Award-winning author and poet Dean Atta launches his debut adult novel, Big Man, with a special evening of readings, conversation, audience questions and book signing at Hackney Central Library.
Big Man follows a middle-aged Black British gay man living in East London with his boyfriend, exploring a life shaped by friendship, memory, identity and the relationships that help create a sense of home.
Behind the everyday routines of his present life lies a more complicated past. The novel looks back to the communities and people who helped shape him, including the influence of chosen family and the spaces in which Black queer people found belonging.
When the past begins to resurface, Big is forced to confront memories he has carried for years and to consider how trauma, love and ageing can alter the way we understand ourselves.
The novel explores what it means to grow older as a Black queer person in Britain while examining friendship, vulnerability, masculinity, family, identity and survival.
Atta is already widely known for his poetry and young adult writing, particularly The Black Flamingo, which has brought his work to readers across the UK and internationally. His writing frequently explores race, heritage, sexuality and belonging through a distinctly contemporary British perspective.
This launch offers readers an opportunity to hear directly from Atta about the development of his first adult novel, the themes behind the story and the transition from poetry and verse fiction into a new form of writing.
During the evening, Atta will read extracts from Big Man, discuss the inspiration behind the book and answer questions from the audience.
Copies of the novel will be available to purchase, followed by a book signing.
The event is free to attend and takes place at Hackney Central Library on Thursday 3rd September 2026 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.
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