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It's 12 October 1984. An IRA bomb blows apart the Grand Hotel in Brighton. Miraculously, Margaret Thatcher survives. In small-town Scotland, eight-year-old Damian Barr watches in horror as his mum rips her wedding ring off and packs their bags. He knows he, too, must survive.
Gay's the Word bookshop is delighted to host this event celebrating publication of The Boy Who Was Born a Girl - One Mother’s Unconditional Love for Her Child
[Home Page]
by Damian Barr
up-coming as book of the week for BBC Radio 4
Thursday May 23rd at 7pm
Details: Book event entry £2, with complimentary refreshments provided at the reading. Please RSVP on Gay’s the Word Facebook Events page http://on.fb.me/Zqstzm or call 0207 278 7654 to book a place.
Damian, his sister and his Catholic mum move in with her sinister new boyfriend while his Protestant dad shacks up with the glamorous Mary the Canary. Divided by sectarian suspicion, the community is held together by the sprawling Ravenscraig Steelworks. But darkness threatens as Maggie takes hold: she snatches school milk, smashes the unions and makes greed good. Following Maggie's advice, Damian works hard and plans his escape. He discovers that stories can save your life and - in spite of violence, strikes, AIDS and Clause 28 - manages to fall in love dancing to Madonna in Glasgow's only gay club.
Maggie & Me is a touching and darkly witty memoir about surviving Thatcher's Britain; a story of growing up gay in a straight world and coming out the other side in spite of, and maybe because of, the iron lady.
Praise:
'The wonderful story of a remarkable man, Maggie & Me is heartbreaking and heartwarming. As gripping as a thriller, laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, this book will resonate long after you finish it. A triumph' - SJ Watson, author of Before I Go to Sleep
'Out of poverty, brutality and prejudice, Damian Barr builds something riveting, touching and painfully funny. His account of growing up under Thatcher's regime defines the experience of a generation. At once personal and universal, Maggie & Me is a work of stealthy genius' - Maggie O’Farrell
'A marvellous memoir - wrenching, funny and wise. I loved it!' - Joanne Harris
About the author:
Damian Barr has been a journalist for over ten years writing mostly for The Times but also the Independent, Telegraph, Financial Times, Guardian, Evening Standard and Granta. He is the author of Get It Together: A Guide to Surviving Your Quarterlife Crisis, featured on Richard & Judy, and has co-written two plays for BBC Radio 4. He is host of the infamous Literary Salon at Shoreditch House and Faculty at the School of Life. He lives in Brighton.
Further enquiries and signed copy reservations for those who can't make the event: 0207 278 7654 / sales@gaystheword.co.uk
with Jon and Luisa Edwards
Thursday May 30th at 7pm
The groundbreaking autobiography of the boy who was born a girl.
In 2009 Luisa and Jon appeared in the BAFTA nominated Channel 4 documentary. It was the first time a family with a transgender child had agreed to be on camera and the programme hit record figures of over a million viewers.
Brought up as Natasha for 15 years, Jon can remember feeling male since the age of five. Having grown up always feeling differently to the girls in school, it was impossible to identify as female.
Jon eventually confided in his mother Luisa, who supported him in seeking help from his GP and subsequently a gender specialist. Diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition that affects over 100 British children every year, he embarked on an extraordinary journey of transition at the age of 16.
For Jon, the changes that followed were things he'd always wanted - but for Luisa, this meant coming to terms with the enormous loss of her daughter.
Jon Edwards was born in Peru in 1992. In 2009 Jon and his mother, Luisa, were filmed for a documentary as Jon started his transition from female to male. Jon is now 20, lives full time as male and will take hormone treatment for the rest of his life.
Luisa Edwards is a civil servant and promotes equality and diversity issues, working for greater awareness of what being young and transgender is like.
Gendered Intelligence work predominantly within young people's settings and have educative aims. They believe the arts are an amazing tool for sharing our stories, platforming voices and building awareness around the ways in which heteronormativity regulates and restricts everyone. http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/
Event Entry Charge £4 - with half of profits raised from door sales going to Gendered Intelligence - a community interest company that looks to engage people in debates about gender. Please RSVP on Gay's the Word's facebook event page (or just turn up!). Complimentary refreshments provided at reading.
Further enquiries and signed copy reservations for those who can't make the event: 0207 278 7654 / sales@gaystheword.co.uk
The Gay's the Word LGBT monthly book group has a new e-mail address for enquiries about joining: for enquiries contact Scott: lgbtbkgrp@hotmail.co.uk and for details of forthcoming books and meetings see the event page on Gay's the Word's Facebook profile or search 'London LGBT Bookgroup' on Facebook.
Please will you be our friend? Join the Gay's the Word Facebook group! Click this link to view:
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The Gay's The Word Documentary is available to view on-line both on YouTube (keyword search 'Gays the Word Documentary) Click on this link to view:
Gay's The Word Documentary
Gay's the Word is now thirty-two years old!!! Happy Birthday to us! GTW continues to be as dedicated to the well-being and spread of ideas in the queer community as it was in 1979 when our doors first opened. We are genuinely proud of our part in promoting access to what we believe is some of the most facinating and insightful literature ever produced by some of our most creative and daring minds.
Gay’s the Word has hosted some truly wonderful book events, including Justin Torres reading from We the Animals, Jonathan Kemp reading from Twentysix, Alan Hollinghurst reading from The Stranger's Child - Stella Duffy reading from Theodora - Armistead Maupin reading from Mary Ann in Autumn – Green Carnation prize-winner Christopher Fowler reading from Paperboy – Rupert Smith reading from Man’s World – Jonathan Kemp reading from London Triptych – Christopher Stevens reading from the new authorized Kenneth Williams biography Born Brilliant – Bob Cant, Susan Hemmings, Elizabeth Wilson, Lisa Power and Jeffrey Weeks reading from Radical Records – Jackie Kay reading from Tove Jansson’s The True Deceiver – Neel Mukherjee reading from A Life Apart – Diana Souhami talking about the history of lesbian love and many, many more...Thank you to everyone who came to read and all those who attended. We love our author events and are so glad you do to. In addition, the long-running and tremendously enjoyable Lesbian Discussion Group that meets every Wednesday at 8pm continues to provide a relaxed and welcoming woman-only space. See the [Notice Board - Lesbian Discussion Group] page for a list of weekly discussion topics.
If you are interested in accessing details of our stock that deals with Queer Youth, Lesbian and Gay Parenting or Children's books that promote diversity please either e-mail us at sales@gaystheword.co.uk, putting your topic of interest plus the word 'Review' in the subject header or, alternatively, give us a ring. We also now have Children's books listed up on this site on the [Children's Books] page.
[New Titles] [Gay Fiction] [Lesbian Fiction] [Non Fiction] [Coming Out, Sex &
Relationships] [Gay
& Lesbian History]
[Transgender] [Gay Erotic Fiction]
[Children's Books] [Notice Board - Lesbian Discussion Group]
[Staff Picks] [Where
to find us] [Links]