The heart behind the name Billy Crown
The names we choose, whether it's for the title our novel or the name of our creative venture, usually carry weight. For me, the name Billy Crown isn’t just a label; it’s a map of how I got here.​​​​
Billy
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Before I was Emily at school, I was Billy at home. As a young child, my siblings gave me a family nickname that stuck - 'Silly Billy' - because apparently I was very silly!
To me, the name Billy represents a version of myself that is free from pretence. It captures a sense of casualness, a spirit of play, and a youthful refusal to take things too seriously.
As a name that was used only by those who knew me best, Billy is close to my heart and anchors me to my roots. It’s a commitment to authenticity, ensuring that wonder, silliness, and a true piece of me are woven into everything I create.
Crown
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If Billy is my playfulness, Crown is my courage.​
Often, I move through the world as an introvert—timid, nervous, and sometimes held back by a lack of self-belief. That started to change during my Master’s Degree, in 2013, when I pushed myself to become a risk-taker and worked with a slightly obsessive dedication to prove what I was capable of. It was exhausting, anxiety-inducing, and the hardest I had ever worked at the time, but I loved it because I grew as a person in countless ways.​
When I graduated, I was awarded with the Highest Achievement Award. My sister gave me a small trinket, with a gold and silver ring shaped like a crown inside. The message was simple: You can achieve whatever you put your mind to.
And so whenever the doubts creep back in (as they often do), I look at that ring and remind myself that I am capable.
Billy Crown is the union of these two significant parts of my story: the playful child who was silly and made a mess and the resilient adult in me that continues to work hard and believe in my own capability.
It’s a reminder to myself—and a promise to you—that everything I create comes from a place of joy and hard-won belief.