On June 27, we held Queer the Shelves LGBTQ Book Festival in Nottingham. It was the 17th year of us running some sort of queer book fest, and that’s no small thing. Were we exhausted? Yes. Was it worth it in every way? Unquestionably. And for several reasons…
In 2025, the
American Library Association tracked
4,235 unique book titles challenged across the U.S. Notably, 92% of all challenges were initiated by organized pressure groups rather than individual parents, targeting stories representing the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and people of color […}
Four thousand titles about to be, or already, banned. Book bans are a prelude to far worse things. We’ve seen that in the past; look into the worst moments in history, and you’ll find people telling you what it’s okay and not okay to read. Coming together to celebrate books, stories, and to share experiences is powerful in many ways. It’s a statement that stories matter and that ignorance will not take them from us.
Laughter at this event is such an integral part of it. The joy that comes with talking about our stories and our mutual love of them is something to be celebrat4ed. We were even talking to someone who has been to every festival for the last ten years. There were many, many people there who wanted to be among old friends and many who found new ones. Community can be found in safe places.
We encourage you to write. To share. To start book clubs, go to book festivals, chat with other readers on socials. Share your love of the written word and stand up for the way books are integral to a society that is safe for ALL of us.
With that in mind, we want to ask you what it is you’ve been wanting to write. Or where you want to go. Both? What story are you itching to tell? What festival would you love to go to? What author would you like to reach out to?
This month:
- Trust yourself to write that thing you’ve been wanting to write. Begin.
- Contact an author and tell them how much you loved their work. Be brave.
- Choose a book group or festival you want to go to and get tickets. You’ve got this.
