Canongate bags Shaw's 'celebration' of bisexuality

Canongate has acquired Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality, a "demystifying" and "humanising" insight into bisexuality by Dr Julia Shaw.

Simon Thorogood, editorial director at Canongate, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to the non-fiction work from Kirsty McLachlan at Morgan Green Creatives. Canongate will publish in hardback in June 2022.

In Bi, Shaw explores how people have defined and measured bisexuality over the past 150 years, and sets out the important role it has played in the fight for queer rights. The synopsis explains: "She takes us into the animal kingdom, and showcases the ubiquity of behavioural bisexuality in animals, and looks for a bi gene. She asks why so few bisexual people are out, and examines the adverse mental and physical health consequences of this. 

"She questions societal reactions to bisexuality (Are bi people more promiscuous? No) and questions about bisexual relationship structures (How does bisexuality and non-monogamy intersect?). She comes to understand the devastating reality of criminalisation and human rights abuses that so many bisexual people around the world face, and how we can use our anger to fuel a bisexual revolution. And, along the way she introduces bi activists and scholars whom everyone should know. With academic rigor, personal anecdotes and lighthearted playfulness, the reader is encouraged to consider the complexity and beauty of sexuality, whatever their own sexuality is. It is a celebration of visibility for bi+ people and their loved ones, and a handbook on how to re-think sexuality for all."

Shaw is a psychological scientist at University College London, and part of Queer Politics at Princeton University, which works for LGBT+ equality, democracy and civil rights. She is currently completing her MA in queer history, and is the founder of the international Bisexual Research Group. Dr Shaw also has a hit BBC podcast, "Bad People", where together with her co-host Sofie Hagen, she uses research to examine some of society’s most pressing issues. Shaw is the author of The Memory Illusion (Random House), which was published in 20 languages, and Making Evil (Canongate), which has been translated into 10 languages.

She said of her new book: “It is shamefully difficult to learn about bisexuality. With this book I want to change that. I want to empower people to learn about bi history, culture and the research that is being done on bi lives. Many people will at some point in their lives be attracted to people of more than one gender. Such experiences can be exhilarating and beautiful, but also confusing and isolating. This book enables a far-reaching and evidence-driven exploration of sexuality that can help to make us all feel more connected and open our hearts to the possibility of love beyond gender.”

Thorogood said: "Bisexuality has often been misunderstood or misrepresented, Julia Shaw sets out to take a look at the history, culture and science of bisexuality, and in so doing she demystifies, humanises and celebrates the multitude of bisexual reality."