Popular Young Adult author James Dawson, whose books include Hollow Pike, Cruel Summer and All of the Above, is becoming a transgender woman.

In a statement today, the author, who was the winner of the 2014 Queen of Teen Award (a title voted for by young readers), said that his journey towards becoming a woman had begun “about 18 months ago”. He asked that people refer to him as “he” for now, but indicated that he would be choosing a new name at some point in the future.

His full statement reads as below:

About eighteen months ago I started what will be a very long journey into living as a woman. It was while writing THIS BOOK IS GAY that I realised I had far more in common with trans women than I did with gay men and started speaking to a gender therapist. I am now on a waiting list to receive treatment from specialist doctors and nurses.

People have already noticed me physically changing and I will continue to do so over the coming months. It’s a slow and complicated process and, with regret, I may have to take a step back from some events, and focus on writing.

In 2016, I’ll be back with MIND YOUR HEAD, the World Book Day novella SPOT THE DIFFERENCE, as well as a new name and news of a brand new novel with Hot Key Books, who have been wonderfully supportive. For now, please continue to refer to me as ‘he’/‘his’ until I am further along in my transition. I have the best readers in the world and I just know my gender identity isn’t going to be an issue for a second.

All my love

James (for now!) Dawson

Many of Dawson’s books have featured gay, lesbian and questioning characters, Earlier this year, he told the Telegraph that books can make a difference in the lives of young LGBT people.

"I’m always wary of saying ‘oh, we’ve come a long way and we’ve now got great representation,” he said. “It is a struggle, and it is a very individual struggle. If you are a 13-year-old [LGBT or questioning] guy or a 13-year-old girl, it’s still the scariest thing in the world to have to tell your parents, and I don’t want to undermine that struggle.

“But I think that representing the light at the end of the tunnel is what YA is doing really well at the moment. “