Paul Mendez, a British author, is set to release his debut novel this April and has already been praised as a bold new voice in queer fiction.

His semi-autobiographical coming of age story, Rainbow Milk, follows a 19 year old who grapples with his racial and sexual identities against the backdrop of a Jehovah’s Witness upbringing. The book was listed by The Observer as one of its Top 10 Best Debuts for 2020, and was spotlighted by The Financial Times, New Statesmen and The i newpaper in their Books for 2020 lists, with Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo describing Mendez as an ‘exciting, accomplished and daring storyteller’. As well as writing, Mendez, raised in the Black Country, has performed in two theatre companies and worked as a voice actor, most recently recording Ian Wright’s A Life in Football. With the book set for an April release, Mendez is already being praised as an original voice with an urgent narrative.