Social Sunday
2026-01-25 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-02-08 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London)
On the 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month, the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive is open 2pm–4pm for our informal Social Sundays. Join us for tea, cake and lots of queer book discussion!

There is no need to sign up in advance, you can just turn up.

Social Sundays are a great way to learn more about the archive and chat about your favourite LGBTQ+ books. You can come with friends or on your own – our volunteers will make you feel welcome.

Venue & Accessibility

Social Sunday takes place at the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in Edinburgh Palette. There is information on how to get to us on public transport and by car, along with access information, on our location & accessibility page.

Any other questions

Please email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

The Lavender Drawing Board
2026-02-04 13:00 - 16:00
The Lavender Drawing Board: Co-working for queer creatives

Book a place

Researching, writing and creative freelancing can be a lonely road. The Lavender Menace Drawing Board offers a calm, supportive atmosphere for studying, reading and library-reasonable creative work in the company of fellow queer bees.

Because of the nature of the building, we can’t guarantee silence but we will hold the quietest space we can within the room. There are nooks to break out into if you need to discuss, plan or scheme and adaptable floor-room for bigger (potentially messier) projects.

The final half hour of every session will be a bookable spot for anyone looking for feedback, help or advice on their latest endeavour. Do you need to read through a scene? Test the flow of a piece of writing? Assistance on a funding application? This will be your moment!

BookingWe only have capacity for a limited number of people in the archive, so please book in advance. If you are unable to attend, please let us know so we can offer your place to someone else.

Venue & AccessibilityThe event is located at the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in Edinburgh Palette. There is information on how to get to us on public transport and by car, along with access information, on our location and accessibility page.

Any other questionsPlease email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

Who’s Lore is it Anyway? Queering Scottish Folktales with Elisabeth Flett
2026-02-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, Edinburgh Palette, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH7 6AE
Come along to the archive for a queer folklore-themed writing workshop with Scottish author Elisabeth Flett! Elisabeth’s 2025 novel No Such Thing As Kelpies is an LGBTQ+ modern re-imagining of Scottish fairy tales and folkloric creatures. Together we’ll be learning a few fun facts about Scottish folklore, hearing a couple of extracts from Flett’s book and trying our hands at writing our own queered tales. This will be a relaxed, fun session – no need to have previous experience in writing, just come with something on which to write and a hunger for some tale twisting!

Book a ticket

About the facilitator

Elisabeth Flett (she/they) is an award-winning writer, theatre-maker, musician and general feminist trouble maker. A 2021 graduate of the Elphinstone Institute MLitt course in Scottish Ethnology and Folklore, Flett is fast becoming a well-known figure in the world of queer Scottish folklore with their 2024 solo storytelling show The Selkie’s Wife enjoying particular acclaim. They are passionate about mental health awareness, LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality, themes which often feature in all forms of their work as a creative practitioner.

What to expect

An informal creative workshop in a small-group setting. The workshop lasts for 2 hours with a break in the middle. No experience necessary and no advance preparation needed. We will have material for you to use here.

Booking

Tickets are pay-what-you-can. Booking in advance is essential as places are limited so, if you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer your place to someone else.

Venue & Accessibility

The event is located at the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in Edinburgh Palette. There is information on how to get to us on public transport and by car, along with access information, on our location & accessibility page.

Any other questions

Please email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

Queer Men for Queer Literature
2026-02-08 12:15 - 14:00
A friendly monthly discussion group about gay books and gay writing, for people who enjoy reading and talking about how gay writing has impacted our lives. We meet on the second Sunday of every month and we pick a different theme/topic each time.

In February, we’ll be talking about Queer Nature in honour of Derek Jarman.

You don’t need to prepare anything in advance, but you’re welcome to bring along a text or extract from a piece of published gay writing you feel a connection with.

These sessions are for anyone who identifies as a gay, bi, or queer man and wants to discuss books. Our events are trans-inclusive: trans men, trans mascs, and non-binary folks welcome.

Booking

Book a ticket

Booking in advance is essential as places are limited so, if you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer your place to someone else.

