Lavender Menace

Sapphic Spaces: In conversation with June Thomas
2025-10-02 19:00 - 20:30 (Europe/London) | Epworth Hall, 25 Nicolson Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9BX, United Kingdom
Join Wuthering Dykes Book Club and Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive for an evening with the lesbian legend June Thomas, author of A Place of Our Own. June will be in conversation with Sigrid Nielsen, co-founder of both Scotland’s first LGBT+ bookshop and Lavender Menace, and Sophie Haynes, who runs Wuthering Dykes.

The event is free. Just click here to book a ticket through Eventbrite:

Book ticket

About the speakers:

June Thomas is a journalist, podcaster, and the author of A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture. She spent 25 years as a writer, editor, and podcast host at Slate.com, and her freelance work has appeared in Bloomberg Businessweek, Marie Clarie, the New York Times’ T magazine, the Washington Post, and the Advocate. She is now working on a biography of Rita Mae Brown.

Photo: Rachel Hein. [A photograph of June smiling outside a bookshop with stylish round glasses and a purple jumper]

Sigrid Nielsen is a graduate of St John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In Edinburgh in 1979 she joined Bob Orr in Open Gaze, the bookstall he ran at Edinburgh Gay Centre, and worked in other bookselling and publishing groups. She and Bob opened Lavender Menace, Scotland’s first Lesbian and Gay Community Bookshop, as a partnership in 1982. Sigrid managed author readings, mail order lists, and bookshop events. She left as a partner in 1987 and later co-edited In Other Words: Writing as a Feminist (Hutchinson Education, 1987) and published articles and short stories. In 2019, she and Bob revived Lavender Menace as an LGBT+ books archive and heritage organisation.

Photo: Liam Baker. [A headshot of Sigrid smiling at the camera wearing glasses and a rainbow knitted jumper.]

Sophie Haynes runs Wuthering Dykes Bookclub and holds an MLitt in Gothic Literature. She’s passionate about building queer community and where to find the best whiskey soda in Leith. Catch her browsing bookshops, marching at protests or making an appearance at the best lesbian events in the city.

Photo: Sophie Haynes. [A headshot of Sophie who is looking straight at the camera and wears a leather jacket.]

Venue & Access

The event will be held at Epworth Hall, Nicolson Square Venues, 25 Nicolson Square, EH8 9BX. This is a dry event and no alcohol is allowed on the premises.The venue has step-free access and an internal lift. There is parking next door at 27, and an accessible gender neutral toilet on the ground floor: https://www.euansguide.com/venues/nicolson-square-edinburgh-edinburgh-14614/information

To see what the event room looks like visit: https://www.nsvenues.com/the-epworth-hallFor further information about the venue contact info@nsvenues.com and for questions about the event contact themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

Asexuality in the Archive
2025-10-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Scotland
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This interactive workshop introduces how asexuality was treated as a medical issue in the Victorian Age and its impact on contemporary media representation. It will begin by examining how nineteenth-century doctors constructed a set of symptoms that supposedly diagnosed individuals as asexual. Together, we’ll look at how this conceptualisation is mirrored – or challenged – in contemporary popular culture representations of asexuality. Participants are encouraged to bring in their own examples to discuss, alongside those provided by the workshop leader.

What to expect

The workshop will begin with a short introductory talk on the history of asexual medicalisation, followed by work in small groups and general discussion. Participants are encouraged to offer their own examples of asexual representation: these should be introduced with a short description of the media and the character they want to discuss.

About the Facilitator

Claudia Sterbini is a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh. Her project explores theconstruction of pathological asexuality at the turn of the twentieth century. She is interested in queer history, the medical humanities, Victorian literature, and generally all that is queer and ace.

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

Gay Scotland Now Collage Workshop at Edinburgh Zine Fair
2025-11-01 15:00 - 16:00 | Edinburgh Zine Fair, Floor 3, 151 London Road, Edinburgh, EH7 6AE
Join Lavender Menace for a free and fun collage workshop remixing text and images from Gay Scotland. Gay Scotland was a staple of the Scottish queer scene when it was published in the 1980s-2000s. Explore LGBT events, adverts, articles, and classifieds from the past and remix them to reflect what Scotland means to queer communities now.

