Neon Roses

SHORTLISTED FOR THE POLARI PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE BETTY TRASK PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 'A BIG-HEARTED STORY ABOUT FINDING YOUR FEET AND FOLLOWING YOUR HEART' SARAH WATERS 'JOYFULLY QUEER, FILTHY AND FUN' CHLOE TIMMS 'A HUG AND A SNOG OF A BOOK' SO MAYER Eluned Hughes is stuck. It's 1984 in a valley in south Wales: the miners' strike is ravaging her community; her sister's swanned off with a Thatcherite policeman; and her boyfriend Lloyd keeps bringing up marriage. And if they play '99 Red Balloons' on the radio one more time, she might just lose her mind. Then the fundraising group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners comes down from London, and she meets June, a snaggle-toothed blonde in a too-big leather jacket. Suddenly, Eluned isn't stuck any more - she's in freefall. June's an artist and an activist. With June, Eluned can imagine a completely different life for herself. But as her family struggles with the strike, and her relationship with her sister deteriorates, should she really leave it all behind? From the Valleys to the nightclubs of Cardiff, London and Manchester, NEON ROSES is a heartwarming, funny and a little bit filthy queer coming-of-age story with a cracking '80s soundtrack.

Rachel Dawson is a lesbian, working-class Welsh writer. In 2020, she was awarded a bursary by Literature Wales, which enabled her to write her debut novel, Neon Roses. She was born in Swansea and has done a variety of jobs, including selling sausage rolls and vibrators (not at the same time), and volunteering for an MP. She now works in the third sector and lives with her wife in Cardiff.