Wing Jones Photo Tour

Wing Jones is the much anticipated debut novel from Katherine Webber, publishing 5th January 2017 in the UK. With a grandmother from China and another from Ghana, fifteen-year-old Wing is often caught between worlds. But when tragedy strikes, Wing discovers a talent for running she never knew she had. Wing's speed could bring her family everything it needs. It could also stop Wing getting the one thing she wants…

Katherine Webber was born in Southern California but has lived in Atlanta, Hawaii, Hong Kong and now in London. For several years she worked at the reading charity BookTrust, where she worked on projects such as The Letterbox Club which delivers parcels of books to children in care, and YALC, the Young Adult Literature Convention. You can find her on Twitter - @kwebberwrites.

Throughout January, over 40 bloggers will be participating in the #WJphototour – a photo blog tour documenting Katherine’s path to publishing her debut novel. From childhood memories that inspired her writing to her time living in Atlanta and Asia that influenced the book to authors she’s met over the years right up to receiving her first finished copy of the book, follow along to see Katherine’s author life unfold! Keep an eye on the hashtag to see the latest photos!

This post is one of the more personal, and serious, posts. 

The week my US and UK book deal was announced, a childhood friend of mine lost her life in a drunk driving accident. Julia was the passenger in a car that was hit by a teenage drunk driver. I was devastated by the tragic news - I had only just seen Julia a few months before at a friend’s wedding. She’s the one pictured with me in the black and white striped dress. 

In the picture above, I’m with her sister and my friend Courtney, both who had run track and cross country with me in high school. I know this is a bit of a heavy post for a photo blog, but a drunk driving accident is central to the plot of WING JONES, and having this happen to someone I knew in real life hit hard. It also influenced later edits to make sure I handled the subject matter with sensitivity and respect, especially dealing with the victim’s families. 

To remember and honour Julia’s life, her family started I Keep Dancing, an organisation dedicated to providing resources, support, and opportunities for others going through grief and hardship. WING JONES is now forever linked to Julia - and as I celebrate the launch of the book, I’d also like to celebrate her amazing life and memory. You can find more information on I Keep Dancing here.

Wing Jones is available to buy now.