Private Worlds
Growing Up Gay in Post-War Britain
Published on 20. April 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-0-7453-4842-1 (ISBN)
Description
*Shortlisted for The TLS Ackerley Prize 2024*
'Wonderful ... For anyone who has ever dreamt of leaving a small-town childhood behind them, this is going to wring your heart. It certainly did mine'- Neil Bartlett, author of Address Book
In 1950s suburban England, a friendship bloomed between Jeremy Seabrook and Michael O'Neill - two gay men coming of age at a time when homosexuality was still a crime. Their relationship was inflected by secrecy and fear; the shadows that had distorted their adolescent years were never wholly dispelled long into their adult life.
Lyrical, candid and poignant, this is a tale of sexual identity, working-class history and family drama. A memoir of unparalleled authenticity, Private Worlds is an elegy for a doomed friendship.
'Wonderful ... For anyone who has ever dreamt of leaving a small-town childhood behind them, this is going to wring your heart. It certainly did mine'- Neil Bartlett, author of Address Book
In 1950s suburban England, a friendship bloomed between Jeremy Seabrook and Michael O'Neill - two gay men coming of age at a time when homosexuality was still a crime. Their relationship was inflected by secrecy and fear; the shadows that had distorted their adolescent years were never wholly dispelled long into their adult life.
Lyrical, candid and poignant, this is a tale of sexual identity, working-class history and family drama. A memoir of unparalleled authenticity, Private Worlds is an elegy for a doomed friendship.
Reviews / Votes
'Part eulogy, part memoir, this is a wonderfully clear-eyed piece of writing. And for anyone who has ever dreamt of leaving a small-town childhood behind them, this is going to really wring your heart. It certainly did mine' -- Neil Bartlett, author of 'The Disappearance Boy'More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Illustrations
6 Halftones, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
206 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7453-4842-1 (9780745348421)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2023
1st Edition
Pluto Press
€9.49
Available for download
Person
Jeremy Seabrook (1939-2024) wrote on inequality, poverty and the oppressed in Britain and across the Global South for over half a century. His articles were featured in the Guardian, The Times and the Independent. He has written plays for stage, TV and the theatre, some in collaboration with his close friend, Michael O'Neill. His many books include The Song of the Shirt and Cut Out: Living Without Welfare. In 2023 he published his memoirs, Private Worlds.