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The gay influences and subculture of Doctor Who are explored in a revealing new history of the series by Patrick Mulkern, coming on May 25 from Ten Acre Books.

Ten Acre Books is pleased to announce the publication of a new history of Doctor Who, examining the programme from a queer perspective for the first time. You Are Not Alone: A Gay History of Doctor Who delves into the show’s diverse queer influences, while  shining new light on the life stories of its many gay cast and creatives.

Part social history, part biographical anthology, You Are Not Alone charts Doctor Who’s gay subculture — on and off-screen — alongside the evolving landscape of the British TV and theatre industry over the past seven decades.

Doctor Who has always spoken to outsiders — and to those who might be gay or exploring their sexuality. In turn, the  show’s core message of unity, companionship and empathy  has provided an embracing community for queer fans.

But how gay is Doctor Who itself? Does it have a queer gene? You Are Not Alone explores how such themes often simmered beneath the show’s surface, and profiles the key personnel who happened to be gay, whose talents have enriched the programme’s history. The Doctor’s adventures often reflected the times in which they were made — from the repressive days before the reforms of the late 1960s, when homosexual acts were a crime; to the Gay Liberation movement of the 1970s and the shadow of AIDS and  Section 28 in the 1980s; and ultimately to the more progressive climate of today.

Among those discussing these themes are director Waris Hussein and Radiophonic Workshop pioneer Brian Hodgson; actors Sophie Aldred, Mandip Gill, Matt Lucas, Katy Manning, Matthew Waterhouse and Anneke Wills; playwrights Rona Munro and Stephen Wyatt; and Jan Vincent-Rudzki, founder of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society. All three showrunners from the modern era — Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall — explain how queer elements emerged from the subtext to enhance the unfolding story of Doctor Who.

Click here to pre-order