Description
A GQ Best Book of the Year
A New Statesman Best Book of the Year A Dutiful Boy is Mohsin's personal journey from denial to acceptance: a revelatory memoir about the power of love, belonging, and living every part of your identity. An inspiring and hopeful coming of age memoir about growing up queer in a strict Muslim household Mohsin grew up in a poor pocket of east London, in a devout shia Muslim community. His family were close-knit and religiously conservative. From a young age, Mohsin felt different but in a home where being gay was inconceivable he also felt very alone. Outside of home Mohsin went to a failing inner city school where gang violence was a fact of life. As he grew up life didn't seem to offer teenage Mohsin any choices: he was disenfranchised from opportunity and isolated from his family as a closet gay Muslim. But Mohsin had incredible drive and became the first person from his school to go to Oxford University. At university came the newfound freedom to become the man his parents never wanted him to be. But when he was confronted by his father and a witch doctor invited to 'cure' him Mohsin had to make a difficult choice. Mohsin's story takes harrowing turns but it is full of life and humor, and, ultimately, it is an inspiring story about breaking through life's barriers.
Author: Mohsin Zaidi
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 09/01/2021
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 7.60h x 5.00w x 0.80d
ISBN13: 9781529112207
ISBN10: 1529112206
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs
- Religion | Sexuality & Gender Studies
- Biography & Autobiography | LGBTQ+
About the Author
Mohsin Zaidi is a criminal barrister at one of the top chambers in the country and represents clients in a number of high-profile cases. He has previously worked at a UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague and at the UK's Supreme Court. Mohsin is an advocate for LGBT rights, BAME representation and social mobility. He is on the board of Stonewall, the UK's biggest LGBT rights charity and is a governor of his former secondary school. Mohsin appears as a commentator on Sky News and has previously written for CNN Style, Bustle, Mr Porter and Newsweek. The Financial Times listed him as a top future LGBT leader, The Lawyer Magazine included him on their Hot 100 list, and Attitude magazine has named him a trailblazer changing the world today.