The purpose of the article is to present the latest trends in the book publishing market relating to the increasing popularity of LGBTQ+ youth literature. The article is split into several parts: an outline of the history of queer young adult literature, with a distinction between American (where this genre has its origins) and Polish writing, a review of the main motifs of Polish LGBTQ+, themed books, a reflection on queer theory and how it contributes to thinking about non‑heteronormativity in adolescent literature, an assessment of the impact of LGBTQ+ youth literature on the publishing market, and the ways in which the representation of non‑heteronormative and non‑cisgender experiences in culture affects individuals’ mental health.
PL
Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie najnowszych tendencji na rynku wydawniczym, związanych ze wzrostem popularności młodzieżowej literatury LGBTQ+. Rozważania zostały podzielone na kilka części: zarys historii literatury queerowej z rozgraniczeniem na amerykańską (gdzie ów nurt ma swoje początki) oraz polską, omówienie głównych motywów rodzimej twórczości o tematyce LGBTQ+, refleksję na temat teorii queer i sposobu, w jaki współtworzy ona myślenie o nieheteronormatywności w utworach dla nastolatków, opis oddziaływania nowych tendencji i wątków w książkach young adult na rynek wydawniczy oraz wpływ reprezentacji doświadczeń nieheteronormatywnych i niecispłciowych w kulturze na zdrowie psychiczne jednostek.
The aim of this article is to present a variant of nonbinary non-fiction prose and the genological matter related to it. Recently, the topic of nonbinary gender identities has become increasingly popular, and more and more cultural texts devoted to it are being published. Despite this, Polish literary studies lack a deeper theoretical reflection on these issues. Perhaps this is due to the sparse representation of non-fiction books devoted to non-binarity on the Polish publishing market and the rather recent emergence of this topic in wider social debates. For this reason, the subject of analysis will be mostly contemporary books written in English - self-help guidebooks and autobiographical prose. In these pieces one notices a mix of conventions of genology. Guidebooks contain autobiographical elements, while autobiographical prose feature elements similar to guides (for example advice is given, phrases are addressed to the reader) and are treated as such by the audience. This may be related to the socially engaged character of these texts (aimed at improving the situation of nonbinary people in society), which combine collective elements with experiences of individuals. Referring to, among others, the works of Eve Kosofsky-Sedgwick, Katarzyna Trzeciak, Stanisław Balbus and Romuald Cudak, the article seeks to show the relationship between the “blurring” of these texts and their queer, community-oriented nature.
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