As part of our regular events programme, Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive runs a variety of different book clubs and reading groups!
We currently have four groups which meet monthly, and we also run limited four-week discussion groups focusing on particular topics.
Our current reading groups are:
Queer Men for Queer Literature
A friendly monthly discussion group about gay books and gay writing. Participants do not need to prepare anything in advance, but are welcome to bring along a text or extract from a piece of published gay writing they feel a connection with.
When: Second Sunday each month, 12:15pm-2pm
How to book: Book a ticket via our events page.
Queer Joy
A monthly book club where every month we choose a book (or selection of shorter texts) to read and discuss together. Recent examples include Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters and Lovesong to Lavender Menace by James Ley.
When: Third Sunday each month, 12noon-2pm
How to join: Email themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk to join
Lesbian Words
An informal monthly discussion group where the group picks a specific theme to discuss each month. For example, we’ve discussed controversial books, topics which feel lesbian but arent (e.g. “the inherent lesbianism of lichen”), and how writing helps us survive.
When: The third Sunday each month, 2:15pm-4:15pm
How to book: Book a ticket via our events page.
Queer Gothic
A monthly book club where every month we choose a book (or selection of shorter texts) to read and discuss together. We alternate between classic and contemporary texts. Recent reads include Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, and A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson.
When: Fourth Sunday each month, 12:15pm-2pm
How to join: Email themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk to join.
New group: Abolition and Liberation Study Group with Nat Raha
This reading group will read and discuss a mix of essays and books on abolition. We will look at recent texts addressing these issues from feminist, queer and trans perspectives. We will focus on thinking about the intersections of gender, sexuality and race with carceral systems, along with ‘deviant’, wayward, and collective approaches to resistance and to supporting people affected by such systems. There will be four meetings over four weeks.
When: Weekly on Tuesdays. 11th, 18th, 25th June & 2nd July, 6pm-8pm.
How to book: Book a ticket via our events page.