A Curious Child
Will be published approx. on 20. November 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
308 pages
978-1-914278-78-5 (ISBN)
Description
With an Introduction by Dr Kit Heyam, author of Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender
In a Cairo clinic, Ronny recovers from gender-affirming surgery. Her grandmother, mother and then Ronny herself sift through their pasts in search of what has led to this radical self-transformation. From decades of Home Counties respectability emerge buried family secrets - of hidden love, thwarted hopes and desires, stifled by conformity and the bonds of duty from which Ronny has broken free. First published in 1989, A Curious Child is innovative for being written from the perspective of a transgender person and her family. Amaurea Press is very happy to be bringing this back into print.
In a Cairo clinic, Ronny recovers from gender-affirming surgery. Her grandmother, mother and then Ronny herself sift through their pasts in search of what has led to this radical self-transformation. From decades of Home Counties respectability emerge buried family secrets - of hidden love, thwarted hopes and desires, stifled by conformity and the bonds of duty from which Ronny has broken free. First published in 1989, A Curious Child is innovative for being written from the perspective of a transgender person and her family. Amaurea Press is very happy to be bringing this back into print.
Reviews / Votes
"Entirely admirable account of the decline and degeneration of a prosperous, 'normal', middle-class English family. The prose is consistently exquisite." (The Times)"Beautifully observed social tragic-comedy ... the depiction of the older generation's hopes and frustrations is quite remarkable." (Punch)
"A remarkably daring first novel." (The Scotsman)
"Richard Walker is a master of the time-splicing device ... an impressive first novel." (The Irish Times)
"An intelligent, thought-provoking novel ... a welcome antidote to all those sweetness-and-light family sagas." (Forum)
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
372 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-914278-78-5 (9781914278785)
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
Person
Richard Walker spent part of his childhood in Ghana, read English at Oxford, and worked in Canada, Spain and Kuwait, before joining the British Council. Much of his subsequent professional life was spent travelling the world as a senior Director for the British Council. This brought him postings in Bangkok, New Delhi, Sao Paolo, Lagos, Cyprus, Athens, Brussels and Hong Kong. Now he divides his time between his home in Oxford, and the house and garden he and Lauren created by a Venetian town in the Peloponnese. Several of his stories and plays have been broadcast by the BBC, and in 1989 he published his first novel, A Curious Child. Innovative for being written from the perspective of a transgender person, this is also due to be republished by Amaurea Press in 2025. He was awarded an OBE in 1998 for Indo-British cultural relations.