Why fat representation in romance books matters
January 2, 2023 | General
As we face the start of a new year, I thought it would be relevant to talk about fatness. We’re bombarded with media telling us that this is the year we finally become thin. This “new year, new resolution” BS that boils down to harmful diet culture and anti-fat sentiments. I do not stand for that. I thought it was a good moment to talk about why fat representation in romance books matters, and the way it shows up in my books.
Owning the use of fat as a descriptor took years. Even though I’m at a point where I use the word liberally, I know there is so much work left to do to change the perception of fat bodies in the world. When I think of my younger self, I imagine how healing it would have been to see fat bodies falling in love. Being desired and celebrated. When I started writing my books, I knew I had to write the books that I needed to find as a young adult. So I did.
I also write mid-size characters. This is a complicated term, as it’s often co-opted by people with a distorted self-view or internalized fatphobia, especially in the body positive movement, to talk about themselves. When I use it, I want to be clear that I mean people who can generally find clothes in standard stores, but sometimes have trouble. Clothing size is nonsense, since it varies within and between brands, with no consistency at all. Still, to use a measure that may help us situate body size, to me mid-size is someone who typically looks for XL, US16 size clothing and up. They often find those clothes in straight size stores, but not always. Sometimes, they find stuff in plus-size stores. They’re in the middle—they’re mid-size.
Fat representation in my stories
Ana Lira, one of the main characters of my debut romance novel Seeking Stars (2022), is mid-size. Her best friend, Ely, is fat; her hips are powerful. Like her. My current favorite description of Ely walking that I’ve written is this:
Ana tore her attention away from Alex to admire Ely’s entrance, and she had to press her lips together not to smile. Ely walked with confidence, her cover up open and waving behind her. The soft curves of her belly and hips echoed her steps with small earthquakes on her flesh, and her eyes shone with mischief. Curious, Ana studied Alex’s reaction. All he did was lift an eyebrow and sweep a look up and down Ely.
Which is in Love in Times of Contempt, the follow up novella to Seeking Stars that is coming out this year. Ely gets her own story, too, of course. Her book is called Done and Done, and will also be released in 2023, if all goes well. In this little quote, you also get to meet her person, Alex. But I digress. Did you catch all about the earthquakes on her body?
There’s still a lot of work to do in terms of fat representation in romance books. In my next series, I have fat main female characters as well… and mid-size, and fat male main characters, too. I hope you stick around to read about how they fall in love and find their happily ever afters.
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For more info on the always-evolving fat spectrum, I recommend this article: Fategories.