Legendary music writer Jon Savage brings forth his long-awaited new book this month, a delightfully in-depth examination of the individuals and art from the LGBTQ+ resistance that shaped contemporary popular culture, changing attitudes and rules along the way.

Savage, whose previous works include The Brian Epstein Story (1988) and England’s Dreaming: Sex Pistols And Punk Rock (1991), is the ideal candidate for this new assessment of an often-overlooked part of 20th-century queer culture and history. The book sparkles with insight, knowledge, and Savage’s trademark accessible and unputdownable style. 

The Secret Public is also rich in scope. As per its subheading, nearly quarter of a decade of popular culture makes for a broad and enlightening journey through the art that encouraged the LGBTQ+ movement into the mainstream, from the earliest days of pop music history to key figures of late post-war art. Chapters take us through events that led to the likes of Little Richard and James Dean reaching mainstream success in the 1950s, and the work of Tom Robinson, Sylvester, and cinematic releases of the pre-Thatcher era, such as Derek Jarman’s Jubilee.

Savage tracks the political as well as the popular culture, charting the shifts in legislation and the works orbiting these changes – such as films like 1961’s Victim – and, across the globe, the work of Andy Warhol and his contemporaries. It’s refreshing, too, that he is willing and able to focus on popular culture broadly, highlighting the vibrancy of the media entwined with the LGBTQ+ movement in the mid and late 20th century. Moreover, it’s a striking testament to those who have refused to conform, and how being who you are can be a guiding light throughout some of the darkest moments.