Blurred Faces - by Allan Radcliffe (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When they meet on a dating app, Davie recognizes Jordan as the closeted teenager he relentlessly bullied in school. But Jordan doesn't remember him at all.

This acclaimed Scottish novel is the story of otherwise preoccupied lovers. Jordan has briefly returned to rain-soaked Edinburgh to visit his complicated family, and Davie is reeling from a painful breakup. Their first meeting was meant to be a casual encounter between strangers. But Davie and Jordan find themselves drawn together again and again.

Against the backdrop of a city steeped in adolescent memories, Davie is haunted by his past as Jordan's tormenter. And Jordan, preoccupied with an alcoholic brother and their family's shattered relationships, already has enough on his plate. A fragile intimacy blossoms between these two men, but can anyone ever be free of their past?

Review Quotes

"Exquisite . . . tender and romantic and yet searing with gritty reality" --Sunday Post

"Emotionally resonant tale of family dynamics and the complex, fragile intimacies that come from childhood shame and secrets." --Scotland on Sunday

About the Author

Allan Radcliffe is the author of Blurred Faces and The Old Haunts, both published by Fairlight Books. The Old Haunts was shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize 2024 and for the First Book Award at Scotland's National Book Awards 2024, and was a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime.
His writing has won the Allen Wright Award and the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. With an MA from the University of Glasgow, he works as an arts journalist and editor, and is currently a freelance theatre critic and feature writer. His short stories have been published in anthologies including Out There, The Best Gay Short Stories, and New Writing Scotland, and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Allan was born in Perth, Scotland, and now lives near Edinburgh.