Time to meet novelist Pam Howes, who has made her name writing an astonishing range of historical fiction sagas, set in the north of England. As well as that, she’s also dabbling with short stories, poetry, and tales of a fictional rock’n’roll band…

How would you describe yourself?

I’m a mum of three, grandma of seven, great-grandma of two, mum to one pug named Lennon, and partner to one musician. That’s the domestic things sorted. I guess you could say I’m getting on a bit in years, but I refuse to ever slow down and accept that.

I’m always busy with the music side of our life. As roadie to my partner at his gigs, I arrange musical reunion nights with old friends and book bands. I love getting together with a crowd and going to live shows, especially to see Rod Stewart and Paul McCartney. I just love people and being with them, as being an author is quite solitary at times.

Where do you prefer to write?

I prefer to write at home and I have a very nice office where I do all my emails and catch up on social media. However, later in the day, I tend to make myself comfortable on the bed with the laptop on my knee and Lennon at my feet. This is probably because I consume a lot of coffee during the day and am wide awake when most people are asleep. My mind is in overdrive, and I find writing flows as scenes develop in my overactive brain.

I occasionally pop into a café, just to eavesdrop more than anything. It’s surprising how many ideas and character traits come from listening to people having a good gossip.

Do you write notes in longhand or do you go straight to the keyboard?

Straight to the keyboard these days, but in days of yore, when I started to write my first novel in the late nineties, I wrote it all on notepads, then I typed it on a word processor. This was a long time before I had my first computer, and I had no idea how to type, so it was trial, and error and the thing only printed out one page at a time. Can you imagine how long it all took? But I persevered and worked on the printed pages, teaching myself to edit and went back into the document to input those edits. I think a lot of trees lost their lives during this process. There was no big screen to check things on, just a narrow strip where you could see two lines of your written words. It was very hard work to say the least.

Read more: Meet the novelist – Julia Crouch

If you didn’t write historical fiction, what would you explore instead?

Definitely crime. I dabble a bit, but sagas are supposed to be nice, within reason, so I can’t have anyone too nasty, although I’ve had the odd murderer and drunken villain to spice things up a bit. I love creating that type of character and would absolutely love to do a crime series.

What’s the strangest thing you do to inspire yourself when you’re running on empty?

If I’m flagging, I’ll go for a drive somewhere nice and talk to myself. Having two characters conversing and bringing a scene to life in my head works well. I often wondered, before the onset of hands-free phones, what people sitting in the car next to me at traffic lights thought when they saw a mad woman talking and shouting to herself while waiting for the lights to change. Now you see people talking seemingly to themselves all the time!

How do you beat the distractions when you need to crack on with your writing?

I really don’t have many distractions as all my family are grown and have long flown the nest, and my partner is always busy and rarely gets under my feet while I’m working. He makes great coffee when he’s around. I ignore the phone if I’m in the zone. So consequently, if I’m on a writing day, which is most days, the work comes first and everything else must wait. I feel for fellow authors who have kids to see to and school runs to do. I couldn’t have done this job when my kids were younger.

How many of your characters are based on real people?

Quite a lot of them are based on real people, especially the music-based stories. I have several friends in the music business, and they make great characters. Even though most of them are getting on a bit, they’re still a very lively bunch. Some characters I’ve had to invent, but in the saga stories, the women are easy to write as I just base them on my late mum, nana and aunties.

Do your friends and enemies recognise themselves in your books?

Oh yes, quite often. I pinch their names too, which they love. I’ve not bumped off any enemies yet but I have a plan, so watch this space…

Lennon, part of the team

Do you eat and drink while you’re writing?

Just coffee when I take a quick break and I share a daily blueberry muffin with Lennon because we’re a team.

What about playing music when you work? Or do you prefer peace and quiet?

I usually have music on in the background on the jukebox. I can’t stand absolute silence.

Are there any strict rules you set for plots or characters?

Not really. I usually have a rough idea of the timeline span in each series. The main thing I like to do is if the first book in a series is set in WWII is to finish the series by moving the final book onwards to the fifties or sixties, so I can throw in some good music and memories from those decades. I almost always manage to squeeze a mention of The Beatles and that famous meeting of John and Paul in July 1957. You’d be surprised how many different stories I’ve managed to work that one into.

