Talk to me about Patrick Gale…

[Aftertheharvest]

A new author for me and about 2/3 way through Take Nothing With You and loving it…

Borrowed from the library as not sure what to expect, reminding me of Sarah Winman - are all his books this great?

It's always a bit sad when you finish a wonderful back catalogue!

PG did an author visit on here many years ago. He was lovely and said it was good for my children to see me so engrossed in one of his books that I read it in one day!

I liked him before he took a metaphorical shit on JK Rowling for her stance on women's right. A Sweet Obscurity was my favourite, I think.

Oh no 😣, did he?

Do better, PG.

I bet the majority of your readership are female, and we have embraced your strong stories of gay men’s lives, with all the nuances and complexities of men in families, gay men in different eras, confusion, sensitivity, we have nodded with empathy at your character’s difficulties with forms of toxic masculinity.

But women’s sensitivities don’t deserve a similar listen?

And writers, of all people, should support free speech, difference of opinion, free expression.

Love the books, but disappointed.

@TheOnlyWayIsIlford

Afraid so. Fairly sure he also rejoiced over Baroness Nicholson being removed from the Booker Prize on the demand of Damien Barr, who had actually used a slur for trans people several times and joked about them killing themselves.

I haven’t read any of his books, although do have a couple on my kindle. I know it shouldn’t but his stance & his attitude towards JKR do make them less appealing 🤷‍♀️

This slowed me down on his books, that's for sure.
I follow him on Facebook and he posted something along the lines of "unfollow me if you like JKR". I muted him for a month but when he came back on, he wasn't talking about it any more so I stayed.
It saddened me, but I read quite a lot of authors whose views I don't share.
He seems very nice to it's an odd thing to be so vocal about (when he is only moderately successful).