Wild Dances: William Lee Adams in conversation with Deban Aderemi at LUSH Liverpool book signing

Please join us on the afternoon of May 9 — from 15:00 to 17:00 — as we celebrate the release of “Wild Dances: My Queer and Curious Journey to Eurovision”. Our founder and editor William Lee Adams will be discussing his new book with fellow blogger Deban Aderemi. They’ll get up-close and personal, as only good friends can, as they discuss the writing process and the emotional backstory that led William to Eurovision. They’ll also touch on some of the moments, both good and bad, that they’ve shared together working on our blog and YouTube channel.

The event will take place on the third floor of LUSH Liverpool — the largest LUSH store in the world — as part of our two-week LUSH Liverpool Lounge residency. 

The kind folks at Waterstones Liverpool will be on-hand selling copies of the book, which William will sign after the discussion. 

“If I’m going to open old wounds, I’m glad I can do it with Deban,” William says of his choice of interviewer. “He also features in the book at certain points, so it just feels so right. We’ve shared so much together — and now I’m ready to share the parts of me less seen.”

Although Eurovision is the destination of the book — and filled with insights from more than a decade reporting from the frontlines of euro-pop — its themes are broader and more universal. Kirkus Reviews, which is considered the most trusted voice in book discovery in the United States, recently described Wild Dances as, “a revealing memoir about surviving childhood trauma to embrace the prismatic rainbow of chosen family.” 

The book is very much a memoir — told in the first-person — and not a compendium of facts or historical events. Through the storytelling it complicates the notion of a “Eurovision fan,” a term mainstream media so often use as a slur and a way to reduce someone to a caricature. The book unpacks the complicated often traumatic routes people take to fandoms in general and to Eurovision in particular, exploring how our passions and interests shape us, but also how they become an outlet for needs far deeper and more complex than people may assume.  

Can’t make it to Liverpool? Well you can still pre-order the book from most retailers and at the selected links below.

🇬🇧 Waterstones

🇮🇪 / 🇦🇺 / 🇳🇿 Blackwells (Free shipping to Australia, Ireland and New Zealand)

🇺🇸 Bookshop.org

🇺🇸 Barnes & Noble

🇺🇸 Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

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PRAISE FOR WILD DANCES

“Wild Dances is a pitch-perfect piece of autobiographical storytelling, a love song to the inspirational power of pop and the enduring resilience of queer kids with big dreams. William Lee Adams, already known to the world in his scintillating Eurovision commentator persona, proves to possess a rare talent as a writer. Effortlessly blending piercing emotion with tongue-in-cheek humor and a strong grasp of political context, Wild Dances is sure to captivate readers who seek a story with both style and substance.”
—Kai Cheng Thom, author of Falling Back In Love With Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls

“An amazing true story more fascinating than fiction. Adams works through problems most of us couldn’t even imagine—all the while, he’s grappling with being gay in a world where his identity subjects him to abuse. Adams used reading as his refuge from despair. With a scholarship to Harvard and an unlimited imagination, he fights his way to the top by turning a hobby into a hugely successful career. But like all of us from difficult backgrounds, Adams is constantly plagued with family issues. How he handles his life’s outrageous challenges—with dignity and courage—will lift your heart. A courageous story well told.”
—David Crow, author of The Pale-Faced Lie

“Wild Dances is an unlikely whirlwind: a globe-trotting memoir about a biracial queerdo from Atlanta who somehow becomes the world’s foremost expert on Eurovision—the bedazzled talent show that launched the careers of Celine Dion, ABBA, and Olivia Newton-John. Wild Dances is also about death and grief. Which isn’t the thematic pairing one might expect. But nothing about William Lee Adams’s heartfelt journey is predictable. Your heart WILL go on!”
—Mickey Rapkin, author of Pitch Perfect

“Adams is an outspoken and humorous narrator . . . Fans have come to know and love [him] for his informative, dishy Eurovision commentary on everything from vocal tone to sartorial missteps; with this book, he is certain to increase his fan base.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Extremely well written and always interesting, Adams’ memoir ends with a touching affirmation of his love for John.”
—Michael Cart, Booklist

 

 

 

 

 

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