Will the internet and people’s shortened attention spans ever mean the end of the novel?

I don’t think so. There will always be readers. And people who can’t see anything on telly that they like tend to turn to a good book. I have to say for myself, I love audio books and that could be an alternative for many who may want to get on with something else while they are being read a story. It wasn’t something I was into for a long time, until I had to listen to the samples of my own books to choose the narrator. I found I loved listening to them bringing my characters to life, all the accents they must input, and they do it so well. I’ve since listened to loads of books I’d already read and I just love it.

What do you wish you’d known before you started writing books?

I never for one minute thought I would ever become so hooked on writing. The only thing I possibly regret is not doing a typing course at school or night school, but it was the last type of job I ever wanted as a teenager, so couldn’t be bothered. Knowing what I know now, it would have speeded up the process at the beginning. It’s worth a thought, although everyone uses a keyboard of one sort or another these days, so I can’t see a novice writer having those problems at all.

What would you advise eager new writers?

Never give up. Just keep at it, because one day someone will look at your work and maybe be interested in signing you up. But the most important thing is to make sure you get your work edited to a good and readable standard before you even think about submitting it. Or it’ll end up with being pushed to one side after all your hard work. It really is worth the effort and small cost to do that.

• To find out more about Pam Howes and to buy her books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pam-Howes/e/B004D5E24S
• National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) takes place every November. It began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days.

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Meet the novelist: Pam Howes on technology, talking to herself, and too much coffee appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Inspired by her love for history and cosy crime, Everett dreamed up Edie York. A Manchester-based reporter stuck answering telephone calls at her local paper. Until she gets caught up in the death of a Home Guard soldier.

Everett shares how her book deal came about, after thirty years as a journalist, how WWII became the setting for her series, and the solitude that comes with being a writer. 

Who are you, and what’s going on?

F. L. Everett

I’ve been a journalist, columnist and editor for thirty years. I’ve self-published a novel and had several non-fiction books published. But during the pandemic, I turned 50, my son had long left home, I’d finally rejected the terrifying concept of getting a full-time job, and I decided it was time to concentrate on a novel I first started ten years ago, and see if I could get it published.

Writing fiction is all I’ve ever wanted to do – but with the need to earn a living it’s been hard to give it the time it needs to succeed. I felt it was now or never, so I sent a tweet in reply to publisher Bookouture’s request to see new synopses, and they liked the idea enough to follow it up. Two years later, I have a three book deal to write the Edie York series, about a brave and nosy young journalist in WWII Manchester. Who keeps getting drawn into murder investigations.

The first is out on 21 September, and book two is already written.

What aspects of your life experiences do you find yourself drawing upon most frequently as you craft the characters and plots in your crime novels?

I have been a journalist on a local paper but obviously not during WWII. People don’t change that much though, and I’ve met many people who have lent a little of themselves to the characters. In Annie, Edie’s best friend, there’s a bit of my own dearest friends – people who can sometimes annoy you, but you love them enough for it not to matter. I loved writing about Edie’s newspaper colleagues, and I believe I’ve made them up – but who knows!? 

Her editor, Mr Gorringe, is a stickler for grammar – and so is my dad. So I think I’ve probably borrowed little bits here and there. In Lou, my irascible detective inspector, I can see certain elements of my husband. I didn’t think I was anything like Edie – until I described her to my best friend (‘small, nosy, won’t take no for an answer’) and she snorted. 

In terms of plot, that really is made up. But I know Manchester very well, having grown up there and lived nearby until ten years ago. I now live in the West Highlands, but I go back all the time to see family and friends. The book is a bit of a love letter to my home town. I do a lot of research to find out where certain buildings would have stood in 1940, where was bombed and when. It’s given me a new appreciation for the buildings that stayed standing!

Could you share a glimpse into your writing process? How do you go about developing a crime storyline that keeps readers engaged?

I wish I had a process. Basically, I begin with the victim, and the circumstances of the murder scene, then work backwards to figure out who killed them and why. I don’t know if this is the normal path for a cosy crime writer, but it’s the only way I can do it. I spend a lot of time on long dog walks, thinking about alibis and red herrings, and I make voice-notes on my phone, like Alan Partridge. But I am a plotter, not a ‘pantser’ – I can’t imagine making it up as I go along. 

