Olle Lindholm

Pride books

In honour of Stockholm Pride, I want to share some good books on the subject. Reading books about LGBTQ+ characters has given me comfort and courage to live more openly. I hope these gems can help you as much as they've helped me.

Happy Pride and enjoy reading!

Pride classics

One of the first and most memorable depictions of gay love I read was the memoir Holding the Man (1995) by Australian writer, actor and activist Timothy Conigrave. I borrowed this book from the university library and sat on campus, completely entrenched in the story. The thoughts and feelings resonated strongly with my teenage self.

The book was made into a 2015 film by Neil Armfield, and stars Ryan Corr and Craig Stott. Sadly, the book hasn't been translated to many other languages (a part of me wants to translate it into Swedish someday).

Other Pride classics that had an impact on me were:

I also really liked A Room of One's Own (1929) by Virginia Wolf and On the Move (2015, Swedish: Alltid på väg) by Oliver Sacks.

Pride sports

Another nonfiction book that left a lasting impression on me was Proud: My Autobiography by Gareth Thomas, co-written with Michael Calvin. Thomas was the first openly gay professional rugby union player and his story spoke volumes of courage. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Matthew Gravelle. Definitely worth a listen or a read.

To this day, it's telling that there are so few out gay men in team sports, such as rugby, hockey, and football. There is a small change in LGBTQ+ representation, but it's slow and unsteady, with far too much pressure on the individual.

Swedish pride

Closer to home, the Swedish biographies Ett jävla solsken: en biografi om Ester Blenda Nordström (English title: Life in Every Breath) and Kommer du tycka om mig nu? by Lina Axelsson Kihlblom are extraordinary books. Talk about pioneers. They show how to live your life with courage, love, all while staying true to yourself. My godmother gave me the latter book for my birthday; it was such a sweet, loving gesture that warms my heart till this day.

Pride fiction

The Harry Potter nerd in me fell in love with Carry on: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow (2015) by Rainbow Rowell. It was like stepping into a gay-friendly Harry Potter universe. Bless. It was such a pleasure to read. A real gem. Likewise, A Song of Achilles (2011) by Madeline Miller also gave me a lot of comfort and support.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is more of a depressing, but deeply engaging, read. It's my friend's favourite book, and I can see why. Once you get into the story (it's quite long), you immerse yourself completely into their world –– the sign of a really good fiction book.

Galaxies and Oceans (2018), an audiobook written by N.R. Walker and read by one of my favourite LGBTQ+ narrators Joel Leslie, is an absolute marvel. It's steamy, romantic, and such a guilty pleasure. It's a really good pick for when you need an escape from reality. Who doesn't need that, from time to time?

Pride reading list

Below you'll find a few other books on my radar, but I haven't gotten around to them yet. Maybe I'll pick one of them for my next book club. Do you have any good LGBTQ+ book recommendations to share? Please send me an email :)

#LGBTQ #book recommendations