scuffle, but who is later in the novel revealed to be still alive. James Brook, a friend of William's; a doctor in General Practice. Bill, a man at the Corry, in muscular middle age, he knows Nantwich from jail. Ronald Staines, a photographer. Phil, the second of William's boyfriends in the book, met at the Corry. He lives in the dingy staff quarters of a famous hotel and likes to read. Sir Denis Beckwith, 1st Viscount Beckwith, Will's grandfather, hugely successful as public prosecutor and elevated to the peerage for public service. Rupert Croft-Parker, a.k.a. Roops, William's young nephew, 6 years old. Philippa Croft-Parker, William's sister; a stay-at-home mum. Gavin Croft-Parker, Philippa's husband; an archaeologist. Colin, a gay policeman who arrests James; William has had sex with him before. Gabriel, a gay Argentine who is obsessed with porn. Major themes The novel is pervaded with references to Ronald Firbank, up until the very last page. Homophobia is addressed in many forms, namely through getting arrested by the police (Nantwich; Bill; James) and gay-bashing (William and the skinheads). Through Nantwich's diary, the novel is also concerned with the lives of gay men before the gay liberation movement, both in London and in the colonies of the British Empire. References to other works Many of Ronald Firbank's books are mentioned – The Flower Beneath the Foot, Valmouth, Caprice, Vainglory, Inclinations, among other ones. Reception The Swimming-Pool Library won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1988, and the E. M. Forster Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1989. In 1988, Edmund White called it, "surely the best book about gay life yet written by an English author." Awards 1989 American Academy of Arts and Letters E.M. Forster Award 1988 Somerset Maugham Award Historical references The Falklands War is mentioned by Gabriel, the porn-obsessed gay Argentine. Footnotes 1988 British novels Novels by Alan Hollinghurst Fiction set in 1983 Novels set in London Novels with gay themes Stonewall Book Award-winning works Chatto & Windus books Lambda Literary Award-winning works 1980s LGBT novels 1988 debut novels