Life as a Unicorn

I find a great affinity with unicorns. They are the ultimate outsiders, destined to gallop alone. They share the body of a horse and are similar in form, but are a different nature, almost able to belong in an equine herd, but utterly conspicuous and irrefutably other.

This just might be one of the hidden gems of 2020. Dont be fooled by the campy title or gorgeous cover that this is a light bawdy romp through the world of drag. Instead Amrou Al-Kahdi tells of a childhood in a strict Iraqi household, where hints of his burgeoning sexuality were systematically squashed and denied existence. A perfectionist by nature they write that, as a queer person, it is mathematical certainty that you will be hit with a feeling that you have failed-by your family, your God or your society -and the crack in your being that this causes, however big or small, can bring with it a drive for external markers of success that might somehow repair it.

As a teen they find solace in marine biology which they find has similar parallels to the non binary definition they identify with, a beautiful section in the book. School at Eaton and University at Cambridge pushes them harder to excel while feeling rejected regularly because of race, gender, and sexuality.

They finally find their home in drag, and the formation of a group called Denim, where they are constantly challenged by the clashing duality of the larger than life persona on stage and the struggling human off who looks for a connection beyond just sex with men who hold racist views and are obsessed with masculine ideals, pervasive in the gay community

Al-Kadhi is frank, hilariously funny, exceedingly witty, and intimidatingly intelligent, their fascination with Quantum Physics and Mechanics enough to make my brain scramble.
Their honesty, vulnerability and triumphs, both personal and professional, make this a stand out book this year.

This book is a total roller coaster and I loved it. The parts at Eton and Cambridge were like Harry Potter on crack but with sequins and more sex scenes. Read it in a night and told all my friends to buy it.

I heard someone say this was the best book they had ever read so I was curious. I enjoy memoirs but am not Muslim, gay or male and had not heard of the author so was curious to see if I can engage with the narrative.
Amrou hooked me from the first page with the description of an Edinburgh show – I could see the condensation and imagine the torment of seeing the Muslim women in the front row. I could also imagine myself in the audience with no realisation that anything was wrong with the performer, just enjoying the show.
The authors intelligence shines through his writing with well thought through words and expressive descriptions.
The whole book is open and honest with Amrou working very hard to get the reader to understand the issues being tackled every day. I had nothing but admiration for the way that Amrou has addressed his problems all the way through their life.
I learnt a lot from this book and it made me think very deeply about the conflict between different cultures. There is some very deep analysis here but it is all done with a light touch that makes the book easy and pleasant to read.
There were some gaps that I found hard to be justified, the main one being the limited mention of the author’s twin brother. The relationship seems generally to be good so it felt that Amrou seemed to shy away from mentioning those that had effected him positively.
Throughout most of the book there is a high level of drama and angst and I soaked it up – so much so that when the author begins to level out towards the end of the book, my interest waned a little (maybe I hadn’t invested in him as much as I had thought?).
The book did make me think about cultural pressures that are placed on so many, how people challenge them and the effect of that on everyone around them. There is also never any doubt that there is a real person at the middle of this book.

And what is acting besides a sublimation of childhood trauma in order to get an agent? It is in such hilarious and outrageous yet pithily insightful lines that Amrou Al-Kadhis fabulous book Unicorn: The Memoir of a Muslim Drag Queen makes its case for being that rare mix of funny, relatable and honest which is at the core of most good autobiographical writing. In truth Amrous book is actually kind of unfair in how good it is; a talented drag queen has no need to have written one of the best books of the year but okay, fine. From their tumultuous childhood, Amrou holds their readers hands with sincere care and attention, leading from those aforementioned traumas to the triumph represented by their drag act, Glamrou. It is clear to see how young Amrou is set at odds with the Islamic faith as well as family structure and expectation, how this inevitably leads to a personal crisis and the need for healing, and how it is possible, even in a world that seems much of the time to be unforgiving, to get past what has happened and to make peace, to reconcile faith and family and perceptions of failure with the pursuit of living ones life truly, openly and with conviction, on their own terms and without compromising on goodness and a fundamental belief in hope and the beauty of the world. It means so much as a queer person constantly reckoning with trauma and uncertainty to read such an honest and brutally funny account of personal and artistic triumph arising from such formative pain. Thank you Amrou (and Glamrou) for your story, for a book that will redefine life for so many, through laughter and glittering tears.

I enjoy memoirs and I certainly enjoyed reading this one. I had never heard of the author and was intrigued to read it because of its subject matter. I thought it was a very personal read that moved me. It was written in an engaging way and captures the homophobia that goes on still in modern Britain. It was fun to read as well because it is told in such a flamboyant way.

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