I begin with the victim, and the circumstances of the murder scene, then work backwards

Before I start, I write a detailed synopsis, then I break it down into chapters. It makes the process much easier. Did I mention I’m a Virgo who packs two days before a trip, and likes to do my washing on holiday, so I come home with clean clothes? Yeah. These things go deep. 

I also discuss certain things with my husband Andy, who has worryingly acute insight into how a killer’s mind might work. But largely, I just do what I’ve always wanted to do. Sit at my desk, or the kitchen table, with the cat and snacks nearby, and make it up. 

Crime novels often involve intricate details and suspenseful twists. How do you approach research to ensure your stories are both captivating and authentic?

First of all, I have an amazing historian friend, Catherine Pitt (of Pitt Stops, on Facebook). She’s been absolutely invaluable with the second book, which is quite complicated and needed a lot of research. I’d message things like ‘could you get a train to London from Manchester in April 1941 without stopping?’ and she’d find out within five minutes.

I also read a lot of WWII social history books. I have an entire bookcase dedicated to them, and I find myself ordering even more. At first it was just the basics, but now I’m getting into the obscure, white-label imports. I love reading about it, and I hate the feeling that I might be getting things wrong. I like my fiction to be rooted in genuine history. I also watch films set during the war, like Mrs Miniver and This Happy Breed. They’re invaluable for getting dialogue and class issues right. I have been to the Imperial War Museum North in Salford and the Police Museum in Manchester, both of which are incredible repositories of historic research. And then, of course, there’s Google. 

I love reading about [WWII], and I hate the feeling that I might be getting things wrong. I like my fiction to be rooted in genuine history.

In terms of plot, I love reading crime and have done since I was ten. I tend to think ‘would I guess the killer? And if so, would I guess why?’ and having read so much Golden Age crime is a real help in terms of pacing and plot twists. 

With three crime novels in the works, have you planned out all of them in one go? Or will you wing it?

No, one at time, although I do have a rough idea of the general themes of each one. I’ve just written the plot synopsis for book three, so I’ve done the hard work. Now I just have to write it.

Read more interviews – Joe McGann’s sober companion: an interview about an intervention

Many writers find inspiration from other art forms, like music or visual art. Are there any unexpected sources that have influenced your approach to crime fiction?

Yes. I think being a journalist means you’re interested in lots of different things, and I love a bit of culture. There’s reference to the arts in all of the books so far. I love researching the cultural aspects of life in the war – what they’d have seen in galleries, or at the pictures, and what music and theatre they’d enjoy. I spend a lot of time on YouTube doing ‘research.’

And of course, Edie herself is an avid reader of crime novels, so that’s fun too. Though I have to check the publishing dates to make sure she’d have been able to get them from Boots lending library. 

As you’ve transitioned into novel writing, have you discovered any surprising challenges or unexpected joys that differ from your previous work?

It’s all joy so far, apart from structural edits, which mean changing bits around like a Chinese puzzle, only to find your small alteration has messed up an entire sequence of chapter. Other than that though, I love everything about writing novels. It really is the dream. All I want in life is to be left alone to make stuff up. And to make enough money to run an animal sanctuary for abandoned cats, dogs, horses, donkeys, pygmy goats…

Writing can be a solitary endeavour. Do you find opportunities to connect with other writers or readers to discuss your ideas and thoughts? Or just crack on alone?

Being a freelance journalist is pretty solitary these days too. It’s not like when I began back in the ‘90s, when I was going all over town interviewing people in their living rooms. I love people and like to think I have lots of friends, but not when I’m working. I’m extremely solitary as a writer, like some toiling spider in a dark corner. 

It’s not like when I began back in the ‘90s, going all over town interviewing people in their living rooms

I can’t imagine being in writer’s groups and getting ‘feedback.’ Other people’s opinions are the kiss of death, and make me doubt myself. I’d much rather crack on, then find out what they think after it’s published! 

I don’t even like writing in public places like cafes. The noise! And the people! I’m much happier with a cup of tea and deafening silence. Apart from the pets snoring.

Crime novels often explore the darker aspects of human nature. How do you approach delving into these themes while keeping the narrative engaging and not overly grim?

