Laughter.
That’s what I’ll remember most about the Queer the Shelves event this year. There was so much laughter. So much joy. So much sharing. There were serious topics, there were light hearted topics. There were conversations between panels, there were conversations over lunch, there were chats over pizza at the after party.
And weaving through it all was an incredible, magical sense of community. Authors supported each other and talked about each other’s books. They engaged with readers, many of whom came on their own just to be part of the LGBTQ book world. There was no sniping, no griping, no cliques. Everyone spoke to everyone else, and that made the day even more perfect.
Many of the blogs on the blog train discussed what events like this one meant to them and why they’re important. For me, that importance was clear in the way people relaxed into the day and felt like they were part of something. Panel discussions included artists and audiobook narrators as well as authors, and we covered genres from historical romance to memoir and everything in between.
The event was sold out, and there were never more than a couple seats empty–mostly because they were the seats belonging to the authors who were up front. We also had people show up throughout the day, who were happy to stand at the back and listen. Authors came from all over the UK, from America, Canada, France, and Germany. We were an eclectic bunch, and that in itself brought about even more laughter.
Long may it continue.
This event, going for more than a decade now, is one we’ll continue to do for as long as possible, whether we get Arts Council funding or not. We believe in the power of our community to do great things, and as the world continues to change and political stuff creates a cloud, coming together in a safe space where we can be ourselves and make new connections is an invaluable gift. We hope you’ll continue to join us in the years to come.
Here is the program. Check out the authors listed and maybe find them on social media and continue to build that community. See you next year.
