The Disappearance Boy

Nominated for Stonewall Writer of the Year 2014

Set in the year of the late Queen's coronation, and in the world of variety theatre, Bartlett's fourth novel, tells the story of a small man's triumph over a Goliath. Originally released by Bloomsbury, it gained him a nomination for Stonewall Author of the Year 2014; it is republished with a new introduction by the author.Childhood polio has left Reggie Rainbow with a limp, but his strong arms and nimble fingers are perfect behind the scenes of down-at-heel variety theatres-where he helps illusionist Mr Brookes 'disappear' his glamorous assistants. When Mr Brookes accepts a booking at the Brighton Grand, Reggie finds himself in a strange new town. The seaside air works its own magic and the disappearance boy begins to wonder how much longer he can go on keeping secrets for a living...