Venue & AccessibilityThe event is located at the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in Edinburgh Palette. There is information on how to get to us on public transport and by car, along with access information, on our location & accessibility page.

Any other questionsPlease email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

Queer Joy
2026-02-15 12:15 - 14:00 | Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, Edinburgh Palette, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH7 6AE
Join us at our monthly Queer Joy book club!

After a break for January, we’re returning in February when we’re reading Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo.

We normally meet on the third Sunday of each month to discuss queer books through a lens of finding joy in LGBTQ+ stories. Queer books are often distressing or tragic, so we started a book club focused on seeking out more uplifting stories. That doesn’t mean we always read lighthearted books, but through our discussions we try to focus on the joyful aspects of living a queer life.

Book a ticket

BookingBooking in advance is essential as places are limited so, if you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer your place to someone else.

Venue & AccessibilityThe event is located at the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in Edinburgh Palette. There is information on how to get to us on public transport and by car, along with access information, on our location & accessibility page.

Any other questionsPlease email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

Lesbian Words
2026-02-15 14:15 - 16:00
Join us for our monthly discussion about lesbian books! We get together on the third Sunday of each month to chat about books and media about lesbians, sapphics, bi and/or queer women.

We usually pick a specific topic to discuss each month, like our favourite book to movie adaptations, controversial books, or lesbian representation throughout history.

The theme for February is Romance – come along and talk about your favourite sapphic romance!

Lesbian Words is open to anyone who wants to talk about lesbian or sapphic books. You don’t have to be a lesbian to join, and the group is trans inclusive: trans women, trans femmes, and non-binary folks welcome.

Booking

Booking in advance is essential as places are limited so, if you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer your place to someone else.

Venue & AccessibilityThe event is located at the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in Edinburgh Palette. There is information on how to get to us on public transport and by car, along with access information, on our location & accessibility page.

Any other questionsPlease email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

Future Drop Outs: co-working group
2026-02-16 13:00 - 16:00
Book now

Future Drop Outs is a co-working group for queer students, researchers, and writers. Join us for a calm, supportive studying session, 1-4pm on the third Monday of the month. What to expect

A relaxed and relatively quiet space to work on your own project in the company of others. Because of the nature of the building, we can’t guarantee silence but we will hold the quietest space we can within the room. We will have basic refreshments (tea, coffee, biscuits) out.

The final half hour of every session will be an informal conversation and people are welcome to share their work if they would like to.

BookingWe only have capacity for a limited number of people in the archive, so please book in advance. If you are unable to attend, please let us know so we can offer your place to someone else.

Venue & AccessibilityThe event is located at the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in Edinburgh Palette. There is information on how to get to us on public transport and by car, along with access information, on our location and accessibility page.

Any other questionsPlease email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

The Museum of Transology in conversation with Richard Sandell
2026-02-18 18:00 - 19:30
Join Lavender Menace and the CILIP LGBTQ+ Network for an online evening discussion about protecting and sharing trans heritage. Curator E-J Scott will be in dialogue with Professor Richard Sandell in an event chaired by historian Elena Fritzsch.

Book a space

About the speakers

E-J Scott is a curator, cultural producer and academic whose practice focuses on enabling communities who may traditionally have been marginalised in museums to recentre their histories via interventive participatory practice. E-J is a Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Culture, Criticism and Curation at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. They founded the Museum of Transology in 2014, now the largest collection of material culture representing trans lives in the world (Bishopsgate Institute, London).

Richard Sandell is Professor of Museum Studies and co-director of the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries at the University of Leicester. He is a co-author of Trans-Inclusive Culture: guidance on advancing trans inclusion for museums, galleries, archives and heritage organisations.

Elena Fritzsch is an historian and a former volunteer archivist at Lavender Menace. She has an MA in History and Politics from the University of Edinburgh and a postgraduate degree in History from Leiden University, where her research focused on gender-affirming healthcare in trans magazines.

Booking

Tickets are free – donations are appreciated but optional. Booking in advance is essential as places are limited so, if you are unable to attend, please cancel your ticket.This event will take place on Zoom. A meeting link will be sent out on the day of the event.

