Justin David – författare

Longing is a universal human experience, born of the inevitable gulf between dream and reality, what we need and what we have. While the experience of longing may arise from loss or the awareness of a void in one''s life, it may also become a powerful engine of spiritual growth, prompting one to draw closer to the hidden yet present "Other."Across the range of Jewish teachings, longing takes center stage in one''s spiritual life. From the Bible through current frontiers in Jewish belief and practice, God is both known and unknown, immediate and remote, present and in constant eclipse.This book captures the sense of longing in Jewish tradition by creating a dialogue between the author''s own struggles with an estranged father and a wide range of traditional and contemporary sources. Focusing on the story of the Hebrew prophet Elisha, the book takes the reader through a journey of abandonment, creative destruction, and ultimately repair and healing, engaging with currents in biblical theology, rabbinic thought, Kabbalah, and contemporary Jewish philosophy. Written in a familiar yet probing style, this book is an accessible introduction to Jewish thought and spirituality as well as a thoughtful companion for more experienced students.

Twenty-four-year-old Billy is beautiful and sexy. Albert—The Pharmacist—is a compelling but damaged older man, and a veteran of London’s late ’90s club scene. After a chance meeting in the heart of the London’s East End, Billy is seduced into the sphere of Albert. An unconventional friendship develops, fuelled by Albert’s queer narratives and an endless supply of narcotics. Alive with the twilight times between day and night, consciousness and unconsciousness, the foundations of Billy’s life begin to irrevocably shift and crack, as he fast-tracks toward manhood. This story of lust, love and loss is homoerotic bildungsroman at its finest.‘As lubricious as early Alan Hollinghurst, The Pharmacist is a welcome reissue from Inkandescent and the perfect introduction to a singular voice in gay literature.’ THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT ‘At the heart of David’s The Pharmacist is an oddly touching and bizarre love story, a modern day Harold and Maude set in the drugged-up world of pre-gentrification Shoreditch. The dialogue, especially, bristles with glorious life.’ —JONATHAN KEMP, author of London Triptych​"An exploration of love and loss in the deathly hallows of twenty-first century London. Justin David's prose is as sharp as a hypodermic needle. Unflinching, uncomfortable but always compelling, The Pharmacist finds the true meaning of love in the most unlikely places."—NEIL McKENNA, author of Fanny and Stella.

Mainstream brings thirty authors in from the margins to occupy centre-page. Queer storytellers. Working class wordsmiths. Chroniclers of colour. Writers whose life experiences give unique perspectives on universal challenges, whose voices must be heard. And read.‘In these locked down and unfocused times the short story is a much needed respite from the current Covid-19 bleakness. With Mainstream, Inkandescent has gathered together a wonderful collection of fascinating and eclectic stories. Sad, funny, horrifying and demystifying, the unique voices within take us on an open minded journey around the world. Loved it.’ — KATHY BURKE‘A riveting collection of stories, deftly articulated. Every voice entirely captivating: page to page, tale to tale. These are stories told with real heart from writers emerging from the margins in style.’ — ASHLEY HICKSON-LOVENCE, author of The 392 and Your ShowEmerging writers are placed alongside established authors. Contributors are: Aisha Phoenix, Alex Hopkins, Bidisha, Chris Simpson, DJ Connell, Elizabeth Baines, Gaylene Gould, Giselle Leeb, Golnoosh Nour, Hedy Hume, Iqbal Hussain, Jonathan Kemp, Julia Bell, Juliet Jacques, Justin David, Kathy Hoyle, Keith Jarrett, Kerry Hudson, Kit de Waal, Lisa Goldman, Lui Sit, Nathan Evans, Neil Bartlett, Neil Lawrence, Neil McKenna, Ollie Charles, Padrika Tarrant, Paul McVeigh, Philip Ridley, Polis Loizou.

In the desert, no one can hear you, queen​Justin David’s newly-released novella is part creepy coming-of-age story, part black-comedy, set partly in buzzing 1990s London and partly in barren New Mexico wildlands. When Jamie meets Matthew in Soho, he’s drawn to his new-age charms. But when he follows his new friend across the planet to a remote earth-ship in Taos, bizarre incidents begin unfolding and Matthew’s real nature reveals itself: he’s a manipulative monster at the centre of a strange cult. Jamie finds himself at the centre a disturbing psychological nightmare as they seize the opportunity to recruit a new member. Pushed to his limits, lost in a shifting sagebrush landscape, can Jamie trust anyone to help him? And will he ever see home again? This evocatively set desert gothic expertly walks the line between macabre humour and terrifying tension.'There's not much rarer than a working class voice in fiction, except maybe a gay working class voice. We need writers like Justin David.'—PAUL MCVEIGH, author of The Good Son

