Recent backlist


Kate Davies


In at The Deep End Te Borough Press, out now, £8.99, 9780008311384 Winner of the (LGBT) Polari Prize 2020, this hilarious and touching novel is about a woman looking at all the dating possibilities open to her. It seems incredible that it’s only now that inclu- sive, light-hearted and fun lesbian stories are begin- ning to be told.


Paul Mendez Rainbow Milk Dialogue Books, out now, £8.99, 9780349700588 The sensational semi- autobiographical début about a young Black gay man growing up in the West Country, brought up as a Jehovah’s Witness, coming to terms with his identify and starting a complex new life in London.


Matthew Todd Straight Jacket Black Swan, out now, £9.99, 9780552778404 My own book of my experiences of how growing up in a homo- phobic society impacts LGBTQ+ mental health. Described as “an essential read for every gay person on the planet” by Sir Elton John, and as “life-saving” and “game-changing” by readers.


Adam Silvera They Both Die at the End Simon & Schuster, out now, £7.99, 9781471166204 One of the most success- ful gay-themed YA books published to date is about two young men meeting when they know they have just 24 hours left to live. Spoilers: They die. It’s brilliant.


Granta Books, out now, £16.99, 9781783785810 The author’s experience of gay bars in LA, San Francisco and London, looking at how gay bars have fallen away, what we used them for and what we’ve lost. Full of sex, nostalgia, and a very personal take on gay nightlife.


Paul Flynn Good as You Ebury Press, out now, £12.99, 9781785032936 Contemporary books on gay history are rare and here, former Attitude journalist Flynn gives us a cultural lowdown on how London and Manchester’s gay scenes evolved with the music and culture of liberation of the time.


Peter Ackroyd Queer City Vintage, out now, £11.99, 9780099592945 In this bestseller, the respected historian turns his talents to looking at the role London has played in the evolution of gay and queer lives, from the Roman times of bath houses through to the devastation and fightback that came with AIDS.


Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (illus) And Tango Makes Three Little Simon, out now, £7.99, 9781481446952 It’s astonishing that this picture book, inspired by the true story of two male penguins in a zoo who got together and raised an abandoned egg, is now considered a classic despite being met with some controversy when it was published. Ideal for kids in same-sex families.


Queer: A Graphic History Icon, out now, £13.99, 9781785780714 Activist and academic Barker and cartoonist Scheele take a deep dive into the history of sexuality and gender, examining how we came to believe the things we do about both. For fans of queer theory, this is an accessible, colourful introduction.


Hodder Paperbacks, 15th July, £9.99, 9781529384529 Popular and big-hearted Youtuber McSwiggan charts his journeys around the world trying to shake off heartbreak after the end of a relationship. His journey brings him into contact with LGBTQ+ people living a variety of lives in this surprising, charming and touching travel memoir.


relationship with man’s best friend, from Fanny the Wonder Dog who helped rocket him to fame, to the dog he shares with his husband, this funny and moving memoir docu- ments the life of a unique and brilliant entertainer.


Dean Atta


Juno Roche Queer Sex Jessica Kingsley, out now, £12.99, 9781785924064 Roche is a leading trans voice and, in this intel- ligent and important book, engages leading figures in discussions about sex, desire and dating. Her other books include Trans Power and Gender Explorers, and she is working on her next.


Black Flamingo Hodder Children’s Books, out now, £7.99, 9781444948608 A fantastic book from poet and author Dean Atta, which tells the story of a young Black gay man coming to terms with himself carving out a lie. Winner of the Stonewall Book Award, this is unique, poetic and an absolute joy, and a godsend for young Black LGBTQ+ people— and everyone else.


New books Memoirs


Kate Greene Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars Icon Books, pb, 9th Septem- ber, £9.99, 9781785787775 Kate Green was second in command on Nasa’s Hi-Seas mission to Mars and spent five months in isolation in Nasa’s geode- sic dome in Hawaii, which simulates life on Mars. A reflection on isolation, our desire to explore and what lengths we will go to to follow our dreams, from a fascinating (lesbian) author.


Jamie Windust In Their Shoes Jessica Kingsley, out now, £10.99, 978178775242 Books on non-binary identities are few and far between, and this is a provocative, illuminating début from the fierce non-binary activist Jamie Windust on what life has been like in their shoes.


Michael Cashman One of Them Bloomsbury, out now, £9.99, 9781526612366


Juno Dawson This Book is Gay Hot Key Books, £7.99, 9781471403958 Advice books for young LGBTQ+ people are few and far between, but former teacher Juno Dawson scored a hit with this book of support and advice, published across the world, sometimes to controversy.


TheBookseller.com


Brandon Taylor Real Life Daunt Books, out now, £9.99, 9781911547747 Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2020, this novel about a science student has won acclaim from the New York Times to the Guardian and the described as “the queer book of 2020”. Wallace locks himself away in his lab, not even attending his father’s funeral, but an explosive weekend forces him to face his fears.


Jeremy Atherton Lin Gay Bar


One to Watch


V G Lee The Comedienne Tollington Press, £7.99, 9780956017383 Lee’s hilarious, poignant classic is about a woman who moves in with her mother and falls in love with her neighbour. This brilliant writer recalls the warm, quintessentially self-deprecating British humour of Victoria Wood, and should get far more media attention.


Meg John Barker & Jules Scheele


Essential autobiography from one of the key figures


in the UK gay rights movement, charting his time as “EastEnders”’ first gay character, facing relentless tabloid homophobia, through to the House of Lords, all with his late husband Paul Cottingham at his side. Moving, inspiring and essential, it’s a must read for those who want to understand our recent history.


Callum McSwiggan Eat, Gay, Love


Hilton Als I Don’t Remember Allen Lane, May 2022, £20, 9780241342640 From the Pulitzer-winning author of White Girls, Hilton Als, one of the most acclaimed and awarded writers in the world, comes a celebration of AIDS-era New York in all its glory and tragedy. Documenting his youth in Brooklyn and his emer- gence into gay life as the virus engulfed the world, this will be a must read.


Julian Clary The Lick of Love Quercus, 14 October 2021, £20, 9781529412505 One of the UKs most- loved comedians returns with a memoir about his


Robert Dover The Gates to Brilliance Quillier, August 2021, £18.95, 9781570769870 Part memoir, part self- help, this book by six-time Olympian dressage rider Robert Dover tells the story of how a gay Jewish kid rose to make history at the Olympics, winning four bronze medals as one of the first “out” Olympic athletes. He offers his “16 gates to brilliance” for aspiring athletes, and the rest of us!


Tove Jansson & Tuulikki Pietilå Notes from an Island Sort of Books, 8th October, £12.99, 9781908745934 The Finnish author Tove Jansson is most famous for creating the Moomins. In 1963 she and her partner Tuulikki moved to a treeless island in the Gulf of Finland. Written in 1996, this is their tribute to their 30 years of island escape.


Tony King Untitled Faber, due 2023 Tony King was the man at the right-hand side of some of the biggest legends in music, from John Lennon to the Rolling Stones. He was also, as Sir Elton John writes in his smash hit Me, of one of John’s closest friends, the figure who inspired a young Reg Dwight to embrace his inner rock star. King’s autobiography is one of the most antici- pated titles of the next few years.


Rev Richard Coles The Madness of Grief W&N, £14.99, 9781474619622 The country was saddened when beloved broadcaster Reverend Richard Coles lost his


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