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# Trans author explores what it means to survive when the world ends in new young adult dystopian novel
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/trans-author-explores-what-it-means-to-survive-when-the-world-ends-in-new-young-adult-dystopian-novel/
- Published: 2025-06-30T08:48:02.000Z
- Updated: 2025-06-30T08:48:02.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: Culture, Books

"Whilst growing up, I often felt like I would have preferred being the last person alive on Earth, rather than face my day-to-day life," explains **Willow White**, the trans author of ***You Can't Take my Name***, which explores what it means to survive when the world ends. 

"It was in this mindset that I disappeared into many worlds, with *You Can't Take My Name* being one of them. I went from imagining somewhere I could escape to... to wondering what that world would actually look like. It took me here, to this book; a world that was finally far more terrifying than my own." 

In this desolate land stripped of life and hope, a 12-year-old boy has only his name - a fragile thread that ties him to his identity.

When a fateful encounter with an old man challenges his solitude, an unlikely bond begins to form, redefining what it means to live rather than merely exist. The boy faces a choice: risk companionship or cling to the survival rules his brother taught him years ago.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2025/06/6c8c91e09aca67421d13a37feecf4fbaec76a3d3.jpg)

But the harsh reality of survival tears the boy’s world apart once again, plunging him into the merciless grip of The Centre - an organisation that strips him of his humanity. As the now-teenager endures unimaginable loss and pain, he grapples with questions of identity, love, and what it truly means to be human.

With everything on the line, a chance of escape sparks hope. Led by a mysterious figure who stirs feelings the teenager has no words for, together, they risk everything for a future that may not exist. Do they dare to defy despair with the fragile power of hope?

"I once heard a quote that’s included in the book: *Postapocalyptic*: ‘Where nature has become just as violent as humanity,’" Willow continues. "It really struck me, and from there, this world began to form in my head that I had to put to paper. Formerly writing novellas (…fanfictions) online, this wasn’t my first story, but it was the first I was ready to share with the world, and it certainly won’t be my last.” 

![Image](https://cdn.roxhillmedia.com/production/email/attachment/1720001_1730000/83c294b64dcaa404302deb057fbcd03df740e313.png)

**Willow White** is a young transgender author from Northampton, who has overcome many challenges, being bipolar, autistic, and having battled cancer. Now an advocate and educator, he works to create a more inclusive world.

[**PRE-ORDER HERE**](https://bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/contemporary/you-can-t-take-my-name?ref=scenemag.co.uk)