Trailblazers in Queer Fiction: A Look at Novelists Tess Sharpe, Nicola Griffith, and Katrina Carrasco

Tess Sharpe, Nicola Griffith, and Katrina Carrasco are notable authors who use their craft to challenge the boundaries of their respective genres through the creation of lesbian fiction. Sharpe’s captivating work in crime literature and thrillers, especially her recent release, ‘No Body No Crime,’ presents compelling narratives filled with action, emotional depth, and tenacity. The story revolves around a rural detective probing the disappearance of a woman she had helped dispose a corpse with in the past.

Griffith, on the other hand, has produced a consequential and multi-genre collection of work that covers historical narratives, science fiction, fantasy, and crime novels. A salient feature of her work is the exploration of scenes through the lenses of Black, brown, queer, and disabled characters. Her distinctive approach to storytelling has revolutionized the way these genres are traditionally interpreted. The Aud Torvingen Trilogy, one of her most acclaimed crime series, was recently reintroduced.

Carrasco’s contribution to the genre is her series of queer Western novels imbued with thrilling smuggling and action sequences. Published titles including ‘The Best Bad Things’ and ‘Rough Trade’ showcase her unique storytelling skill. Despite the geographical dispersion of these authors, their meeting for a discussion about their creative processes, the genre-bending nature of their works, and the representation of queer bodies in their stories, proved insightful and thought-provoking.

Their collective work, although individually distinct, intersects in many ways and is indicative of the expansive potential of lesbian literature. Each writer employs genres like thrillers, Western, noir, fantasy, historical fiction, and crime fiction, among others. However, their approach to these genres is not confined to merely including more queer characters. They aim for something more profound.

Griffith, for instance, does not perceive her work as a mechanism to queer the genres she writes in, but rather sees her writing as an extension of her desire to mirror reality as she interprets it. Her work is a quest to bring a change in the world, one reader at a time, by providing a genuine reflection of diverse character backgrounds that deviates from the norm.

All three authors concur that the exploration of queerness in their books is not solely about boosting the number of queer characters within their respective genres. Rather, they seek to present a truer portrayal of reality. Through their narratives, they not only introduce characters of diverse backgrounds, but also convey typically untold narratives from a perspective that is often overlooked or deliberately excluded.

By doing so, they are transforming their genres. What was once a singular, exclusive form become more comprehensive and welcoming, catering to a wider array of readers. Furthermore, their stories explore the nuances of surviving as a queer individual, going beyond the struggles for existence to encapsulate the aspiration to thrive in life.