Love is the DrugTwenty-four-year-old Billy is beautiful and sexy. Albert—The Pharmacist—is a compelling but damaged older man, and a veteran of London''s late ''90s club scene. After a chance meeting in the heart of the London''s East End, Billy is seduced into the sphere of Albert. An unconventional friendship develops, fuelled by Albert''s queer narratives and an endless supply of narcotics. Alive with the twilight times between day and night, consciousness and unconsciousness, the foundations of Billy''s life begin to irrevocably shift and crack, as he fast-tracks toward manhood. This story of lust, love and loss is homoerotic bildungsroman at its finest.''At the heart of David''s The Pharmacist is an oddly touching and bizarre love story, a modern day Harold and Maude set in the drugged-up world of pre-gentrification Shoreditch. The dialogue, especially, bristles with glorious life.'' —JONATHAN KEMP, author of London Triptych'An exploration of love and loss in the deathly hallows of twenty-first century London. Justin David's prose is as sharp as a hypodermic needle. Unflinching, uncomfortable but always compelling, The Pharmacist finds the true meaning of love in the most unlikely places.' —NEIL McKENNA, author of Fanny and Stella.''As lubricious as early Alan Hollinghurst, The Pharmacist is the perfect introduction to a singular voice in gay literature.'' THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

In the desert, no one can hear you, queenJustin David''s newly-released novella is part creepy coming-of-age story, part black-comedy, set partly in buzzing 1990s London and partly in barren New Mexico wildlands. When Jamie meets Matthew in Soho, he''s drawn to his new-age charms. But when he follows his new friend across the planet to a remote earth-ship in Taos, bizarre incidents begin unfolding and Matthew''s real nature reveals itself: he''s a manipulative monster at the centre of a strange cult. Jamie finds himself at the centre a disturbing psychological nightmare as they seize the opportunity to recruit a new member. Pushed to his limits, lost in a shifting sagebrush landscape, can Jamie trust anyone to help him? And will he ever see home again? This evocatively set desert gothic expertly walks the line between macabre humour and terrifying tension.

Mainstream brings thirty authors in from the margins to occupy centre-page. Queer storytellers. Working class wordsmiths. Chroniclers of colour. Writers whose life experiences give unique perspectives on universal challenges, whose voices must be heard. And read:Aisha Phoenix, Alex Hopkins, Bidisha, Chris Simpson, DJ Connell, Elizabeth Baines, Gaylene Gould, Giselle Leeb, Golnoosh Nour, Hedy Hume, Iqbal Hussain, Jonathan Kemp, Julia Bell, Juliet Jacques, Justin David, Kathy Hoyle, Keith Jarrett, Kerry Hudson, Kit de Waal, Lisa Goldman, Lui Sit, Nathan Evans, Neil Bartlett, Neil Lawrence, Neil McKenna, Ollie Charles, Padrika Tarrant, Paul McVeigh, Philip Ridley, Polis Loizou.The anthology is edited by Justin David and Nathan Evans. Justin says, ''In publishing, it''s often only the voices of a privileged minority that get heard and those of ''minority'' groups—specifically the working classes, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community—don''t get the amplification they deserve. We wanted to bring all those underrepresented groups together in one volume in order to pump up the volume''''a wonderful collection of fascinating and unique stories by unique voices'' KATHY BURKE

As a boy growing up in the Black Country—drained grey by Mrs Thatcher’s steely policies—Jamie dreams of escape to a magical metropolis where he can rub shoulders with the mythical creatures who inhabit the pages of his Smash Hits. Although, his hometown is not without characters and Jamie’s life not without dramas—courtesy of a cast of West Midlands divas led by his mother, Gloria. Her one-liners are as colourful as the mohair cardies she carries off with the panache of a television landlady.We follow Jamie through secondary school, teenage troubles and away to art school; there he experiences the flush of first love with Billy, and the rush of the big city. But what then? Will he return to the safety of Welston, or risk everything on a new life in London?

