Harry Nicholas is a writer, campaigner and gay trans man living in London. He has contributed to articles in The Huffington Post, Forbes, BBC Newsbeat, BBC3s Things not to say to a trans person and Pink News. A Trans Man Walks into a Gay Bar is his first book.
Description
Andrew McMillan, Poet (100 Queer Poems, Physical, Pandemonium)
This singular exploration of one mans journey towards himself shows us we are infinitely distinct and unique, and all the stronger as a community for it.
Adam Zmith - Author of Deep Sniff: A History of Poppers and winner of the Polari First Book Prize 2022
This book manages to convey the wisdom and self-reflection of an elder, while also containing so much potential for how much life Harry has yet to live. It shares a trans gay experience in a way that welcomes cis people into the conversation, while never once making his queerness palatable. Harrys anger at how much further we have to go is only matched by the scale of his hope that, together, well get there - and in this memoir Harry is showing us the way. A miracle.
Shivani Dave (they/them), journalist and radio presenter
As a community with millions of people, there is no one size fits all experience, and this is a perfect example of the nuance in trans experiences. I laughed and cried, I related and I learned. His vulnerability and honesty feels like an antidote in an increasingly hostile world. Beautiful.
Neil Czeszejko, Delphic Reviews
Celebrates the interconnectedness and incongruity of gender, doing so in a way that frees the reader by extension. Will live on in the minds of each and every reader.
Ben Pechey, author, presenter & LGBTQIA advocate
The projected portrait of being trans by the media is bleak, yet Harry writes with such warmth and candour that he shines a light on the majesty of being exactly who you are - unapologetically. Without sugar-coating issues or hiding the hostility we face as a community, this book is a nuanced and individual look into the complexity of the trans experience within the wider LGBTQIA+ community - a triumph.
Christine Burns MBE, Activist and author of Trans Britain
An engaging and easy-to-read book about a life experience that hardly anyone talks about.
David Chipakupaku, journalist
Both a rallying cry for liberation, and an intimate self reflection, Nicholas celebrates and examines queer masculinity in its various forms, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Nicholas s wit comes through the page in moments of consideration, balanced out with steamy, sexual liberation. A Trans Man Walks Into A Gay Bar is a book with something for all of us, no matter where we lie on the spectrums of gender, sex, expression, and sexuality.
Daniel Harding, author of Gay Man Talking
A beautifully important, eye-opening book in a world of criticism and ignorance. Harry, inviting into his life with commendable rawness, is helping so many people understand, educate and grow with our community. A vital reminder that no trans person needs to be fixed.
Laura Kay, author of The Split, Tell Me Everything and Wild Things
Hopeful and life affirming, A Trans Man Walks into a Gay Bar is impossible to put down. This is a memoir that doesnt shy away from uncomfortable truths but Harrys writing is profoundly moving, he handles the most complex conversations with the lightest of touches. Charming, witty and sexy, this is a book for anyone who has ever felt lost or who has found themselves, or is somewhere along the way.
Fox Fisher, author and activist
Frank, Funny, Exciting and Exploratory I was absolutely glued to this. Incredible insight into how non-linear the trans journey can be; the way the world treats you differently based on your presentation, the sadness of letting go of previous spaces and the unique fear which goes with being thrust into a new community. As someone whose body also doesnt and may never conform to societys standards, I stan this book.
Peter Scalpello, queer poet and author of Limbic
Nicholas has written a revelatory, deeply generous memoir of queer existence and resistance. His message is empowered and empowering, sensitive and full of heart