No need to bring anything – we have materials and photocopies of vintage queer magazines.

Lavender Menace is a community archive with roots in Scotland’s first LGBT+ bookshop. We have a mission to bring together the queer community in Edinburgh and beyond, celebrate LGBT+ authors and their works, and collect and preserve LGBT+ books. lavendermenace.org.uk

Book a ticket

This event is free.

Venue & AccessibilityThe event is located on Floor 3, ScotART, St Margaret’s House (that’s three floors above the Lavender Menace archive). There is information on how to get to us on public transport and by car, along with access information, on our location & accessibility page.

3,000 Lesbians Go to York
2025-11-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ
Join Lavender Menace at the Filmhouse for a screening of this brilliant new film. Followed by a Q&A with author Jane Traies and director Rachel Dax, and a booksigning.3000 Lesbians Go To York tells the extraordinary true story of how a lesbian bookseller (who also happened to be trans) created the largest gathering of LGBTQ+ women in the UK, and how from 1998 to 2008, the quietly conservative city of York became the unlikely centre of all things lesbian!

For one thrilling decade, thousands of women flocked to the York Lesbian Arts Festival (YLAF) each autumn, to meet their favourite authors, buy books, hear top female artists live on stage and dance the night away at the ‘disco of a thousand lesbians.’

Featuring interviews with world famous writers Val McDermid, Sarah Waters and Jackie Kay, and the legendary singer Horse, 3000 Lesbians Go To York is a real celebration of the historical significance of this iconic festival!

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Venue & AccessibilityThe event will take place at Filmhouse on Lothian Road. You can see accessibility information on the Filmhouse website. Contact Filmhouse directly if you have more questions.

CANCELLED: Scotch Verdict with Lillian Faderman
2025-11-12 19:30 - 20:30 | Scotland
UPDATE: Unfortunately, we have had to cancel this event due to unforeseen circumstances.

Join Lavender Menace for a conversation with Lillian Faderman about the writing of her acclaimed book Scotch Verdict. First published in 1983, the book details the experience of uncovering the story of a scandal surrounding a 19th-century boarding school in Edinburgh’s New Town.

This online event will be held on Zoom. We’ll email attendees a Zoom link before the event. Just book a free ticket to attend.

About Scotch Verdict

Award-winning author Lillian Faderman recreates the events surrounding this notorious case, which became the basis for Lillian Hellman’s famous play, The Children’s Hour. Reconstructing the libel suit filed by Pirie and Woods—which resulted in a scotch verdict, or a verdict of inconclusive/not proven—Faderman builds a compelling narrative from court transcripts, judges’ notes, witnesses’ contradictory testimony, and the prejudices of the men presiding over the case. Her fascinating portrait documents the social, economic, and sexual pressures shaping the lives of nineteenth-century women and the issues of class and gender contributing to their marginalisation.

In 1810, a Scottish student named Jane Cumming accused her schoolmistresses, Jane Pirie and Marianne Woods, of having an affair in the presence of their students. Dame Helen Cumming Gordon, the wealthy and powerful grandmother of the accusing student, advised her friends to remove their daughters from the Drumsheugh boarding school. Within days, the institution was deserted and the two women were deprived of their livelihoods.

About the speaker

Lillian Faderman is an internationally known scholar of lesbian and LGBT history and literature. She is professor emerita of English at California State University, Fresno. Her award-winning titles include: Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers, Surpassing the Love of Men, Naked in the Promised Land, Power Politics, and Lipstick Lesbians.

The event will be chaired by Indigo Dunphy-Smith

Indigo Dunphy-Smith (she/her) is a researcher and writer based in Edinburgh. She specialises in research and public programmes that create space for marginalised stories in traditional spaces. She is the author of How to: Queer Your Historic House, a practical toolkit for uncovering queer stories in museum collections, and co-chairs the National Trust for Scotland’s LGBTQ network and supports organisations to queer their heritage spaces.

Image credits

Lilian Faderman photo by Phyllis Irwin; map reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland Map Images website.

