Yeovil Literary Prize.Sign up below to be the first to hear more - you'll receive monthly emails with YA book recommendations, reader freebies and inspiring eco tips.
Contact
I love to hear from readers! What books are you enjoying at the moment? Do you have an all-time favourite YA novel? What fictional character would you most like to meet?
Email me [email protected] or use this form to drop me a line . . .