What Is Uplit, and Why Do Readers Love It?
When my fourth book, The Moon, The Stars and Madam Burova was published, I was described by one reviewer in a British newspaper as “The Queen of Uplit.” Whilst I was thrilled to be described as the queen of anything, I never set out to write uplit.
(What Is a Split-Time Novel, and Why Do Readers Love Them?)
In fact, when my debut, The Keeper of Lost Things came out, it wasn’t even a recognized genre. These days, the term uplit is used to describe such a broad spectrum of fiction that it’s difficult to come up with a meaningful definition to cover it.
So perhaps it’s easier to look at some of the common denominators. Many of these novels have the themes of kindness, community, and inclusion at their core. They often explore intergenerational and unexpected friendships and chosen families by bringing together people who are different in some way or who inhabit the fringes of society as a result of personality traits, past experiences, or some kind of “otherness” that sets them apart. Within the realms of uplit, inclusion and a sense of belonging are possible for even the most isolated of characters as they struggle to find their place in the world.
But it isn’t just about acceptance for some of these characters. It’s also about understanding and valuing their differences. In my books I have written about characters with Down’s Syndrome, Asperger’s, Tourette’s, and severe social anxiety, and all of these people have had something unique to offer and have made positive contributions to the narrative because of rather than despite their differences.
There’s a popular misconception that uplit is fluffy, disposable fiction with nothing much of any import to say. It’s sometimes dismissed as a saccharine literary confection—life seen through rose-tinted spectacles—with predictable or unfeasible plots and inevitable happy endings. But in reality, the genre has far more to offer.
Uplit doesn’t shy away from darker themes of loss, death, grief, social isolation, and past trauma. In The Keeper of Lost Things, I wrote about domestic violence, bullying, fraud, arson, child abuse, mental health, assisted suicide, and murder. And yet this was the book that earned me my uplit author reputation! The essence of uplit is not fairytale endings but something much more valuable—hope.
Uplit characters are ordinary yet extraordinary people who display resilience and determination to overcome the obstacles that life throws at them and try in some small way to make the world a better place. They are everyday heroes that we can recognize and relate to, and much more diverse in every aspect of their identities than the women and men we are accustomed to seeing in literature’s leading roles.
Older protagonists abound in uplit fiction, often learning in later years to live their best lives and taking others with them in their wake. Older women in particular are given a voice and celebrated. In my latest novel, The Phoenix Ballroom, my leading lady, Venetia is 74, and she takes her inspiration from Cher!
Check out Ruth Hogan’s The Phoenix Ballroom here:
As a child, books were always my escape into another world. They still are—both reading and writing them. And these days, when it often seems that good news is a scarce commodity and real life is tough, escape to a fictional world, however briefly, provides a welcome respite.
Perhaps this is why uplit is so popular. It offers a blueprint for a better world. A place where hardship and disadvantage can be overcome by ordinary everyday folk. A place where acceptance and inclusion are attainable, and family, friendship, and community are the cornerstones. A place where it’s never too late to turn things around and follow your dreams. There is enough darkness and difficulty to avoid a cliched utopia, but not enough to make us miserable.
Uplit offers readers a way into a kinder world populated by people they can recognize and root for. It makes them laugh and sometimes shed a few tears. But most of all, it offers them hope.
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