Any other questions

Please email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

Queer Gothic Words
2026-02-22 12:15 - 14:00
A monthly book club focusing on queer gothic writing. Every month we choose a book (or selection of shorter texts) by LGBTQ+ authors, or featuring queer characters/themes to read and discuss together. We alternate between classic and contemporary texts.

For February, we’re reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. We’re also planning to see the new film version and will organise a group cinema trip at our next book club meeting!

Book ticket

Booking

Please book in advance. If you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer your place to someone else.

Venue & AccessibilityThe event is located at the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in Edinburgh Palette. There is information on how to get to us on public transport and by car, along with access information, on our location & accessibility page.

Any other questionsPlease email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

Pub Quiz Fundraiser for Lavender Menace
2026-02-23 19:00 - 23:30
Join us for a pub quiz, raffle and social with Dyke Bar!

Fundraising for non-profits and LGBTQ+ organisations is especially tough right now, and we’d love your support to help us keep the archive doors open.

Lavender Menace volunteers will host a big gay pub quiz, with questions themed around LGBTQ+ books, Edinburgh’s queer scene, and other queer media. We’ll also be running a raffle with amazing prizes from local organisations and artists!

And after the quiz, stick around for Dyke Bar for a pint and a blether. Follow @edinburghdykebar for more info.

How to book/take part

Please book a ticket via Eventbrite. You can donate when you sign up, or you can book a free ticket if you plan to donate on the night:

Book a ticket

You can choose your own donation amount for the pub quiz. Raffle tickets are £1 each or £4 for a strip of 5.

Location & access

This event will be at Leith Depot.

The bar is at ground level with ramps at the main entrance and into the venue. Ramps are also available for access to the stage performance area. An accessible toilet is located within the venue. Find out more on the Leith Depot website: https://leithdepot.com/about-us.html

Donate

If you can’t make the event but you want to support us, you can donate to the archive here:

Support the archive

Donations help us with the costs of book preservation, events, opening hours, staffing and volunteer management. Thank you so much!

Past Shelves: Queer Histories of Reading (Exhibition)
2026-03-05 10:00 - 2026-05-03 17:00 | Museum of Edinburgh, 142-146 Canongate, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH8 8DD, United Kingdom
Join us for the Past Shelves exhibition to explore the impact of LGBTQ+ reading, publishing, and bookselling. The exhibition is inspired by Scotland’s first LGBTQ+ bookshops, community experiences of reading and life in Scotland from 1980-2000.

The Past Shelves exhibition follows on from the Past Shelves oral history project run in 2025-2026 by the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive. The project interviewed dozens of members of the LGBTQ+ community whose lives were shaped by books and reading. You can hear some of these interviews in the exhibition.

Lavender Menace was Scotland’s first gay and lesbian community bookshop. Co-founded by Bob Orr and Sigrid Nielsen, it opened in 1982. After five years of bookselling, the bookshop was reborn as West & Wilde (1987-1997) owned by Bob Orr and Raymond Rose. These spaces were a haven for LGBTQ+ people and sold queer books at a time when mainstream bookshops would not stock them. The bookshops were also important community spaces where LGBTQ+ people could feel welcomed and connect with each other. In 2019, Lavender Menace was revived as Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive.

Discover the world of Lavender Menace and West & Wilde with us, through books, magazines, interviews and more.

Credits

This exhibition was created by Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in partnership with Museums & Galleries Edinburgh. Thank you to our funders, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Awards for All.

Location & access

The exhibition takes place at the Museum of Edinburgh, 142-146 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DD.

The main entrance has 1 step. Due to the historic nature of the building, there is no lift and no ramp and the upper levels are accessible by stairs only.

There is level access from the main entrance to the Foyer section of the exhibition and the accessible toilets.

Some parts of the exhibition are located upstairs, which are accessible by stairs only. Lavender Menace will produce a digital guide of the upper levels of the exhibition in order to make this part of the exhibition more accessible to those who can’t access upstairs.
