Jonathan Kemp Boeken

Jack Rose begins his apprenticeship as a rent boy with Alfred Taylor in the 1890s, and finds a life of pleasure and excess leads him to new friendships — most notably with the soon-to-be infamous Oscar Wilde. A century later, David tells his own tale of unashamed decadence while waiting to be released from prison, addressing his story to the lover who betrayed him. Where their paths cross, in the politically sensitive 1950s, the artist Colin Read tentatively explores his sexuality as he draws in preparation for his most ambitious painting yet — ‘London Triptych’.Rent boys, aristocrats, artists and felons populate this bold début as Jonathan Kemp skilfully interweaves the lives and loves of three very different men across the decades

Drawing on a brilliant literary tradition of madness, incarceration and escape, Jonathan Kemp delivers the triumphant coming of age of a woman in her sixties.

Exploring the relentless pursuit of sexual pleasure, this work features twenty-six erotic encounters narrated by an anonymous individual. Each chapter, aligned with a letter of the alphabet, delves into experiences at cruising grounds and sex clubs, pushing the boundaries of desire and the body. Influenced by literary figures like Georges Bataille and Kathy Acker, the narrative juxtaposes vivid, explicit descriptions with a profound examination of the challenges in articulating such experiences. It boldly confronts the extremes sought in the quest for fulfillment, blending sensuality with introspection.