situation. I’m proud to have been published by Penguin Random House, whose WriteNow initiative has actively sought to publish writing from underrepresented communities. Individuals are playing a part too. My second book PRIDE: The Story of the LGBTQ Equalit Movement (Welbeck) was championed by Welbeck editor Isabel Wilkinson. Having a gay brother, she is conscious of the urgent need for publishers to platform diverse stories. Today, as you can see from the round-up of new titles (pp12–20), what is notable is the number of YA novels and children’s picture books that are being published. This is important. I mean no disrespect at all, far from it, but over the past 20 years the industry has championed literary gay stories—some brilliant ones—but to my mind, most important is that we see our lives normalised in commercial fiction and non- fiction, especially for young people to see they are not alone. For all the prize-winners (many of which I love and own), what I really needed were teen romances such as Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs the Homosapiens (made into “Love, Simon”). Don’t hate me, it’s true. We were all teenagers once.
Widening representation It’s heartening to see that on both sides of the Atlantic, work by Black gay voices are being published, such as Paul Mendez’s Rainbow Milk, Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other, Dean Ata’s Black Flamingo and Brandon Taylor’s Real Life. But it’s still a drop in the ocean. Where do you turn to see your- self if you are a Black or Asian gay man? What if you are a lesbian or bi woman of colour? Publishers such as Jessica Kingsley are doing a stellar job publishing trans voices and it is heartening to see different books from trans authors hiting the mainstream this year, including more work from Juno Roche, Rhyannon Stles, Paris Lees, Monroe Bergdorf and Shon Faye. But it’s taken decades to get here. Will 2021 be a blip? There also needs to be more ways to ensure the industry recognises what makes a hit in this area too. It’s unlikely many LGBT books will do J K Rowling business, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t breakout hits which should be celebrated. Straight Jacket, the first British title on the LGBT mental health crisis, has been, as far as I can see (sue me if I’m wrong), the most successful non-fiction non-celebrit LGBT book in the past decade, selling steadily for the past five years, provoking constant streams of reader emails and messages. But I’m not sure the industry knows it. I’ve not been asked for new ideas, even though readers constantly enquire about them.
TheBookseller.com
I truly believe that one of the reasons Straight Jacket has resonated is because gay readers are so unused to being spoken to explicitly, directly about their own lives in an authentic voice. When The Bookseller asked publishers to submit details of LGBT-interest forthcoming titles, I noticed the majorit were mainstream books which “slipped in” gay or trans characters.
To my mind, most important is that we see our lives normalised in commercial fiction and non-fiction, especially for young people to see they are not alone
That’s great in many ways. We should be popping up, as in life, but oſten you can hear the press release desperate not to put off the mainstream by pitching something as “a gay book”; oſten to the point where they don’t even mention it. I get it. But publishers shouldn’t be scared to commission books for LGBT audiences about specific issues that talk directly to us. If the idea is strong enough, then back it up with marketing and promo- tional support and big things can happen. Today, we are moving into a time when centring LGBT characters won’t automatically put off mainstream audiences. I was shocked by the number of both gay and straight people who had no idea how horrendous the AIDS crisis was until “It’s a Sin” was screened. Rejected by multiple channels, it became one of Channel 4’s biggest hits ever. It’s a shame it was not a book that caused this cultural moment, but there are plent more stories to
be told. This is not just a blind spot that the publishing industry has. On TV, I have only ever seen one documentary on homophobic hate crime. The National Theatre is about to produce classic American AIDS play “The Normal Heart”, which will no doubt be bril- liant, as was the last classic American AIDS play it produced several years ago, “Angels in America”. As Straight Jacket showed, AIDS is by no means the only huge issue that has impacted the gay communit in the past 40 years. There are plent of British writers who could write the next classic British “gay play”, but they are not commissioned.
A matter of Attitude
It cannot all be laid at the feet of the publish- ing industry. When I was editing Attitude magazine, I decided to run a piece of short fiction in every issue and asked for writers to submit work. Almost every one was bleak and unhappy. LGBT life does have its chal- lenges, but when the industry tends to never commission commercial upbeat fiction, then perhaps writers think that’s how stories must be told. As Laura Kay, author of The Split, writes (on page 10), lesbians deserve some happy endings.
Thankfully more of this is coming through. Picture books such as Nen and the Lonely Fisherman would have been impossible to imagine when I was younger. YA fiction such as that of Ata and Simon James Green, celebra- tory titles such as Jack Guinness anthology The Queer Bible, and novels such as Mat Cain’s gentle and charming The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, would not have been published 10 years ago. The industry is evolving. It’s impor- tant to celebrate. There’s a way to go, but we are moving forward. Let’s keep doing so. And don’t forget the lesbians. (The Well of Loneliness was a very long time ago).
LBGTQ+ Publishing
To see the full preview of LGBTQ+ Publishing, see pages 12–20.
Mohsin Zaidi A Dutiful Boy Vintage, 10th June, pb, £8.99, 9781529112207 The paperback edition of Zaidi’s powerfully moving memoir about growing up as a young gay Muslim and the struggle to wed his sexuality, faith and culture. One of the only books published on this subject, this is a book that saves lives.
Mark Gevisser The Pink Line: The World’s Queer Frontiers Profile, 21st May, pb, £10.99, 9781788165150 Following nine LGBTQ people from different countries over seven years, from Uganda to Egypt to Russia, Gevisser looks at the surprising ways some things are moving forwards and others moving backwards.
Will Young To Be a Gay Man Virgin Books, out now, pb, £14.38, 9780753554258 The paperback release of singer Will Young’s book about his experience of growing up gay, the shame he was exposed to as a child and the therapy he has had to overcome it. Expect significant media interest in this title.
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