On this episode of RTÉjr's We Love Books Podcast, the sensational and inspirational Lucy Edwards is on the show to tell us about life as a blind author, and her first book for children - Ella Jones vs the Sun Stealer, written in collaboration with Katie Birchall.
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Lucy says: "It really makes me have goosebumps when I talk about Ella because I think she's the girl that I wanted to be when I was losing my vision when I was a young person. Ella’s just a normal girl...I think that that’s what brings the story to life because you just see her everyday life living with blindness but just loving everything that we do, hair, make up. That’s what means the most to me."
Lucy lost her sight at the age of 17 due to the genetic condition Incontinentia Pigmenti and has since worked tirelessly sharing her experience to promote understanding and empathy as well as to make the world a more accessible and caring place for all people, both blind and sighted.
When asked what has surprised her most since becoming blind, Lucy says: "That I love blindness. I think I never would have been able to say that several years back but genuinely I wake up every day and I'm like, oh I love my life. With tools and technologies you can do everything a sighted person can, just in a different way."
She has some inspiring words for young people...
Lucy says: "Stay true to yourself. Understand that everything takes time. It's how you get up from your failures that ultimately defines you as a person. Everyone has failures. Everyone receives a no. And I've probably received thousands of no's, but I don't really take no as an actual no because a yes will be down the road.
"If you have that vision, maybe do a vision board every single year and really have those goals that you want to achieve. Eventually, the more and more you work at them, the more and more you will drive yourself towards them.
"And I think because I've had this story of Ella Jones in my head for ten plus years, knowing that one day I would write it and telling myself, yes, Lucy, you will write it is half the battle. It's how you have that inner dialogue to yourself to say, yes, yes, yes, I can be positive."
About the book
12-year-old Ella Jones has been blind for two years and when the pagan god of light, Lugh, plunges the world into darkness, Ella is the only one with the skills to defeat him. Aided by her guide dog Maisie, her sister Poppy and her best friend Finn, Ella’s on a mission to bring back the light in an empowering and empathetic adventure story sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.
More about Lucy
Lucy Edwards is an RTS award-wining blind broadcaster, content creator and disability activist who is usually accompanied by her guide dog Molly.
Amongst her many accolades, she is BBC Radio 1’s first blind presenter, she’s the author of Blind not Broken, she is the ambassador for Mattel’s first ever blind Barbie and in 2021 was the brand ambassador for Pantene. Lucy joins us for a chat about the technology that helps her write her books, her everyday experience as a blind person and shares her greatest inspirations in life.
For more great podcasts for young people go to rte.ie/jrpodcasts.