‘Cosy’ crime is a very specific genre – there are rules. You can’t kill children or pets, and you don’t want anything too grisly at the murder scene. It’s more interesting to me to look at the psychological factors at play with crime, than peer at viscera on the pathologist’s slab. I’d always rather watch Endeavour than Silent Witness. So, I adhere to the principle of ‘if the audience doesn’t need to see it, don’t show it.’ 

Can you share a pivotal moment or realisation that pushed you to pursue crime fiction as the genre for your novels?

It’s what I love most as a reader. I think for a long time I was scared to attempt it. I knew nothing about the police or prison, and I wasn’t sure I could make it authentic in any way. Then I realised I could set it in the past, and suddenly I felt freed up to write the sort of book I would love to read.

I think it really began, though, in the school library when I was eleven. I was lurking in there one rainy lunchtime, and came across the Agatha Christie classic, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Well, it blew me away. I had never read anything so gripping or surprising. 

My wonderful grandma was a huge classic crime fan, and she introduced me to the rest of Christie, and then Sherlock Holmes stories, and Ruth Rendell. I have loved crime novels ever since, and always dreamed of writing one. I think most crime fans really love the fact that within the boundaries of a novel, calm is brought to chaos. The world is an alarming and random place, but a great crime novel narrates the pursuit of truth and justice, and ends with the case closed. It all goes back to my holiday packing, really. I like calmness and order. And I like to know everything.

In a rapidly evolving literary landscape, what do you hope your crime novels bring to readers that sets them apart and makes them memorable?

I hope they’ll invest in the character of Edie, and in her life during wartime. It’s not so long ago, but in many ways it was such a different world. I’ve tried to bring some lightness to it, as well as the darkness. My grandparents lived through the war and were both very funny. I think a lot of WWII set books overlook the fact that people made jokes, and had little irritations about queuing and sandwiches, as well as dealing with the big things. So I hope the characters feel real, and that the Manchester setting is a reminder that the war didn’t just happen in London. It was everywhere, and everyone suffered in different ways. 

I hope they enjoy trying to solve the mysteries that Edie finds herself wandering into, and lastly, I hope they like the dog. Of course I had to include one. 

Murder in the Blitz by F.L. Everett is available for purchase on 21 September as in paperback, audio, and ebook. 

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Murder in the Blitz – Interview with Flic Everett appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Chapter 13: We Can Be Heroes

December 1, 1989. World AIDS Day. An unmarked white van is slowly snaking its way through Parliament Square towards Westminster Bridge. The driver is an ex-military man named Alan. Packed in the back are a dozen men and women, none of us from a military background, all of us personally embattled in one way or another.

…we padlock the chain to either side of the bridge, before handcuffing ourselves to it and tossing the keys into the Thames

Halfway across the bridge, the van suddenly stops. The rear doors fly open and we jump out, carrying a thick iron chain. Dodging the traffic, we padlock the chain to either side of the bridge, before handcuffing ourselves to it and tossing the keys into the Thames below. Some of us are holding bunches of flowers, the kind you might place on a loved one’s grave. We link arms as a show of solidarity and begin our protest. ‘Act up! Fight back! Fight AIDS!’

I joined ACT UP shortly after my friend Vaughan told me he was HIV+. By the time I was chaining myself to Westminster Bridge some ten months later, it had completely taken over my life. ACT UP stood for AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. There was no formal structure or hierarchy, but rather a variety of subgroups dedicated to direct action, fundraising, media liaison, outreach and so on.

I volunteered to be part of the action group. Not everyone could afford to get arrested. Some had family to think about or jobs to protect. But everyone was equally welcome. Archive photographs from the time tend to show angry gay men in black leather biker jackets. There were certainly a fair few of those, myself included. But there were also a lot of women involved in ACT UP London – Stacy Baker, Ché Feenie, Emma Hindley, Jo Mackie and Maureen Oliver, to name just a few.

At that very first meeting I met a beautiful young biker boy called Spud Jones, who quickly became one of my closest friends. As I soon discovered, activism can be a powerful bonding agent. Spud was the singer in a band called Tongue Man, who released punky, noisy, unapologetically gay records with titles like Joys Of A Meatmaster. He was never destined to appear on Top Of The Pops.

