The autistic joy of Geek Girl: In conversation with Holly Smale

Recent Netflix release Geek Girl, based on the popular YA novels by Holly Smale, tells the story of Harriet Manners – an undiagnosed neurodivergent teenager who is discovered as a model and thrown from the world of high school bullying to high-end fashion and fame.

I pressed play on Geek Girl due to my interest in autistic representation in media, and found myself immersed in an ecstatic narrative journey of autistic joy, refreshing idealism, and swoon-worthy, feet-kicking romance. The show feels so necessary because despite dealing with themes of autistic struggle, with a focus on the teenage experiences of self-doubt and social exclusion, Harriet – portrayed by autistic actress Emily Carey – is a character who excels by staying true to herself, and it’s this unapologetically authentic approach to the difficulties she faces that enables her to forge a path to her dreams.

Instead of feeling defeated by her disabilities, an experience I’m sure neurodivergent viewers are all too familiar with, Geek Girl presents difference as a blessing, envisioning a world where there’s enough kindness for a hyper-verbal, passionate young woman to succeed in her endeavours and find the love and self-confidence she deserves. To quote a line from the show: ‘joy spreads… it always does’. It’s this kind of representation that autistic audiences deserve.

In the midst of my newfound hyperfixation, I was lucky to speak with author and original creator Holly Smale about her late-diagnosis journey and Geek Girl’s themes of autistic joy and community. 

Devon Webb: You were diagnosed with autism after you wrote the Geek Girl books – how did it feel to receive this late diagnosis, particularly looking back at the character and story you’d created with Harriet? Did this knowledge and understanding affect how you adapted the books for the show? 

Holly Smale: I think I can confidently say that my diagnosis changed my life. I’d spent nearly four decades feeling ‘broken’, and it was the start of a complete mind-set shift where I realised I was perfectly whole, just different. My aim with Geek Girl had always been to try and explain that feeling of difference, so while I didn’t use the word ‘autism’ (because I didn’t know at that point) it was the entire thrust of the novels. In fairness, the audience had been identifying Harriet as autistic for years – long before I knew I was. When it came to bringing her to the screen, Harriet’s neurodivergence was the primary focus, but we ultimately decided that her experience is very much that of an undiagnosed girl – her confusion comes from her not knowing. Her diagnosis journey was always intended to be a part of the story, and if we’re lucky enough to get a second season, it’s one we know we’d explore further. And if we don’t get one? She’s still autistic, just undiagnosed. There has to be space for that kind of representation in media, because it’s equally valid.

Devon Webb: My understanding is that the Geek Girl novels have an element of autofiction to them – how much was inspired by your experience as a teenager, and were there any elements where idealism or fantasy felt more appropriate?

Holly Smale: The key nuts and bolts of the story are authentic – I was also bullied at school and spotted to be a model on a school trip, saying yes in the hopes that it would ‘change’ me. But I’m not an autobiography writer, so I gave myself the freedom to turn it into a story. For me, the key was to create a world where everything felt fun, and safe, and funny, and warm, and slightly fairytale-like. Was I a super successful model? No. Did I have a supermodel boyfriend? No. Did I travel for fashion shoots? Absolutely not (my mum wouldn’t let me). But those were just ways of making the point that, as an autistic girl, I was allowed romance and fun and adventure in my story-telling. It didn’t have to be this sad, trauma-based narrative. We are allowed to see ourselves in beautiful, funny stories too. 

Devon Webb: I was delighted to learn that Harriet and Nick’s romantic connection was inspired by Anne and Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables – are there any other special interests of yours that impacted the story, or inspire you in general like Harriet with her dinosaurs?

Holly Smale: My biggest fictional special interest as a child was Anne of Green Gables – from about the mid-1980s, I was obsessively in love. I didn’t have friends, so she became the person I turned to for comfort, and to feel less alone. All of Harriet’s special interests are mine too – dinosaurs, stars, random animals. My entire ethos when it comes to writing is to pour my autistic joy onto the page, so I write what I love. It’s why there’s an entire chapter about an elephant in Book 5 – they’re my favourite animals, so I was like: “I want an elephant, and I’m the God of Geek Girl so I’m having an elephant”.

Devon Webb: One thing I love about Geek Girl is that Harriet isn’t the only autistic-coded character, which not only highlights the prevalence of neurodivergence but also the idea that Harriet is part of a community rather than the ‘odd-one-out’, which I think is so important for young autistic people to realise. Was this a conscious choice in the development of Richard and Toby’s characters, or just something that came about naturally?

Holly Smale: Yes – Geek Girl was always meant to be about wonderful ‘weirdos’ coming together, so the fact that many of them are neurodivergent shouldn’t shock anyone. I actually struggle to write characters who aren’t ND, and have to make a real effort to shift my voice to neurotypical. It may be called ‘Geek Girl’, but it’s a world of geeks. Toby is consciously autistic, but Yuji, Wilbur and Richard are clearly ND too (although I’d argue that the latter two are ADHD, given that they were inspired by ADHD people close to me). So yes, it’s very much a show about geeks, outsiders, neurodivergents: people who don’t fit in. It always was. 

Devon Webb: If you could say one thing to your pre-diagnosis teenage self, or Harriet, or anyone else who feels like a polar bear in a rainforest, what would it be? 

Holly Smale: First of all, you will find where you belong. It might take time, and it might be a lonely route, but you’re not broken – you just need to find the people who get you. Never try to be someone else to ‘fit in’, because the things that make you you are the things that the right people will love, celebrate and cherish. The world is full of different people, and that’s a good thing. It’s a much more joyful, celebratory and fun place to live if we just let everyone be who they are.

Geek Girl is available to stream on Netflix. More information regarding Holly Smale’s work can be found on her website, hollysmale.com

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