PITY by Andrew McMillan

The decimated remains of English mining towns have proven fertile ground for interrogations of masculinity and sexuality. Nowhere, it seems, is more “manly” than a coal pit, but put your eye close enough to the shaft (#sorrynotsorry) and it’s not hard (#ibid) to see the fragility of machismo. In his first novel, poet Andrew McMillan takes us to his own hometown, Barnsley in South Yorkshire, once a thriving coal centre, for a story of family, identity and survival in the face of economic collapse.

Middle-aged brothers, Alex and Brian, struggle with a life stripped of purpose since the pit closure. When a team of academics come in to chart the town’s history, Brian begrudgingly joins the project, though has little to offer. Alex, meanwhile, is coming to terms with his own repressed sexuality, equal parts awed and jealous of his son, Simon, a rising star on the drag scene (Thatcher is his schtick) with a side-hustle in online porn. Simon is blossoming, having recently found love with local mall security guy, Ryan.

McMillan juggles their stories with compassion, grace and welcome pops of humour, making for a book that speaks perceptively to both the political moment and the human heart.

Pity by Andrew McMillan
Canongate, 2024
170 pages