Before smartphones. Before social media. There was the Hordern Pavilion.
A closeted teenager ventured from suburban Sydney and into a world of underground raves, Oxford Street nights, first love, addiction, self-discovery, and having the guts to come out.
Norman Fox’s books tell the true stories of growing up gay in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs during the 1980s and 1990s, capturing a vanished era through honest, raw and unforgettable storytelling. These aren’t stories about celebrities or famous moments. They’re stories about ordinary young people searching for somewhere to belong.
For readers who loved Puberty Blues, Heartstopper, Boy Swallows Universe, Holding The Man and the television series Skins. Norman Fox’s books Finding Ecstasy and Bad Boyfriend are for you.
Reviews.
“Compulsively readable.” “Skins, but make it Australian.” “Like reliving my youth.” “A vivid return to Oxford Street’s Golden Mile.” “A realistic view of a real gay life.”
Finding Ecstasy — Tenth Anniversary Edition
Sydney. The late 1980s.While his classmates worry about school, one teenager is navigating a hidden life of late-night dance parties, dangerous choices and a desperate search for connection. Funny, confronting and deeply human, Finding Ecstasy captures the highs, lows and hard-won lessons of growing up different in an era when being yourself came at a cost. Finding Ecstasy is being adapted for film. Coming soon.
Bad Boyfriend —A true story of 90s club kids.
We all have one relationship that changes everything. Following the events of Finding Ecstasy, Norman Fox’s journey takes a darker turn as passion gives way to obsession, manipulation and emotional turmoil. Amid the energy and excess of Sydney’s underground nightlife, he must confront difficult truths about love, identity and the choices that shape a life. A gripping memoir of heartbreak, endurance and survival, Bad Boyfriend shines a light on a world rarely documented and impossible to forget.
About Norman Fox
Norman Fox’s books can be found at The State Library NSW, City of Sydney Library, Woollahra Library, the Australian National Queer Archives and at any good bookstore.
Norman Fox writes nostalgic stories inspired by Sydney’s LGBTQ+ history, nightlife and culture. His work explores the lives of young people finding their place in the world, preserving a unique chapter of Australian social history through compelling, accessible storytelling.
His third, currently untitled book is in production.
