John Grindrod

New book: Tales of the Suburbs: LGBTQ+ Lives Behind Net Curtains out now. Social historian of modern places. 🌈 Look me up on other platforms

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

I try not to be on here any more. I’m chatty over where the sky is blue though x

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

@MunicipalDreams Thank you John!

[Municipal Dreams @MunicipalDreams]

Great listen from @Grindrod and Gareth Edwards on Stevenage New Town:
https://t.co/SGIexOHX7T

[C20 Society @C20Society]

EVENT: Join C20 and @Grindrod for Tales of the Suburbs: LGBTQ+ Lives Behind Net Curtains.

🗓️ Wed 27 May 2026, 6.30pm
📍 The Gallery, Cowcross St, London + Online
🎟️ Book tickets: https://t.co/DNegKL4prm

Best-selling author of Concretopia (2013), Iconicon (2017) and Outskirts (2022), John Grindrod presents his latest book Tales of the Suburbs: LGBTQ+ Lives Behind Net Curtains, published by @faberbooks

Throughout LGBTQ+ history, suburbia has been seen as somewhere to escape from: a place where heterosexuality rules; where differences will not be tolerated; where you’ll never find a soulmate. But for many, those streets of twitching curtains and pebble-dashed semis were – or still are – a place to call home.

From Addlestone to Wilmslow, Tales of the Suburbs explores the relatively untold twentieth century tale of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people in small towns and suburbia. Through remarkable archive material and original interviews, social historian John Grindrod reveals stories that are messy and moving, dark and funny, uplifting and extraordinary.

John Grindrod will be in conversation with the former Historic England architectural investigator Matthew Whitfield, author of England’s Suburbs 1820-2020 (2025), to discuss the past and future of the suburban life.

John Grindrod is an award winning author, social historian and a friend of C20 Society. He hosts the podcast Monstrosities Mon Amour, about loving the places other people hate.

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

Events in Sheffield, Nottingham and Manchester next week for my new book Tales of the Suburbs

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

Am on Lauren Laverne’s 6 Music show today talking about Tales of the Suburbs. (In theory, sometimes these things don’t happen, do they?) It’s my favourite radio show so I’m very excited!

[𝔾𝕖𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕖 🏳️‍🌈 🇪🇺 🇬🇷 @OperaCreep]

Had to get a copy, you should too. @Grindrod is always worth reading and the Sunil Gupta cover picture is an inspired choice. He really provided queer visibility at a very difficult time in the UK. And rightfully his work is in the @Tate collection.

[Jellybooks Ltd. @Jellybooks]

'Tales of the Suburbs' by John @Grindrod is featured with a book preview in this weekend’s email newsletter from @blackwellbooks

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

@PaulBurston Thank you sir!

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

Excited!

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

@TheBrutalArtist Thank you lovely! Hope you like it x

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

My new book Tales of the Suburbs is Book of the Day in the Guardian!

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

@PaulBurston Oh my god, is it?! I should know that shouldn’t I? Thank you!

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

It’s a month until Tales of the Suburbs is published. And I have loads of events lined up… https://t.co/0Beo1TMtDQ #lgbtqhistory

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

My podcast Monstrosities Mon Amour has been going for a year now. I know! Thanks so much to all my brilliant guests, and for everyone who's listened in. Here's a little guide to the show https://t.co/0GFU1g9RLF

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

Let's take a ride... My next book is coming out with
Faber. Tales of the Suburbs: LGBTQ+ Lives Behind Net Curtains will be published March 12 2026. Lots more on the book and the remarkable stories people told me to come over the next few months... Pre-order now!

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

Latest episode of my podcast, Monstrosities Mon Amour, features wonderful writer Travis Elborough on the charms of a seafront multi-storey in Worthing and a prog rock tribute to Tolkien https://t.co/QKB6AyEBOU

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

Lovely review of my podcast in the Radio Times

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

📷
On the latest episode of my podcast, Monstrosities Mon Amour, Philip Downer shares his love of pomo gothic Minster Court and the falsetto thrills of Sugar Baby Love

[John Grindrod @Grindrod]

Lovely review by @juderogers in the Observer today of my new podcast, Monstrosities Mon Amour