A fierce, poignant and highly original memoir about sexuality, shame and the lure of the trees

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 WAINWRIGHT BOOK PRIZE
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2019 POLARI FIRST BOOK AWARD

'This is a book to get lost in . . . A disturbing trauma narrative, it's also a work of delightfully low, pants-dropping comedy, and a learned meditation' Guardian

'A brave and beautiful book, electrifying on sex and nature, religion and love. No one is writing quite like this' Olivia Laing

'Turns the nature memoir genre upon its head . . . is a book full of poetry and pathos. More than anything it is a bold and beautiful study of how to be a true modern man' Ben Myers, Spectator

At a crossroads in his life, the demons Luke Turner has been battling since childhood are quick to return - depression and guilt surrounding his identity as a bisexual man, experiences of sexual abuse, and the religious upbringing that was the cause of so much confusion. It is among the trees of London's Epping Forest where he seeks refuge. Away from a society that struggles to cope with the complexities of masculinity and sexuality, Luke begins to accept the duality that has provoked so much unrest in his life - and reconcile the expectations of others with his own way of being.

Sparkling with sexual energy and intelligence, OUT OF THE WOODS is both a timely reminder of the dangers of concealment and suppression, and a powerful testament to the redemptive power of - lovingly, determinedly - making what was hidden known