Fashioning Our Selves with Katrina Rolley
2025-11-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Scotland
Join Lavender Menace and writer Katrina Rolley for an intimate creative non-fiction workshop exploring how we fashion our selves and our identities through clothing.

Book a free place if you’d like to attend.

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What to expect

An informal conversational workshop in a small group lasting 2 hours (with a short break and refreshments). You don’t need to prepare anything in advance but you’re encouraged to bring a photograph or piece of clothing that’s meaningful to you or someone you care about, to help us describe and share stories and experiences together.

About the facilitator

Katrina Rolley is a writer and digital creative whose work centres around identity, appearance and our sense of self. With a background in fashion and identity studies, Katrina’s current work uses personal experience combined with research into the self-presentation of lesbians in ‘20s and ‘30s Britain to explore how we all fashion our unique selves.

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

Keepers of the Flame with Janette Ayachi
2025-12-13 14:00 - 15:30 | Scotland
Join poet Janette Ayachi for a creative writing workshop exploring fire as both a literal & metaphorical force – destruction & renewal, love & loss, desire & transformation – while creating a safe, creative space for participants to reflect on their own inner fires.

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What to expect

An intimate and life-affirming creative writing workshop. We will have pens and paper but feel free to bring your own writing material.Introduction & Reading (15 mins): A short reading from QuickFire, Slow Burning to set the tone — fire as illumination, resilience & sacred responsibility.

Guided Discussion (15 mins): On how fire, heat & light manifest in our emotional lives & creative processes — how we sustain warmth in community & art.

Writing Exercises (45 mins):

Ignition: writing from spark — what lights us up?

Burning: writing through intensity, transformation or conflict.

Ash: writing from aftermath — what remains, what renews.Sharing & Closing Reflection (15 mins): A chance to read excerpts & discuss how we can carry creative heat through the winter.

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

Collaging Queer Edinburgh with Kamal Malhotra
2026-01-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, Edinburgh Palette, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH7 6AE
Join artist Kamal Malhotra to explore Edinburgh’s queer history through vintage maps, images, magazines, scissors, and glue! This informal collage workshop looks at the material Lavender Menace used for our Desire Paths exhibition and encourages participants to remix and redesign Edinburgh’s queer past.

Book ticket

About the facilitator

Kamal Malhotra is an Edinburgh-based illustrator who graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2024. His favourite subjects to explore are queer experiences of the body, the internet and digital culture, and gay sex. He has an interest in printmaking and regularly works with risograph, linocut, and monotype, often combined with digital and other traditional media. He also enjoys designing posters and publications.

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 free – donations are appreciated but optional. 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

Making Art in Dark Times with Mae Diansangu
2026-01-24 14:00 - 16:00 | Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, Edinburgh Palette, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH7 6AE
Create found poetry and collage art in ‘Recover, recycle, reimagine: making art in dark times’ – a workshop led by poet Mae Diansangu.

Participants will explore what it means to make art in times of multiple crises, using materials from mainstream media to critique, reclaim, and reimagine the dominant narratives that shape our society.

This workshop was originally developed as part of ‘Eternal Ecstasy’, an exhibition of the artist Jamie Reid at the worm, Aberdeen.

Book ticket

About the facilitator

Mae Diansangu is a queer poet from Aberdeen who writes in Scots and English. Her practice is rooted in the belief that storytelling is a collaborative act, and she is particularly interested in reframing contemporary issues through the retelling of shared histories and myths. Much of her work explores themes of identity, resilience, power, transformation, and belonging. Her debut collection, Bloodsongs (Tapsalteerie), was longlisted for a 2025 Saltire Book Award.

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 free – donations are appreciated but optional. Booking in advance is essential, as places are limited. 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

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!

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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

Lesbian Words
2026-02-15 14:15 - 16:00 | Scotland
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 | Scotland
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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 | Scotland
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.

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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

Social Sunday
2026-02-22 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-03-08 14:00 - 16:00 | Scotland
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

Pub Quiz Fundraiser for Lavender Menace
2026-02-23 19:00 - 23:30 | Scotland
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: Histories of Queer Reading (Exhibition)
2026-03-05 10:00 - 2026-05-03 17:00 | Museum of Edinburgh, 142-146 Canongate, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH8 8DD, United Kingdom
Opening hours: The exhibition runs 5 March to 3 May. In March, the museum is open Wednesday to Sunday. In April/May, it is open every day.

