My name is Hannah Haynes, and I’m a 25 year old typesetter for a Cambridge-based exam board. Though born in Yorkshire, I grew up in Cheshire, where I attended the historic King’s School in Macclesfield. I found it difficult to settle on what subjects I wanted to pursue, with careers in both history and science being considered. In the end, I took a scientific path, and I graduated with a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University. However, a constant in my life has been my passion for stories, and much of my life outside education and work has been spent thinking up or working on narratives and the worlds they take place in. Two years ago, I went part-time in my day job so that I could dedicate more time to my writing, and my ultimate goal would be to be in a position where I could write full-time.
As someone who lives for worlds other than our own, fantasy is by far my favourite genre to read and write. I believe compelling, relatable characters are crucial to any story and, in much of my writing, I draw heavily on my experiences as a trans woman to inform my characters and plot. My characters' journeys are most often analogous to my own transition, and the worlds they inhabit are shaped by society's views on real-world minorities. I hope my take on the genre will appeal to both the LGBT+ community and lovers of fantasy, as well as giving cisgender readers an insight into the struggles of trans people.
