by Luke Rutledge
It’s not always easy to be loud and proud – unless you have someone to show you the way.
A fun, exuberant and moving gay novel by an exciting new voice in commercial fiction, where these diverse stories can be hard to find. This is a contemporary love story – or uplifting ‘bromcom’ – ideal for fans of Honeybee and Heartstopper.
Set in Brisbane during Australia’s 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite, 26-year-old Sean Preston confronts his internalised homophobia and guilt, eventually learning to accept the most important love of all – the love for oneself.
When Sean’s relationship of three months comes to a humiliating end, he vows to never become emotionally attached to anyone again. Sean lives through a revolving door of hook-ups, stimulants and booze. The rest of his life is also a mess. His job as a professional online troll moderator doesn’t help his mental health. Then there’s his best friend, former girlfriend Abby, who still resents Sean for coming out. Even his own mother seems to hate him. Caught between Abby’s narcissism and his mother’s constant allusions to Sean having ruined her life, Sean reels from one crisis to another. And yet a strange connection with Meredith, an 85-year-old nursing home resident, somehow unites the worst of Sean’s tangled identity crisis.
When Sean meets William, who is shy and naive about the gay dating scene, an unlikely friendship blossoms. Sean begins to understand the value of friendship and true connection, and slowly dares to hope for a kinder life for himself. But how to begin?
About the Author and Note
Luke Rutledge has worked as a communications specialist since 2014. He studied journalism and professional writing, editing and publishing at the Queensland University of Technology. Before that, he studied music at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, where he majored in classical flute. He lives in Brisbane with his fiance and their West Highland terrier, Rufus. A Man and his Pride is his debut novel.
As an open and proud gay man in my 30s, I am still trying to make sense of the shame and internalised homophobia I grappled with in my teens and early 20s. This novel explores the difference between being ‘out’ and being ‘out and proud’, and how ‘coming out’ is not a single act but an ongoing journey of self-acceptance. As a reader, I want to see more adult novels depicting gay culture and its flaws, including the community’s obsession with image and labels that straight audiences may not at first recognise. Some may think legalising same-sex marriage was the final step in achieving equality in Australia; on the contrary, too few gay men see their stories or experiences represented, and living with that shame remains all-too common for gay men of all ages today.
Luke Rutledge
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 320
Published: 31st January 2023
Publisher: Penguin Australia Pty Ltd
Praise for A Man and His Pride
“Reading A Man and His Pride is the literary equivalent of spending a night in a club, dancing all your blues away, and waking the next morning with a smile on your face and a stranger in your bed. Funny, moving, and with energy to burn, Luke Rutledge’s debut is an absolute joy.”
JOHN BOYNE
“A Man and His Pride is breezily written, moving queer fiction with a deft light comic touch.”
THE AGE
“A Man and His Pride explores the overlap of internalised homophobia and toxic masculinity, with enough intrigue to keep you hooked. And it announces Luke Rutledge as an exceptionally talented and exciting new voice, one whose contribution to the gay canon has got off to a soaring start!”
MATT CAIN
“One man’s story to understand and exorcise his shame, reunite himself with his natural and found family, and celebrate his pride at last. A great, relatable read for LGBTQ+ people and allies!”
HENRY FRY
“A Man and His Pride is a raw, honest and powerful portrayal of gay male life in the Grindr era. Luke Rutledge writes deftly and unflinchingly about the brutal realities of unresolved trauma and the psychological impact of Australia’s infamous same-sex marriage plebiscite. Equal parts funny, sexy, brutal and poignant – an impressive debut and a welcome new addition to the Australian gay literary canon.
HOLDEN SHEPPARD
“Candid, heartfelt, and ultimately hopeful, A Man and His Pride is a truly authentic queer Aussie debut.”
TOBIAS MADDEN
“Thoroughly engrossing, deftly constructed and refreshingly frank about the ruthless realities of the gay scene and the difficulties in coming out and becoming comfortable in your identity.”
DNA MAGAZINE
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