Private Worlds
Growing Up Gay in Post-War Britain
A moving memoir chronicling the friendship of two gay men coming of age in 1950s Britain
'All profound relationships have the quality of being a folie a deux; an intimate departure from reality, an imaginative creation of a world apart; perhaps this is a way of calling forth meaning – the merging of senseless subjectivities.'
In 1950s suburban England, a friendship bloomed between Jeremy Seabrook and Michael O'Neill - both gay men coming of age during 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.
Jeremy Seabrook has been writing books for over half a century. His articles have been 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 People Without History: India’s Muslim Ghettos and Cut Out: Living Without Welfare.
'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'eBook ISBN: 9780745348438
129mm x 198mm