Literary Pride events aim to celebrate LGBT authors
A campaign to celebrate LGBTQ inclusive authors is launching across the UK.
The ‘Penguin Pride’ campaign will begin at the same time as Pride Month in June. and lasts throughout the summer celebrations.
Independent bookshops across the UK will stock an array of content taken from an essential reading list, in collaboration with Penguin Random House.
The lists will be include essays about sexuality and gender, novels and poetry all from LGBTQ authors who have “inspired, informed and supported readers over the years”.
The campaign will boast writers such as poet Andrew McMillan who is known for his poetry collection Physical, which won an Guardian book award.
Other authors, including Colm Toibin and Ali Smith, will share their experiences.
The CEO of PRH UK, Tom Weldon, said: “We are celebrating the authors and books that have had an enormous influence within the gay community and beyond over the years – books that have inspired, educated, and comforted; books that have the power to change lives.”
Mr Weldon added: “I hope our Penguin Pride campaign will introduce readers to voices they may not have heard before, and perhaps even inspire a new generation of brilliant LGBTQ writers.”
Penguin Pride will be launching a number of other events as part of the campaign including online conversations with blogger, Lucy Powrie who will be talking about her favourite LGBTQ superheroes and books.
Transgender YouTuber Alex Bertie will also be talking about the importance of personal experience being reflected in books.
