Amrou Al-Kadhi
A heart-breaking and hilarious memoir about the author’s journey from a god-fearing Muslim boy to a proud, queer drag queen. Amrou Al-Kadhi – by day, at night; Glamrou, an empowered, confident and acerbic drag queen who wears seven-inch heels and says the things that nobody else dares to. The first-person narrative gives us an intimate portrait of growing up in a strict Iraqi-British Muslim household. When ten years old he announced to his family that he was in love with Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. The resultant fallout might best be described as something like the Iraqi version of Jeremy Kyle. We learn about a teenage obsession with marine biology, and how fluid aquatic life gave an understand to non-binary gender identity.
Amrou’s scholarship at Eton college, attempting to forge a new identity as a British aristocrat and his discovery of the transformative powers of drag while at Cambridge university. This revelation leads to a massive breakdown and years of rage towards Islam before learning to approach his faith in a new, queer way and how costumes and fierce style were the unlikely route to embracing his heritage.
Amrou takes time to introduce us to his mother, a beautiful and glamorous woman, the unknowing inspiration for his career as a drag queen – and a fierce, vociferous critic of anything that transgresses normal gender boundaries. He carefully tells us about how they lost and found each other, about forgiveness, understanding, hope – and the life-long search for belonging.
Out now, for more info or to buy the book see the publishers website here
