Biography

Corinne Duyvis is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of the YA sci-fi/fantasy novels Otherbound, which Kirkus called “a stunning debut;” On the Edge of Gone, which Publishers Weekly called “a riveting apocalyptic thriller with substantial depth;” and The Art of Saving the World, which Kirkus called “impossible to put down.” She is also the author of the original Marvel prose novel Guardians of the Galaxy: Collect Them All. Corinne hails from the Netherlands. She’s a co-founder and editor of Disability in Kidlit as well as the originator of the #ownvoices hashtag.

Longer biography

While I’ve dabbled in short stories, my focus is on science fiction and fantasy novels for young adults. I love a wide variety of styles and genres: from high-concept SF to light-hearted fantasy to deliciously messed-up darkness.

I attended an art academy and still create the occasional piece of artwork, which you can see in my portfolio. I have an affinity for black-and-white portraits—especially when done in charcoal. In 2009, I appeared on Dutch national television with my art in a show called Sterren op het Doek.

These days, however, my life tends to revolve around Microsoft Word and my computer keyboard; on the rare occasions I draw, it’s usually characters from my novels. I miss art dearly, and one of my life’s missions is eventually finding a balance between my writing and my art.

Disability in Kidlit

As for the rest: my hobbies slant toward the geeky. Think superheroes, comic books, video games, way too much TV,  and online fandom. This is balanced out by a couple of years of krav maga training.

I am a co-founder and editor of Disability in Kidlit, a website that focuses on the portrayal of disability in children’s literature. We feature articles, book reviews, and discussions–critical, thoughtful, and exclusively written by people who identify as disabled themselves. While the site is presently inactive, its archives are still online and I remain extremely proud of our work.

I’m also the originator of the hashtag #ownvoices. This term has become frequently used in discussions around diversity and representation in literature and other media.

I was born in Amsterdam, where I spent most of my life; presently, I live in a small village south of Amsterdam with my lovely boyfriend and two spectacular cats.

You can find much more info about me and my books on the FAQ page or in articles and interviews I’ve done for various websites over the years. Select a category to take a look.

  • My first name is pronounced in English as “Cor-inn,” not “Cor-een.” If you want to approximate the official Dutch pronunciation, “Cor-inn-uh” can work, as well. My last name is difficult to pronounce for English speakers, so I usually go with the close alternative of “Dou-viss.” That’s “dou” as in “house,” and “viss” as in “miss.” Please avoid pronouncing the final syllable as “vee” or “vish.” To be honest, having had my name misspelled on countless occasions, I’m much more sensitive to misspellings than mispronunciations. Please note: it’s Corinne, not Corrine; one R, and two Ns.

  • Yes. Born here, raised here, never lived anywhere else, still have several fully functional windmills in the area.

    Dutch is my first language. Since I had no English family or friends growing up, how I learned to speak English so fluently at a relatively young age is something of a mystery.

    (I blame TV and Internet.)

  • I co-founded Disability in Kidlit in 2013; it’s a resource that discusses the portrayal of disability in children’s literature via reviews, articles, discussions, and more. I’m still actively involved as a senior editor.

    I was a team member of We Need Diverse Books from mid-2014 to early 2016; WNDB is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to promoting diverse literature in children’s books.

    I coined the hashtag #ownvoices in 2015. It’s a descriptive term, not an organization or movement.

    Although Disability in Kidlit and We Need Diverse Books are friendly and I’ve been involved with both, they have no connection to each other. Similarly, although both sites sometimes refer to #ownvoices, it is not affiliated with either.

  • This seems like a strange question, but having this answer out in the open can be useful for those seeking to promote diverse content or who want to be careful not to misidentify someone in an article or discussion.

    I identify as a white, Dutch, cisgender, disabled/autistic, bisexual/biromantic/queer, atheist woman, and I use she/her pronouns.

  • Thank you for asking. Although I never want to dictate reviews or articles, a lot of people seem unsure about what words are or aren’t okay to use, especially with regards to disability or autism.

    Autism: For both Denise and myself, feel free to use “autistic” or “with autism.” I’m fine with either term. That said, I prefer the former, so please don’t go out of your way to use person-first language. There’s also no need whatsoever to correct anyone else who uses person-first language to refer to either Denise or myself.

    Disability: The same applies. Either “disabled” or “with a disability” is acceptable. I lean toward the former even more strongly in this case.

    Other phrasing: I’d appreciate it if you avoided inherently negative phrasing like “suffers from autism” or “afflicted with autism.” Depending on context, phrases like “struggles with autism” may be fine, as Denise does in fact struggle with her autism throughout the book – just like she struggles with people’s reactions to her autism.

    Conversely, seemingly positive phrases like “overcoming autism,” “inspiring,” and “high-functioning” are loaded terms within the disability community. I would ask people to consider those terms carefully and read up on the context.

    The diagnosis of “Asperger’s” is no longer in use at the moment, and certainly wouldn’t be in 2035, which is the year the book is set. That means Denise should not be referred to as such. I do not use the term for myself, either.

    If you’ve already used these terms, please don’t worry; I’m not trying to call people out. I’m delighted about anyone choosing to talk about the book in the first place! But since a lot of people have asked me about terminology, I thought I’d have my thoughts out in the open.

  • Perhaps! Contact my publisher; they’re in charge of these decisions.

    If you contact me directly, I probably won’t be able to help. I only get a limited amount of copies for personal use, and sending them abroad (which is nearly always the case) costs an awful lot of money. I’d have to spend easily €30-50 of my own money for each requested book, which I can’t afford. Sorry!

  • If an edition isn’t listed in the “editions” section of the book’s individual page (or if no such section exists), it either means that no translation is forthcoming, or that I’m not yet supposed to talk about it.

    Either way, the page will have all the information I’m able/allowed to give you.

    If you’d like to see a book translated in your language, the best approach is to reach out to local publishers to bring the book to their attention and express interest in a local edition.

  • As of this moment, all my books are standalones; there is zero overlap in world or characters.

    There are currently no sequels planned, either. I’m always open to the possibility of sequels or companion novels if I get an idea that works, but it’s not something I’m currently pursuing.

    I have written a companion short story to On the Edge of Gone, however, which was released in the Defying Doomsday anthology in 2016 and reprinted in the Wastelands: The New Apocalypse anthology in 2019. The story, titled “And the Rest of Us Wait,” is set in a temporary shelter in the Netherlands and takes place during the same time period as On the Edge of Gone. The novel/story be read independently of each other, and any order.