Poet Dean Atta talks about the experience of writing his award-winning debut novel in verse, The Black Flamingo, and the impact he hopes it will have on readers. In particular, I think it's worth mentioning that this novel is about Michael, for Michael, and ends with Michael.

But trust me - this novel is packed with positive messaging, raw emotions, coming-of-age goodness, and the enduring thread of finding your truth. The authenticity and heart coming from the author was evident in each word as it poured off the page. Wątek ojca niestety nie został wyjaśniony, plus pojawił się motyw zemsty w formie publicznego ośmieszenia kogoś, a to coś czego szczerze nienawidzę. This is not about being ready, it's not even about being fierce, or fearless, IT'S ABOUT BEING FREE.Sometimes, we need to take charge, to stand up wearing pink feathers - to show ourselves to the world in bold colour.

An exploration of a mixed-race LGBTQ+ experience in Britain, The Black Flamingo is a bold story about the power of embracing your uniqueness and finding your inner strength. There was a wonderful mix of storytelling mixed with poems he was writing throughout the story, as well as poems that helped him understand his own thoughts. Flamingoes can migrate long distances, so it’s “definitely possible,” that the Cyprus sighting is actually the same bird, says Felicity Arengo, a conservationist at the American Museum of Natural History. Este es uno de esos libros que cambian vidas, que tienen un impacto positivo y que ayudará a miles de personas por todo el mundo, especialmente a la juventud LGTB racializada.The Black Flamingo follows Michael as he comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen and finds his wings at university as a drag artist. As he gets older, Michael's coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. In his latest work, Atta flawlessly captures the pain, rage, and resilience of a boy growing to manhood while feeling like an outsider in his own life. A triumphant and emotional story about standing up for and embracing oneself that readers of any orientation and ethnicity will relate to. Is The Black Flamingo entirely autobiographical, are certain parts based on your life or is it completely fictional?

We dress for work but might have comfy clothes for home, we dress to impress on a special occasion but it’s only special if it’s different to our everyday wear. Dean was shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize for his debut poetry collection, I Am Nobody’s Nigger. Ebooks fulfilled through Glose cannot be printed, downloaded as PDF, or read in other digital readers (like Kindle or Nook).When I saw the final front cover I felt absolutely elated – I knew people would pick this book up simply because of how beautiful the cover is. It’s important to let people speak without being interrupted; it might be useful to split into breakout rooms so that people can chat in smaller groups. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.

They know they can’t stop us unless they kill us but they can’t kill us all,so you’re living your life and suddenly interrupted by white fear or suspicion. But between his childhood and his first drag performance on stage, he will go through heartbreak, dream of fame and cute boys, make and lose friends, and experience the bittersweet and exciting years of growing up. His poems deal with themes of race, gender, identity and growing up, and have appeared on BBC One's The One Show and several times on BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service and Channel 4.

Michael is an amazing character, and I lived following his journey form childhood until college where he started to discover himself.