It Was a Riot: A Gripping and Emotional Coming-of-Age LGBT Fiction Novel That Exposes the Harsh Realities of Growing Up Gay in the 1980s

WINNER – Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) 2025FINALIST – IAN Book of the Year AwardsEdward “Eddy” Turner’s entire life is a battlefield.Growing up gay in the violent and poverty-stricken streets of East London, Eddy’s childhood is haunted by the shadow of bullying, rejection, and his domineering football hooligan father. Enrolling in medical school is his only lifeline – but it only catapults him into a fresh set of struggles that will define the rest of his life.From the brutal front lines of the Falklands War to the impoverished mining communities of Northern England and the drug-fuelled raves of London, Eddy desperately tries to numb his pain and escape his inner demons. But his efforts are futile – and with the spectre of AIDS hanging over his head, he’s helpless to prevent his closest friends from succumbing to the disease.But Eddy can’t hide forever. After a protest turns violent, he’s left fighting for his freedom against a biased court system that’s hell-bent on jailing him for manslaughter. His story quickly ignites a national frenzy as his case hits the headlines. And when Eddy makes a shocking discovery about his past, he must re-evaluate his entire life and decide what’s really important.Can Eddy escape the shadow of his father’s judgement? Or will he never be able to accept himself for who he is?As an award-winning, gripping and authentic work of contemporary LGBT fiction that explores the stark realities of being gay in 1980s England, It Was a Riot dives deep into themes of identity, sexuality, paternal rejection and the struggle to find oneself. This book is a must-read for fans of character-driven epics including Tomasz Jedrowski's Swimming in the Dark and Douglas Stuart's Shuggie Bain. Read more