QUEER CLASSIC
The Leather Boys
Gillian Freeman/Valancourt Books. First published 1961
This classic, gritty, British love story follows Dick and Reggie, two disaffected working-class London 18-year-olds with a love of leather gear and motorcycles. Through their involvement in a small gang of petty criminals we witness their growing bond. Dick is trying to support his recently bereaved grandmother, while Reggie, despite his young age, is already trapped in a loveless marriage. When Reggie decides to leave his unfaithful wife, Dick puts him up for a few nights and it isn’t long till they find themselves reaching for each other under the bed sheets. As love blooms, they plan for a future together at sea. They just need to pull off one last job to get some cash together first. Originally published under the pseudonym Eliot George, Gillian Freeman’s pioneering novel remains a tender and tragic groundbreaking classic of early modern gay fiction.