At a time when publishers are rejecting LGBTQ+ books and far-right protesters attempt to remove queer stories from libraries, it can help to take note of just how many new queer books are being released. Here is a selection of both recently released and upcoming LGBTQ+ books to have a look at to cosy up with this spring.
A queer scrapbook: Britain and Ireland since 1945
edited by Justin Bengry, Matt Cook, Rebecca Jennings and E-J Scott
This scrapbook presents a collection of queer history across Ireland and the UK since 1945, featuring essays and commentaries from leading LGBTQ+ historians.
It is a collage of photographs, newspaper cuttings, flyers and interviews covering activism, marriage, parenting, sex, socialising, and more
Dan Glass, author, presenter and activist, says of the book that it is “a goldmine for anyone seeking to reinvigorate their hearts, minds and toolkits for activism, harvested from beautiful case studies of queer life and love that have been hidden until now.”
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Wasteland
by Jason Haaf and Scooter LaForge
Wasteland is a queer art novel by Jason Haaf and Scooter LaForge. The book explores queer intimacy, anger, and angst through prose, poetry, painting, and collage.
The authors are both acclaimed New York-based artists. LaForge’s handcrafted clothing has been worn by Madonna, Debbie Harry, and Beyonce to name a few. The publisher is Doable Guys, the homoerotic art collective.
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Invisible Rainbows: The Unseen Universe Beyond Our Senses
by Alfredo Carpineti
Dr Alfredo Carpineti is an astrophysicist, founder of LGBTQ+ STEM and a science writer at IFLScience. Invisible Rainbows explores the universe we cannot see, such as the ultraviolet signals that guide bees.
The book includes conversations with LGBTQ+ scientists and astronomers, contemplating how identity shapes our perception. It is an accessible journey through the light spectrum and the perception of colours, examining how animals see things differently from humans.
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Eva Gore-Booth: Irish radical poet, rebel and reformer Anniversary edition
by Sonja Tiernan
Eva Gore-Booth was an Irish poet, committed suffragist, and activist. She was also the younger, queer sister of Countess Markievicz.
Gore-Booth published nineteen volumes of prose and poetry throughout her life. She was a pioneer in thinking on gender and sexuality, and had a partner, Ester Roper. This release marks one hundred years since the death of Gore-Booth.
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Les Normaux
by Janine Janssen
Les Normaux: Volume 2 was released in January this year, following a hugely successful first volume release. The graphic novel covers falling in queer love, demisexuality, self-discovery, and the pressures and uncertainty current generations feel about their future.
Self-discovery is often a theme for teenagers, but it is shown in Les Normaux among adults, as queer people often experience certain things later in life.
Alice Oseman, author of Heartstopper, said, ‘The world of Les Normaux may be a supernatural one, but at its core are relationships of all kinds that feel so beautifully human’.
If you want to see more queer graphic novels, check out our recent recommendations here.
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Keeper of Stones
by Ger Moane
This queer novel set in ancient Ireland reached the top 10 Irish Times bestsellers list on the week of its launch last October.
The novel imagines a pre-patriarchy and pre-colonial time. It has Newgrange, the winter solstice, threats of climate change and warfare, and queer characters.
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Don Bachardy: An Artist’s Life
by Michael Schreiber
Don Bachardy was a portrait artist and half of America’s most famous gay couple for decades, the other half being writer Christopher Isherwood. His circle included all sorts of Hollywood artists and celebrities.
This biography is drawn from interviews and conversations between Bachardy and Schreiber.
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LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
by Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell
Loving II is all about cultural preservation and quiet resistance through the act of love. Nini and Treadwell have been collecting these photographs for over twenty-five years.
It is a follow-up to Loving and brings even more daguerrotypes, tintypes, photobooth strips and casual snapshots of gay men in love.
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The Sleigh Queens Save Christmas
by Seán Casey
Seán Casey, AKA Pencil Casey, author and illustrator, puts drag queens at the centre of this children’s book. The queens include Connie Fir, Candy Kane, and Snow Ball.
For more children’s book suggestions, look here.
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LGBTQ+ Proud Writing in Wales: A new collection inspired by The Beat of Our Hearts
This new collection shines a light on queer Welsh voices with stories and poems on love, loneliness, identity, and belonging in Welsh communities.
This free anthology is available to read online on Swansea University’s repository.
Queer Georgians
by Anthony Delaney
Queer Georgians is the newest release from Dr Anthony Delaney. It is a work of passion and detailed research that brings to light the hidden and forgotten stories of LGBTQ+ people in a time filled with decadence, art and cultural upheaval.
Among the stories is that of two women from Kilkenny who disappear in the night to start a utopian homestead in Wales, and GCN spoke to the Irish author to find out more.
Delaney shared, “To really delve into queer Kilkenny in the 1770s and 1780s was a proper gift for me and actually quite empowering.”
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Check out our previous book round-up here.
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