Off The Pitch: Award-winning author Patrick Gale on writing, LGBTQ+ history and finding his voice in literature

2026-05-29

Patrick Gale is one of the UK’s most celebrated novelists — and a storyteller whose life has been every bit as fascinating as his work. From early days in a Notting Hill bedsit to life in a crumbling French château, Patrick Gale has lived a rich and unconventional life — working as a singing waiter, typist and ghost-writer before establishing himself as a leading literary voice. By the late 1980s, Patrick had published his first novels and made the move to Cornwall — a place that continues to inspire his writing to this day. His work...

Patrick Gale is one of the UK’s most celebrated novelists — and a storyteller whose life has been every bit as fascinating as his work.

From early days in a Notting Hill bedsit to life in a crumbling French château, Patrick Gale has lived a rich and unconventional life — working as a singing waiter, typist and ghost-writer before establishing himself as a leading literary voice.

By the late 1980s, Patrick had published his first novels and made the move to Cornwall — a place that continues to inspire his writing to this day. His work includes multiple acclaimed books and the Emmy Award-winning screenplay for Man in an Orange Shirt, a powerful exploration of LGBTQ+ lives across generations.

In this captivating conversation on The Jack Murley Sports Show, we talk about: