Mikey Walsh

Mikey Walsh
Born 1980
Language English
Nationality British
Ethnicity Romany Gypsy
Website
mikeywalsh.co.uk

Mikey Walsh (Born 22 September 1980) is a British writer, columnist, and LGBT activist, best known for his series of autobiographical books.

Biography

Walsh was brought up to be a bare-knuckle fighter in the Romany Gypsy community, but being gay, he was forced to leave his family and culture in 1996.[1]

Walsh suffers from social anxiety disorder, and is known to avoid public appearances and interviews because of it.[2][3][4] His last public interview was in 2012, for BBC Radio 4's The Choice [5] with Michael Buerk, in which he spoke about his life and what brought him to have to leave his culture.[6][7][8]

In 2014 and 2015, Walsh was added to the The Independent's Rainbow List of the most influential British LGBT people.[9] [10]

Books

Gypsy Boy (2010),[11][12][13][14]Walsh's debut autobiography and UK bestseller.[15] Published by Hodder & Stoughton UK and St. Martin's Press USA.

Gypsy Boy: On the Run (2011) [16][17][18] Walsh's second autobiography and sequel to Gypsy Boy, also a UK bestseller.[19] Published by Hodder & Stoughton UK and St. Martin's Press USA.

The audiobooks for both titles were read by Walsh himself, and published by Audible.com.

Film

The movie adaptation of Walsh's first book, Gypsy Boy, is currently in development,[20][21] produced by BBC Films, Bowery and Bond Films and screenplay adapted by James Graham.[22][23]

LGBT

Walsh was filmed for the first time to share his coming out story for The Albert Kennedy Trust's winter appeal.[24][25][26]

Walsh has been featured in Attitude's [27] "Gay Role Models" issue,[28] and writes a regular guest column for Gay Times.[29][30][31][32][33][34]

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Andrew (30 June 2011). "Author, Mikey Walsh 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding was shocking'." (Print and Online). Metro. DMG Media. Retrieved 31 March 2015. It’s because the story is more important than the author. For people to know who I am now would be a bit weird.
  2. ↑ Matt, Cain (14 October 2010). "Gypsy life Making its mark on the arts scene" (Television & Online news). 4 News (Channel 4). Retrieved 3 April 2015. the other level on which the book can be read that has caused controversy within the Gypsy community and led to the author wishing to keep his true identity a secret.
  3. ↑ "'Gypsy Boy' Mikey Walsh is proud to be a gypsy, but can never return to his old life" (Print And Online). Mirror.co.uk. The Daily Mirror. 11 October 2011. p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2015. Mikey Walsh is a handsome young man, but for more than a decade he’s known it would be too dangerous for him to have his photograph taken
  4. ↑ Scott, Darren (26 September 2011). "Meeting Mikey Walsh is a strange thing". Gay Times Magazine (Print) (397) (Millivres Prowler LTD). pp. 41–42. I wanted to be Skeletor when i was a kid
  5. ↑ Walsh, Mikey. "THE CHOICE With Michael Buerk - Mikey Walsh, Gypsy Boy". BBC iPlayer.
  6. ↑ "Pick of the Week: The Choice". Radio Times (21–27 May 2011). 21 May 2011. p. 162. Mikey Walsh talks to Michael Buerk about his agonising decision to leave his gypsy community and family behind to face an alien world with no education or support, knowing he would never be able to return.
  7. ↑ Jameson, Greg (18 July 2011). "Mikey Walsh, Gypsy Boy On the Run: Part 3- The Choice" (Online). Entertainment Focus. Little Pip Media. Retrieved 3 April 2015. I looked up and there were tears, tears, tears from me, and everyone in the studio. They were all silent! So I had to come up with something or stop the interview
  8. ↑ "Listen: The Choice BBC Radio 4" (Print). The Evening Standard. 24 May 2011. p. Listings. Retrieved 3 April 2015. Prepare to sob. Mikey Walsh explains his painful decision to turn his back on his Gypsy community in the first of a new series of The Choice
  9. ↑ "The Independent: The Rainbow List". The Independent On Sunday (Independent Press LTD). 9 November 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "The Independent: The Rainbow List 2015". Independent Press LTD. The Independent On Sunday. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Atkinson, Laura (6 June 2010). "Gypsy Boy: a Traveller's Tale". Culture: Sunday times (Times Newspapers LTD.). Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  12. ↑ Crummy, Colin (1 November 2009). "Gypsy King:". Attitude Magazine (Attitude Media LTD). 'Attitude talks to Mikey Walsh, Author of the harrowing memoir, Gypsy Boy
  13. ↑ "Harry Styles Turns Bookworm As He Snuggles Up With 'Gypsy Boy'". OMG! (Yahoo news Network). 7 June 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Garner, Dwight (16 February 2012). "Gypsy Boy: Fighters and Lovers, All Misunderstood". THE NEW YORK TIMES. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "Sunday Times Bestseller List- Number One: Gypsy Boy, by Mikey Walsh". The Sunday Times. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2015. 'Bittersweet memoir of a man born into a Romany family'
  16. ↑ Hoare, Jo (2 June 2012). "Heat's Top Ten Books: Number ONE- Gypsy Boy II: On The Run". HEAT Magazine (Print) (2867) (Bauer Media Group). 'So intense, you might miss your bus stop'.
  17. ↑ "Interview: Mikey Walsh: Gypsy Boy On The Run, Author" (Print and Online). The Scotsman. Johnston Press. 17 July 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2015. Mikey doesn't see his life story as tragic
  18. ↑ Jameson, Greg (16 July 2011). "Gypsy Boy On The Run Interview: pt 1". Entertainment Focus. Little Pip Digital. Retrieved 31 March 2015. EF speak to bestselling author Mikey Walsh about his incredible childhood memoirs
  19. ↑ "HOT LIST: No 3 - Gypsy Boy on the Run". Heat Magazine (Bauer Media Group). 28 June 2011.
  20. ↑ "Gypsy Boy: Movie". IMDB. IMDB. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  21. ↑ "A Plus One's Guide to the red carpet" (Print and Online). Tatler. Condé Nast. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2015. Gypsy Boy, by Mikey Walsh. It's an 80s gay coming-of-age story...
  22. ↑ Cavendish, Dominic (13 December 2012). "James Graham interview: a Right honorable playwright at 30" (Print and Online). The Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group). Retrieved 3 April 2015. James is now adapting the best-selling memoir Gypsy Boy for BBC Films
  23. ↑ "James Graham IMDB: Gypsy Boy". IMDB. Retrieved 3 April 2015. James Graham is a writer, known for X+Y (2014), Caught in a Trap (2008) and Gypsy Boy.
  24. ↑ Butterworth, Benjamin (3 December 2014). "Duncan James, Mikey Walsh and Celebs discuss Coming Out". Gay Times Magazine. Gay Times Magazine. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  25. ↑ "Mikey Walsh Tells AKT about his coming out Experiences". Youtube.Com/AlbertKennedyTrust. The Albert Kennedy Trust. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  26. ↑ Powell, Emma (4 December 2014). "Celebrities Discuss Coming out for The Albert Kennedy Trust". London Evening Standard. Alaxander & Evgeny Lebedev. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  27. ↑ "A Gypsy Wanders- Mikey Walsh talks about the phenomenal follow up to his first". Attitude Magazine (207). August 2011. p. 32. 'You can't change what's in your blood. i am a gypsy man. and i am gay'.
  28. ↑ "The Role Models". Attitude Magazine (Print) (The Role Models Issue (with Stephen Fry)) (Attitude Media LTD). November 2010.
  29. ↑ Walsh, Mikey (26 October 2014). "No such thing as Gay Gypsies?". Gay Times Magazine (439) (Millivres Prowler LTD). p. 22.
  30. ↑ Walsh, Mikey (26 November 2014). "Goodbye Castle Grayskull". Gay Times Magazine (440) (Millivres Prowler LTD). p. 16.
  31. ↑ Walsh, Mikey (26 January 2015). "It's not you, Some people are Just C***s". Gay Times Magazine (441) (Millivres Prowler LTD). p. 16.
  32. ↑ Walsh, Mikey (26 February 2015). "The Selfies, the gym, the need for validation". Gay Times Magazine (442) (Millivres Prowler LTD). p. 17.
  33. ↑ Walsh, Mikey (26 March 2015). "Born Gay". Gay Times Magazine (443) (Millivres Prowler LTD). p. 16. 'To know adversity, to fight it, and win. that makes you the strongest people in the world'.
  34. ↑ Walsh, Mikey (26 August 2014). "Kate Bush: Before the Dawn Opening Night Review". Gay Times Magazine. Millivres Prowler LTD. Retrieved 31 March 2015. 'Did that just happen?'

External links

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