Lifting Off

An absorbing and often hilarious account of the author's 12 years as closeted cabin crew for British Airways. It's a story of love, creativity and acceptance, the transformative power of lesbian love and more. Told with the wit and verve that characterised her debut novel, Karen's memoir of flying as cabin crew offers a fascinating insight into the profound impact of long-haul life. Having come out as a lesbian she is forced to go back in as colleagues advise her that it is not ok to be gay, unlike male cabin crew. Brimming with vertiginous loops and extreme globe-trotting, against a backdrop of exotic locations, hotel bars and nightclubs, Karen slowly unravels as the inability to truly be herself reverberates. This is the story of how Karen finally came into land. How she learned to look after herself and discovered her true strength.

Karen McLeod is a writer, performance artist and creative writing teacher. She is writer in residence at Bookseller Crow on the Hill. She is also a visiting lecturer in creative writing at UCAS. She performs comedy as Barbara Brownskirt, a Judi Dench mega-fan and poet-in-residence at the 197 bus stop on the Croydon Road in south-east London.