Ipswich origin writer publishes book on Queer and Pop music

Ian Wade is a writer for Classic Pop, a bi-monthly music magazine, and has written a lot on pop music and queer culture within it. 

He has now written 1984: The Year Pop Went Queer, backed by publishers Nine Eight Books, that focuses on queer music along with the homophobia at the time.

Mr Wade is going to be hosting a book signing at Dial Lane Books in the town centre this coming Thursday.

Readers can get a glimpse of Mr Wade's book two weeks before it is published, at Dial Lane Books next Thursday. (Image: Nine Eight Books)  

He grew up in Ipswich's Maidenhall estate, studying at Halifax Primary School and Stoke High School.

While in school he got a job at Our Price Records, and through that found his love for music. 

Mr Wade was told that his humour would be better utilised in writing, and so he left Ipswich to pursue journalism at university.

Since then, he has written several articles on music from magazines like NME to even being a freelancer for the East Anglian Daily Times. 

He said: "Ipswich was an interesting place when I was trying to figure out my own sexuality.

"It's not that way anymore, but in the 1980s and 90s it was interesting to discover your sexuality in this town."

Mr Wade said Ipswich was an interesting to discover your sexuality in the 1980s and 90s (Image: Nine Eight Books)

Taking this experience, he wanted to visit the idea of how queer culture and pop music came together. 

 "I was told by someone to look at a specific year, instead of a range of years," he said. 

"Which made it easier for me. And over researching I noticed that the year 1984 kept coming up."

He saw that in the same year Bronski Beat, Queen, Madonna and Prince were all in the peaks of their careers, all of whom have been a part of the queer music movement. 

He said: "It was this mix of really high-energy music, that all came out together."

Focusing on that year, he was able to develop his book, which is set to hit the shelves on Thursday, July 18.

However, keeping true to his Ipswich roots, Mr Wade will be hosting a book signing on July 4 at Dial Lane Books in the town centre, between 6pm and 9pm.

People will have the opportunity to meet him and buy his book two weeks before it is officially released.