As a boy growing up in the Black Country—drained grey by Mrs Thatcher''s steely policies—Jamie dreams of escape to a magical metropolis where he can rub shoulders with the mythical creatures who inhabit the pages of his Smash Hits. Though his hometown is not without characters and Jamie''s life not without dramas—courtesy of a cast of West Midlands divas led by his mother, Gloria. Her one-liners are as colourful as the mohair cardies she carries off with the panache of a television landlady.We follow Jamie through secondary school, teenage troubles and away to art school; there he experiences the flush of first love with Billy, and the rush of the big city. But what then? Will he return to the safety of Welston, or risk everything on a new life in London?These flamboyantly funny stories of self-discovery, set against the shifting social scenery of the 80s and 90s, are for everybody who''s ever decided to be the person they are meant to be.'These ''suburbs'' are also universal: this open-heartened, delightful journey of self-discovery is known to, and should be relished by, all of us.' ANNETTE BADLAND''This is an authentic, poignant account of working-class life and manners and, ultimately, the overriding love the author feels for those who shaped his childhood. I didn''t want it to end.'' ANN MITCHELL'Rich, layered, filigree characters unveil a compelling portrait of queerness in working class England, a narrative both familiar and sacred. Reading this book was like coming home. Beautiful.' JOELLE TAYLOR''Justin David writes with enviable poise and economy. This is first class writing, conveying with calm authenticity what it means to be at the centre of the puzzle of our own lives.'' RÓNÁN HESSION''Justin David''s Tales of the Suburbs reveals a true writer''s gift for comic and poignant storytelling, in which pithy dialogue and sharp characterisation make for compelling reading.'' PATRICIA ROUTLEDGE''A well-observed, charming account of small-town, working-class life and the move to the big, bad, brilliant city. This should strike a chord not just with gay readers but with anyone who''s lived, loved and fought to become the person they''re meant to be.'' MATT CAIN'The writing is glorious. Young queer people will see themselves in these relatable stories, and queer elders, reflecting upon their own lives, will find healing in these pages.' AMY ZING, co-founder of SINK THE PINK''Justin David''s tale of working-class gay life is a bitter-sweet, beautiful thing. The audience at Polari loved it—as well they should.'' PAUL BURSTON, Polari Literary Salon

Love is the Drug...Twenty-four-year-old Billy is beautiful and sexy. Albert—The Pharmacist—is a compelling but damaged older man, and a veteran of London’s late ’90s club scene. After a chance meeting in the heart of the London’s East End, Billy is seduced into the sphere of Albert. An unconventional friendship develops, fueled by Albert’s queer narratives and an endless supply of narcotics. Alive with the twilight times between day and night, consciousness and unconsciousness, the foundations of Billy’s life begin to irrevocably shift and crack, as he fast-tracks toward manhood. This story of lust, love and loss is homoerotic bildungsroman at its finest.‘At the heart of David’s The Pharmacist is an oddly touching and bizarre love story, a modern day Harold and Maude set in the drugged-up world of pre-gentrification Shoreditch. The dialogue, especially, bristles with glorious life.’ —JONATHAN KEMP, author of London Triptych'An exploration of love and loss in the deathly hallows of twenty-first century London. Justin David's prose is as sharp as a hypodermic needle. Unflinching, uncomfortable but always compelling, The Pharmacist finds the true meaning of love in the most unlikely places.'—NEIL McKENNA, author of Fanny and Stella.‘As lubricious as early Alan Hollinghurst, The Pharmacist is the perfect introduction to a singular voice in gay literature.’THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENTJustin David is a writer and a publisher. David has been writing since childhood and in 1996, where he interviewed Philip Ridley, the passion for writing and publishing really took off. David has a background in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths and have over time been inspired by the likes of David Lynch, JT Leroy and Kit de Waal. David is also a photographer who's been featured in magazines such as The Times and The Guardian. As a writer and publisher, David focuses on concepts such as LGBTQ+, working class writers and a non-mainstream publishing ethos.

'In the desert, no one can hear you, queen'Justin David’s newly-released novella is part creepy coming-of-age story, part black-comedy, set partly in buzzing 1990s London and partly in barren New Mexico wildlands. When Jamie meets Matthew in Soho, he’s drawn to his new-age charms. But when he follows his new friend across the planet to a remote earth-ship in Taos, bizarre incidents begin unfolding and Matthew’s real nature reveals itself: he’s a manipulative monster at the center of a strange cult. Jamie finds himself at the center a disturbing psychological nightmare as they seize the opportunity to recruit a new member. Pushed to his limits, lost in a shifting sagebrush landscape, can Jamie trust anyone to help him? And will he ever see home again? This evocatively set desert gothic expertly walks the line between macabre humor and terrifying tension. 'Kissing the Lizard' is a world unto itself. Perhaps the universe is talking to us after all. Justin David is a writer and publisher who focuses on concepts such as LGBTQ+, working-class writers and a non-mainstream publishing ethos. a publisher.