A debut novel that explores themes of queer love, friendship and the chaos of your 20s in Manchester releases this month.
Hailed as ‘a hilarious, down-to-earth, heartwarmingly honest celebration of queerness in the north’ by Bonnie Woods (Kindling), Cal Speet’s Spiralling follows twenty-something Gabriel who, reeling in the wake of a messy break-up with his ex-boyfriend and an abrupt sacking, spirals into a vortex of despair and self-pity.
Thankfully, his best friends Tasha and Evie are on hand to drag him back to reality, to work, to dating, and to remind him how exciting his life can be. But as he emerges, he suddenly faces a series of new problems, from Grindr small talk and Post Office meet-cutes to Tasha’s oddly obstructive boyfriend.
Set against the backdrop of the ever-changing Mancunian skyline, Spiralling offers a searing, sparkling exploration of queerness and navigating the expectations of having it together when you’re still finding yourself.
Spiralling is published by HarperCollins and is released in paperback on Thu 31 Jul, priced at just £9.99. Pre-order your copy HERE. Cal Speet will also be part of a special in-conversation evening alongside author John Patrick McHugh at Blackwell’s Bookshop on Wed 13 Aug. Book your spot for that HERE.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Tue 22 Jul 2025