But another member of ACT UP often did. Jimmy Somerville had been part of the soundtrack to my life from Smalltown Boy through to his recent hit, Don’t Leave Me This Way, the Communards’ cover of a disco classic, interpreted by many as a tribute to those recently lost to AIDS. His new solo single Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough) was a protest song calling for increased funding to tackle the pandemic.

The aim wasn’t simply to vent our anger but to raise awareness of the issues affecting people living with HIV and AIDS

ACT UP was committed to ‘non-violent direct action’, sometimes referred to as ‘civil disobedience’ – otherwise known as breaking the law. The aim wasn’t simply to vent our anger but to raise awareness of the issues affecting people living with HIV and AIDS, be they welfare cuts, discrimination in the workplace, homophobic reporting in the press, or the failure of prisons and other services to provide free condoms and needle exchanges to help stop the spread of the virus.

Demonstrations were referred to as ‘zaps’ and tended to be rather theatrical in nature. For example, ACT UP New York famously staged an enormous ‘die-in’ at St Patrick’s Cathedral and stormed the offices of politicians and drug companies, covering desks and computers with fake blood. ACT UP Paris lowered a giant pink condom over the Egyptian obelisk in the city centre.

ACT UP London. Photo: Gordon Rainsford

It’s fair to say that ACT UP London never reached such dizzy heights. Our first zap involved catapulting condoms over the walls of Pentonville Prison. When it became clear that rubbers wrapped in foil didn’t have the density required to scale prison walls, we inflated the condoms and tried to float them over instead. We also chained ourselves to the gates of Downing Street on the day the Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Major, was due to deliver the budget. As his car approached, a group of us leaped out and handcuffed ourselves to the gates, blocking his path. My photo appeared in one of the gay free sheets under the headline ‘Not budging on budget day’. Five people were arrested and referred to as ‘the ACT UP five’.

Another time, we invaded the offices of the Daily Mail, cunningly disguised as motorcycle couriers. The target of our protest was columnist George Gale, who peddled the kind of victim-blaming AIDS commentary typical of the period. I was sporting rather a luxurious quiff at the time and questioned whether a motorcycle helmet was really necessary as it might flatten my hair. My friend Emma rolled her eyes and reminded me that this was no time for vanity. Photographs taken inside the Daily Mail offices show Emma, Jimmy, me and others handcuffed to some railings while a security guard looks on perplexed. My hair looks suitably disarrayed but disappointingly lacking in volume.

But mainly we blocked traffic. As my fellow activist and soon-to-be boyfriend William often said, our battle cry could have been ‘ACT UP London, lie down!’ Joking aside, this was one way to guarantee media coverage. If all else failed, at least we’d make the traffic news.

So when the government announced benefit cuts to people living with HIV, AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses and chronic conditions, we staged a die-in next to the Cenotaph on Whitehall. A dozen of us lay across the road, clinging on to a large banner and chanting, ‘Living with AIDS, dying for money!’ I was one of the first to be dragged away by the police, who didn’t arrest me but simply dumped me on the pavement. I picked myself up and tried to re-join the protest, only people were packed so tightly together there was no room for me to squeeze in. I had to outrun the police and approach the demo from a different angle, lying back down in the road but facing the opposite way to everyone else.

The moment was captured by photographer Gordon Rainsford and remains one of my favourite ACT UP photos. I might look a right poser, but it’s a pose with purpose. My ‘Action = Life’ T-shirt is clearly visible. The look on my face is one of grim determination.

ACT UP die-in, London. Photo: Gordon Rainsford

Interview: Paul Burston

Author Paul Burston. Photo: Krystyna FitzGerald-Morris

Paul Burston wasn’t always the iconic voice of LGBTQ+ London that he is today. He grew up in a working-class community in a small town in South Wales – the product of an unhappy marriage and a broken home, a queer kid who was bullied from an early age, and a survivor of childhood abuse.

At 19, he moved to London and came out, hoping for a happier life, only to watch in horror as his new-found community was decimated by AIDS, fearing that he might be next. He survived.

Driven by grief and a powerful sense of survivor’s guilt, Paul joined ACT UP and became an AIDS activist. He was arrested, prosecuted, and developed coping strategies that would only increase his suffering and fuel his euphoria.

