The Coast Is Queer festival returns to Brighton, bringing together queer voices for discussions, performances, and workshops from 10-13 October at the Attenborough Centre for The Creative Arts.
The highly anticipated festival of LGBTQ+ writing, The Coast Is Queer, is set to return to the Attenborough Centre for The Creative Arts from 10-13 October. This unique event, renowned as the first festival of its kind in the UK, will once again serve as a vibrant hub for discussions, workshops, performances, and films that celebrate queer writing.
The festival aims to bring together queer readers, writers, and allies in a shared space, fostering an inclusive atmosphere for literary and cultural exchange. The organisers have underscored the ongoing importance of such gatherings, particularly in light of the current challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community globally. They stated, “History teaches us that liberation is not a straight line. It is an ongoing struggle that can move backwards as well as forwards. The attack on trans rights underway in the UK, and the growing suppression of LGBTQ+ stories in the form of book bans around the world is yet more evidence that we need to come together to champion our stories and our storytellers, more than ever.”
The festival kicks off on 10 October with an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of DIVA magazine. This opening session will feature a panel of prominent voices in the LGBTQ+ media landscape, including DIVA’s Rocky Bourdillon, Gay Times’ Reeta Loi, and Attitude’s former editor Matthew Todd. Journalist, historian, and activist Paula Akpan will moderate this insightful conversation.
On 11 October, the programming, which partly involves contributions from Sussex University students, offers a rich variety of panels and discussions. Topics range from queer fantasy writing to the intersection of queer stories across multiple generations. The day’s discussions will also cover politics, hope, and queer nightlife, concluding with a poetry open mic session hosted by AFLO the poet.
The festival’s third day will delve into diverse subjects such as writing for performance, environmental issues from a queer perspective, and the intricacies of queer parenting. Discussions on sex, lust, and romance will also feature prominently. A highlight of the day includes the screening of Salem Haddad’s film, Marco. Additionally, acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Juno Dawson will host another instalment of her Lovely Trans Literary Salon, featuring Kuchenga Shenjé. The day will draw to a close with a cabaret performance titled David Hoyle Does The Classics [pictured. Photo from Instagram, baxterphoto].
The final day of The Coast Is Queer will pay tribute to the life and legacy of iconic writer James Baldwin, in a session chaired by filmmaker Campbell X. The festival will conclude with Radical Hope, an eclectic mix of spoken word, performance, and film.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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