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. 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.

We appreciate that this means some of our audience won’t be able to access the exhibition, and we are committed to producing a digital guide of the exhibition in order to make the exhibition more accessible.

If the inaccessibility of the building is preventing you from seeing the exhibition, please email themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk and we will send you the digital guide when it is available (currently expected late April).

Queer Men for Queer Literature
2026-03-08 12:15 - 14:00 | Scotland
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 March, we’ll be talking about Queer Antagonists, Enemies, and Rivals.

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

Dyke's Delight: Kate Charlesworth in Conversation with Jay Whittaker
2026-03-13 14:00 - 15:30 | Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LR, United Kingdom
Join Lavender Menace for an afternoon of stories of lesbian life and art. Kate Charlesworth is an illustrator and writer of renowned lesbian cult classics like Sensible Footwear: A Girl’s Guide and The Life & Times of Auntie Studs. Kate will be in conversation with award-winning poet and writer Jay Whittaker.

Book ticket

This event is part of our exhibition Past Shelves: Queer Histories of Reading (5 March to 30 April, Museum of Edinburgh), created in partnership with the Museum of Edinburgh (City of Edinburgh Council). Thank you to our funders, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Awards for All.

Kate Charlesworth began to work as a cartoonist and illustrator in the 1970s. Her work has appeared in LGBT publications such as The Pink Paper, Gay News, Strip AIDS, Dyke’s Delight, whilst in the mainstream media she drew weekly strips for The Guardian, New Scientist, and the Independent. The award-winning graphic novel ‘Sally Heathcote – Suffragette’, co-authored with Mary and Bryan Talbot, appeared in 2014 and was followed in 2019 by her award-winning LGBT memoir/history, ‘Sensible Footwear – a Girl’s Guide.’

Jay Whittaker is an award-winning poet, author of two full length collections: Sweet Anaesthetist, (Cinnamon Press, 2020) and Wristwatch, (Cinnamon Press, 2017), which was Saltire Society Poetry Book of the Year 2018. Current projects include her third poetry collection, a queer sewing memoir in prose, and co-hosting EH11’s grass-roots poetry night, The Graveyard Shift.

(Photo by Ryan McGoverne)

Location and Access

This event is taking place at Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LR.

The venue is fully accessible on the ground and first floor areas for all visitors with mobility difficulties and accessibility needs via a lift or handrail assistance. For full accessibility information, visit the venue website: https://cultureedinburgh.com/our-venues/assembly-rooms

Lesbian Words Presents: A Scotch Verdict Walking Tour with Indigo Dunphy-Smith
2026-03-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Cairngorm Coffee, 1 Melville Place, Edinburgh, EH3 7PR
Step back in time with queer history researcher and writer Indigo for this walking tour of Edinburgh. Together, we will explore the infamous sapphic scandal that inspired The Children’s Hour, starring Audrey Hepburn, and Scotch Verdict by historian Lillian Faderman. As we weave our way from the New Town to the Old Town, we’ll explore the people, places and prejudices connected to this 1810 legal case. We’ll unpack how colonial thought and queer desire influenced the uniquely Scottish court ruling – not proven.

Book ticket

About the facilitator

Indigo Dunphy-Smith (she/her) is a researcher and writer based in Edinburgh. She specialises in research and public programmes that create space for marginalised stories in traditional spaces. She is the author of How to: Queer Your Historic House, a practical toolkit for uncovering queer stories in museum collections, and co-chairs the National Trust for Scotland’s LGBTQ network and supports organisations to queer their heritage spaces.

What to expect

An informal walking tour in a small-group setting. Please dress warmly for the Scottish weather and wear your sensible footwear.

The walk lasts for 2 hours and participants will be walking or standing for this time unless they use or bring a chair. The route goes through the New Town, up the Mound, and onto the Royal Mile and involves some light uphill walking (the Mound) and uneven paving.