Read more: Polari, Britain’s secret gay language and its influence today

Having been born well after the AIDS pandemic and not having a great deal of knowledge about the times, we asked our youngest team members here, Ellie Mongey and Beth Pratt, to read up on this, put their heads together, and craft some questions for Paul…

Q: How did you feel when you were prosecuted and arrested for standing up for something you felt so passionately about? 

P: “This was when I was charged following a protest with ACT UP. I was often arrested on demos, but this was the one time I was prosecuted, and the case went to court. I won’t pretend I wasn’t scared. But I also knew that I was right to protest against such bigotry and injustice, and I had the support of those closest to me – my fellow activists, including my cousin and flatmate Elaine.

“I also knew that I hadn’t actually broken the law on this occasion, certainly not at the time of my arrest. I was standing on the pavement, being interviewed by a reporter from the BBC! So I went into the courtroom putting on a brave face and hoping for the best. When I was found not guilty, it felt like a huge triumph. I left court feeling like a hero.”

Q: At what point in your life have you felt most liberated?

P: “I’ve felt liberated in different ways at different times. Coming out for the first time was hugely liberating. Joining ACT UP and finding an outlet for my grief and fears about AIDS was liberating. Recovering from drug and alcohol abuse was liberating. For me, liberation is all about being true to yourself. I’ve been true to myself in different ways at different times. But I think I’m the most authentic version of myself right now.”

Q: Looking back at your life so far, what has been your biggest achievement?

P: “Refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer. I’ve always been very driven and bloody minded when I felt it necessary. So whether it was demonstrating as an AIDS activist, writing magazine columns, newspaper articles and novels featuring gay characters, or creating a literary salon and book prize for other LGBTQ+ writers, it all feels like part of the same thing. It’s all about trying to make the world a better, more diverse and inclusive place.”

Q: Was it difficult to be so vulnerable and honest with your readers? Did that make the writing process tricky at all?

P: “Not really. I’ve always been very open, certainly since I came out when I was 19. As the years have gone by I’ve become more comfortable in my own skin, so deciding to write a memoir wasn’t that daunting. And there wouldn’t have been any point in writing it if I wasn’t completely honest. They say that honesty sets you free. Writing the book was certainly freeing, even when I was writing about mistakes I’ve made and moments I’m not proud of. There are many things I wish I’d done differently. I certainly have regrets. But they all led me to where I am now, so I try not to dwell on them too much.”

Q: Your work and life are so intertwined your work is your life, and your life is in your work. How do you rest, heal, and take a break from it all?

P: “With great difficulty! Ha ha! I live in my head a lot, so physical exercise helps. I enjoy working out, walking, swimming, and getting lost in a good book. Reading has always been a great source of escapism and sustenance for me. Books have saved me on so many occasions. I’m thankful that my mother always encouraged me to read. It’s been one of the greatest pleasures of my life.”

Q: Do you think more people should be sober?

P: “I think it depends on the person. I know lots of people who enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or can drink socially without it ever becoming a problem. Sadly I’m not one of those people. I can’t drink responsibly. I would drink to excess. So for me personally, sobriety makes more sense. But I wouldn’t judge anyone for drinking. It’s only if the drink becomes a problem that they might want to step back and think about it.”

Q: Do you agree that the best years of your life come later in life?

P: “I agree with what David Bowie said about ageing – it’s the process by which you become the person you were always meant to be. That’s assuming you have the luxury of ageing. So many people I knew didn’t have that luxury. So I’m very grateful that I do.”

ACT UP members in Australia. Photo: Gordon Rainsford

Q: Would you say that it is the resilience of community that gives you hope and inspiration during dark times?

P: “Absolutely. I’ve always taken inspiration from those around me, whether it’s people I’ve known personally, like Derek Jarman, or those I’ve only read about or seen from a distance. Community is hugely important to me. It’s what the author Armistead Maupin calls ‘logical family’ – which can include those you’re related to and those you’ve chosen. I can relate to that. My logical family means the world to me.”

We Can Be Heroes is available from Queer Lit for £8.29

Beth Pratt

Beth is one of Silver’s interns. She loves reading and studying literature. Entering her final year of university, Beth still finds time to dance, swim, and have a pint with friends. Her favourite hobby is going to coffee shops, if you can call it a hobby!

The post We Can Be Heroes: excerpt and interview with author, Paul Burston appeared first on Silver Magazine.