Longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize 2021

Manatomy is a collection of wry, witty and cheeky poems exploring how nature, nurture, pop culture, prejudice and politics shape the identity of camp gay man James McDermott.

Structured in three parts – ‘Boy’, ‘Youth’ and ‘Man’ – Manatomy interrogates how the experiences of growing up gay in a homophobic world and in rural millennial England affect a gay man’s relationships with himself, his partners, the LGBTQ+ community and the wider world.

‘A work of great intimacy. Utterly contemporary and impressively confessional. A book that was missing from the lives of many youths of my generation. May it reach many.’ - David McAlmont

‘Hilarious and honest, Manatomy will help you understand gay life, love and sex better. It certainly helped me...’ - Jonathan Harvey

‘This funny, frank and filthy debut begs to be shared with friends, lovers and homophobic relatives.’ - Molly Naylor

‘Nigel Slater’s Toast for the Spice Girls generation.’- Ian Giles

Manatomy is a collection of wry, witty and cheeky poems exploring how nature, nurture, pop culture, prejudice and politics shape the identity of camp gay man James McDermott.

Structured in three parts – ‘Boy’, ‘Youth’ and ‘Man’ – Manatomy interrogates how the experiences of growing up gay in a homophobic world and in rural millennial England affect a gay man’s relationships with himself, his partners, the LGBTQ+ community and the wider world