If the tour needs to be step-free for you to attend (or if you have any access requests), please email us to let us know so we can amend the route: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

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.

Location

Meet at 2pm outside Cairngorn Coffee, 1 Melville Pl, Edinburgh EH3 7PR

Any other questions

Please email us: themenaces@lavendermenace.org.uk

Queer Joy
2026-03-15 12:15 - 14:00 | Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, Edinburgh Palette, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH7 6AE
Join us at our monthly Queer Joy book club!

In March, we’re reading Frighten the Horses by Oliver Radclyffe.

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.

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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

Queer Gothic Words
2026-03-22 12:15 - 14:00 | Scotland
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.

In March, we’re discussing haunted houses in literature. No need to prepare anything in advance – just turn up and join the discussion.

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

Becoming Archived with the Lesbian Snapshot Collective
2026-03-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, Edinburgh Palette, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH7 6AE
“…[G]ive us a visual record of our passages… a mosaic of lesbian strength, of our strivings to remake our outer and inner worlds.” – Joan Nestle

In an era shaped by Section 28 and silence, many lesbian lives of the 1980s and 1990s were undocumented or deliberately hidden. Join the Lesbian Snapshot Collective to bring those images into the light—out of our shoeboxes, out of our closets. In this creative archiving workshop, we will explore personal snapshots, storytelling, consent, and what it means to record your own history.

Book ticket

You are invited to bring a personal photograph, share its story, and reflect on what it means to archive lesbian life now.

This event is for all lesbians, dykes, and queer and trans women. Those that came out before the year 2000 are particularly welcome. Find out more about the Lesbian Snapshot Collective.

What to expect

An informal creative workshop in a small-group setting. The workshop lasts for 2 hours with a break in the middle.

You are invited to bring a personal photograph, share its story, and reflect on what it means to archive lesbian life now.

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

The Lavender Drawing Board
2026-04-01 13:00 - 16:00 | Scotland
The Lavender Drawing Board: Co-working for queer creatives

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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

Menacing Since 1982
2026-04-04 14:00 - 15:30 | Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LR, United Kingdom
This free event brings together the people behind Scotland’s first LGBT+ bookshops, Lavender Menace (1982-87) and West & Wilde (1987-97).

Sigrid Nielsen, Bob Orr, and Raymond Rose were all involved in these first two bookshops in Edinburgh, where LGBT+ people could find books, space, and community.

The event will be hosted by Anna Broomfield, the coordinator of Past Shelves, an oral history project about experiences of LGBT+ reading and books.

This event is part of our exhibition Past Shelves: Queer Histories of Reading (5 March to 3 May, Museum of Edinburgh), created in partnership with Museums & Galleries Edinburgh. Thank you to our funders, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Awards for All.

Book ticket

Location and Access

This event is taking place at Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LR.

The venue is fully accessible on the ground and first floor areas for all visitors with mobility difficulties and accessibility needs via a lift or handrail assistance. For full accessibility information, visit the venue website: https://cultureedinburgh.com/our-venues/assembly-rooms

Sarah Schulman: The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity
2026-04-12 17:00 - 18:30 | Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH1 1EL, United Kingdom
What is solidarity? And how can solidarity effectively challenge the status quo?

Join acclaimed writer, activist and historian Sarah Schulman to celebrate her latest book, The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity. Schulman looks to the past, present, and future to unpack the often misunderstood concept of solidarity.

Book tickets

Reflecting on her own experiences as a queer artist as well as wider political movements – such as New York City’s AIDS activism in the 1990s and the current worldwide protests organising against Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people – Schulman considers how true collaboration may help us move closer towards justice. Throughout, she unpacks both successes and failures of various movements, highlighting how we can better stand with others. Crucial and insightful, The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity is a hopeful call to action.

Sarah Schulman is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, nonfiction writer, and AIDS historian. Her books include The Gentrification of the Mind and Conflict Is Not Abuse. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, New York, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, The Nation, The New Republic, The New York Times, and The Guardian.

In collaboration with Peninsula Press, Sliver, Outburst Arts, EAF (Edinburgh Art Festival), Glasgow Women’s Library, Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, Lighthouse Books, and London Review of Books.
