A young man leaves his provincial home for London and becomes captivated by a Caravaggio painting in the National Gallery. An encounter there opens his eyes to possibilities beyond his working-class roots.

With Anil, Philip finds friendship and deepening love amid the racism, class barriers, and constraints of queer life in 1980s Britain. But, when Anil begins to consider transitioning, they travel to India together. There they face the complexities of family, belonging, and changing relationships.

Boy Bitten by a Lizard is a multi-layered story of self-discovery and survival in a world that never quite sees you as you are.

Jeremy Seabrook (1939-1924) was the author of 51 non-fiction books published between 1967 and 2024, as well as dozens of articles for UK and Indian newspapers. He also wrote plays for radio, TV, theatre and film. He was described by Richard Gott in The Guardian as 'one of England's most imaginative and creative writers, with a preacher's talent for prophecy and a capacity for righteous indignation reminiscent of George Orwell'. He was an early activist in the Gay Liberation movement and has written extensively on sexuality, gender, politics, and social justice in the UK and India, as well as wider environment and development issues. 'Boy Bitten by a Lizard', published posthumously, is his only work of fiction.