Autistic Head Cannon (Episode 144)

Autistic Culture | Where autism meets identity!

Autistic Head Cannon (Episode 144) - Writing Prompt #33

0:00

-1:05:26

Autistic Head Cannon (Episode 144) - Writing Prompt #33

In Episode 144 Dr Angela dives into Autistic Head Cannon with Writer and Editor Jo Case and announces last week's Neurodivergent Narratives Contest winners and reveals your next prompt!

Simon Scott

Jun 27, 2025

Transcript

An episode that uncovers the hidden neurodivergent depths of beloved book characters.

In Episode 144 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr Angela Kingdon and author/editor Jo Case explore the deep emotional resonance of autistic-coded characters in fiction, the power of autistic storytelling, and what it means to see “someone like me” in books

All this, and we announce our amazing winners from our seventh writing contest!

Here are our top two entries.

OUR WINNER 🥇
‘The Armadillo and the Cactus’
By Genya Vasilov

THE RUNNER UP 🥈
‘The Runt and the Kitten’
By Fiona Baker

Congrats to our winners! You can see their stories here .

Read The Winners

Here’s what we cover in today’s episode:

Jo Case shares her journey as a neurodivergent writer and editor, and discusses her autism late-diagnosis story and her memoir ‘Boomer and Me’ on autistic motherhood.
Jo and Angela name and unpack book characters they now read as autistic — from Jo March to Anne of Green Gables to Harriet the Spy.
Hear the winning fable from last week’s prompt.
Jo shares actionable tips for autistic writers who want to go from journaling to publishing.

Jo Case (she/her) is a writer and editor who lives in Adelaide. Someone Like Me: An anthology of non-fiction by Autistic writers by Jo Case - An expansive anthology of creative non-fiction, memoir, graphic storytelling, and more from a stellar line-up of Autistic, gender-diverse, and women writers. She is the deputy books and ideas editor at The Conversation. Her memoir of autistic motherhood, ‘Boomer and Me’, was published by Hardie Grant in 2013.

Neurodivergent Narratives Presents: ‘Someone Like Me’ Contest

A contest where we write about the deep emotional resonance of autistic-coded characters in fiction.

PROMPT: Write about a childhood book character you now read as Autistic.

This can be a character from a children's book or an adult book, but it should have a pull on you as identity-forming or pivotal to your growth.

⚠️Your essay may not be any longer than 500 words.

This isn’t therapy.
This is voice reclamation.

Submit entry.
Let Your Voice Be Heard.

💌 Good luck, writers. We’re saving you a seat.

Submit Your Entry

THE ESSENTIALS:
🖊️ Open to: Everyone
🗓️ Deadline: Wednesday, July 2nd at 12 PM ET / 5 PM UK
💷 Prize: £10 each week
📘 Publication: Winning entries go on our Substack and in the annual Neurodivergent Narratives anthology

THE RULES:
No Plagiarism
No Hate Speech
No Explicit or Graphic Content
Submit as many times as you wish
You do not need to be present or subscribe to participate
Entries after the deadline will not be considered
All decisions are final
Full Contest Rules are here.