John Grindrod - Tales of the Suburbs
LGBTQ+ Lives Behind Net Curtains
WithJohn Grindrod
In conversation withRosa Campbell
On:24th March 2026, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Attendance options:
We're looking forward to welcoming John Grindrod back to the bookshop for an event to celebrate the publication of his latest book, Tales of the Suburbs: LGBTQ+ Lives Behind Net Curtains. Grindrod will be in conversation with writer and academic Rosa Campbell.
Please note that Tales of the Suburbs will be published on 12th March, therefore books for the Book & Ticket options will be posted out to you or made available to collect from the bookshop between then and the event on Tuesday 24th March. You can choose whether you would prefer collection or postage in the checkout options.
This event will take place in the bookshop with an in-person audience, as well as a livestream for attendees watching from home. There will be a signing after the event.
In-person vouchers can be redeemed on the night of the event against a single copy of Tales of the Suburbs – we will have a list of attendees with vouchers to be redeemed. Please note that only one voucher can be redeemed per book. Livestream vouchers are valid until the day after the event and can be redeemed on our website against a single copy of Tales of the Suburbs.
About Tales of the Suburbs:
Throughout LGBTQ+ history, suburbia has been seen as somewhere to escape from: a place where heterosexuality rules; where difference will not be tolerated; where you’ll never find a soulmate. But for many, those streets of twitching curtains and pebble-dashed semis were – or still are – a place to call home.
From Addlestone to Wilmslow, Tales of the Suburbs explores the relatively untold twentieth century tale of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people in suburbia. Through remarkable archive material and original interviews, social historian John Grindrod reveals stories that are messy and moving, dark and funny, uplifting and extraordinary. Together, they reclaim suburbia as a space for all – or those that want it – where counter-cultural expression thrives despite the Neighbourhood Watch, and queer love and friendship bloom against the odds.
Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.
Participants:
John Grindrod Author
John Grindrod grew up on 'the last road in London' on Croydon's New Addington housing estate, surrounded by the Green Belt. He is the author of Concretopia: A Journey Around the Rebuilding of Postwar Britain, described by the Independent on Sunday as 'a new way of looking at modern Britain'. He has written for the Guardian, Financial Times, Big Issue and The Modernist and has worked as a bookseller and publisher for over twenty-five years. He runs the popular website dirtymodernscoundrel.com and can be contacted on Twitter @Grindrod.
Rosa Campbell Chair
Rosa Campbell is an Associate Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Literature at the University of St Andrews, specialising in twentieth and twenty-first century poetry, especially by women and queer writers. She is also a writer; her poetry has appeared in various places, including Oxford Poetry, fourteen poems, Perverse, Ambit, Gutter and SPAM, and her first book, Pothos—a (sort-of) memoir about grief and houseplants—was published by Broken Sleep Books in 2021.
The venue
The Portobello Bookshop
46 Portobello High Street
Edinburgh
EH15 1DA
Telephone: 0131 629 6756
Website: www.theportobellobookshop.com
Wheelchair Access
We have a ramp at the front of the shop which has a ratio of 1:10 and loading capacity of 300kg, and so should be able to be used by most wheelchair users or those with mobility vehicles. The front doors are fully automated. Our shop interior is designed to allow access throughout for wheelchair users and prams, though please note there is only 700mm wide clearance to access the staff toilet.
Sound
We use a PA system to enhance the audio at our live events. We also have a hearing loop system installed, if you’d like to use our loop system during an event please let us know and we’ll make sure we have it set up and connected to the live audio feed during the event. If you wish to attend an event and require BSL interpretation, please give us a few weeks notice and we’ll do our best to arrange an interpreter.