The Naked Civil Servant

By: Quentin Crisp, Michael Holroyd - preface

Narrated by: Christian Coulson

A comical and poignant memoir of a gay man living life as he pleased in the 1930s

In 1931, gay liberation was not a movement—it was simply unthinkable. But in that year, Quentin Crisp made the courageous decision to "come out" as a homosexual. This exhibitionist with the henna-dyed hair was harrassed, ridiculed and beaten. Nevertheless, he claimed his right to be himself—whatever the consequences. The Naked Civil Servant is both a comic masterpiece and a unique testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

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Critic reviews

“This is a book that has fallen out of our consciousness and I think it could help many people today. It is best known for its sharp humour as Crisp charts his emancipation from a dull suburban childhood and begins his journey to become his authentic queer self. . . . In this time of continued hostility towards trans people, I really appreciate the enormous bravery it took for Crisp to be himself. What enormous courage to be gender nonconforming in 1930s Britain in the face of such mockery and loathing.” —Booker Prize–winning author of Shuggie Bain, Douglas Stuart, in The Observer (London)

The humor and honesty

I liked his honesty and determination to be himself despite the cruel world around him. He never lost himself or his humor.