This saucy sequel is a veritable tour-de-force of camp, catty humor and heartwarming homosocial homilies. Kay is a perfect angel when it comes to skewering the gauche guignol of Brighton’s self-styled aesthetes, artists and social climbers.
Wiley old drag queens, gay leather bikers, wild fancy dress parties and almost forgotten sex codes. What’s not to love!
Daren has the ability to draw you into his world with vivid and compelling characters. His work is funny, entertaining, moving and endlessly fascinating.
A page-turner from start to finish, The Brightonians Under Siege is clever, canny and oh-so caustic in places. Daren brings out the lighter side of lockdown in Brighton in the most ingenious ways - matched with being highly entertaining to make a serious point. A true tale of the unexpected.
This second instalment from The Brightonians is full of wonderful wit and wordplay we expect from Kay, but also fascinating glimpses into Brighton;’s queer history - bring on Book Three!
A fab follow-up to The Brightonians. Fun and interesting, comparing Brighton gay life pre and post AIDs with how poeple and the government responded to COVID.
Original music composed by Leo Tarring and starring photographer, Antony Edwards as Pagan Pete.
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After almost thirty years writing copy to sell everything from margarine to motor cars, in 2016 I took a leap of faith, quit my job at one of the UK’s biggest ad agencies, and began writing about the things that really made me open my laptop with glee every day. The result was The Brightonians. Three years and a global pandemic later, the sequel is about to be released. For more information about The Brightonians Under Siege , sign up to my website, or follow me on my socials .
‘Don’t write what you know. Write what you love to read.’ Inspired by this maxim, I like to think that my debut novel is a cross between E. F. Benson’s Mapp and Lucia and Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City – two series of books to which I return time and time again for their biting wit and commentary on the era in which they were written.
Of course, living in Brighton, my novel is also about something I know; the irreverent, smart, talented and funny people that have made the city their home. Especially those who live in Kemptown, the beating heart of the LGBTQ+ community. For more information about my involvement in queer Brighton, please skip to the ‘Queer in the City’ tab.
The obligatory talking head video! Don’t worry, there won’t be many of these!
To turn on subtitles, click on the white box at the bottom of the screen.
Directed by Dan Turvil. Voiced by Hugh Ross. Piano by me.
Pour yourself a G&T. Make yourself comfortable.
The show's about to begin.
A short interview with me about my debut novel. Peppered with quotes from the book - voiced by acclaimed actor, Hugh Ross (Outlander/Trainspotting/Ab Fab) - I talk about what inspired me, the conversations I hope it will start, and why we should all watch out for those pesky seagulls.
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