Bethany Rutter

Bethany Rutter works across journalism, podcasting, fiction, fashion commentary, and writing about body politics. No Big Deal, her first novel, was issued by Macmillan Children’s Books in 2019. It follows seventeen-year-old Emily Daly as she begins her final school year with confidence in her intelligence, humor, style, and body. A new relationship, her mother’s repeated diets, and other people’s expectations test that confidence without turning Emily’s size into a problem she must solve. Rutter previously edited Plus+, a visual celebration of plus-size style from around the world. Her later fiction includes Melt My Heart, Welcome to Your Life, Big Date Energy, and Slowcoach, spanning stories for young people and grown readers. In No Big Deal, friendship, first love, family pressure, and self-respect remain closely linked. Emily’s growth lies in refusing affection offered on terms that would make her smaller, quieter, or less herself.