To mark 50 years of Pride marches in the UK, the store’s shelves have been stocked with 50 titles by LGBTQIA+ authors to cherish, share and discuss. Guided by the recommendations of Aesop’s bibliophiles, visitors are invited to collect a complimentary book of their choice, with no purchase required. Encompassing a diverse range of writers, the library reveals how queer literature has evolved to reflect the myriad experiences within the community.
The Aesop Queer Library 2022
Amplifying queer voices
Founded on a belief in the transformative power of queer storytelling—its ability to broaden minds, embolden individuals and unite the community and its allies—the Aesop Queer Library returns to Aesop Soho, London from 28 June to 5 July, offering complimentary books by LGBTQIA+ authors.
The reading list
The selection of works is made up of books bought from London’s Gay’s The Word bookstore—a cornerstone for the queer community since 1979—and others donated by Penguin Random House. The collection includes titles that span a wide range of genres and a multitude of voices, including Paul Mendez’s much-celebrated novel Rainbow Milk, Sharan Dhaliwal’s guide-meets-memoir Burning My Roti and Travis Alabanza’s None of the Above, which reflects on their experience as a BIPOC trans writer and entertainer. Below, these writers share their thoughts on the impact of queer storytelling and how such narratives have shaped their lives.
Paul Mendez on creative self-expression
Published last year, Paul Mendez’s debut novel Rainbow Milk was shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize, the British Book Awards Debut Novel of the Year and the Desmond Elliot Prize. The book follows the story of nineteen-year-old Jesse McCarthy as he grapples with his racial and sexual identities while seeking a fresh start in London, away from his Jamaican family and the Jehovah’s Witness community. Born and raised in the West Midlands, UK, Paul Mendez now lives in London and is studying for an M.A. in Black British Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Why do you think the arts are such an important cornerstone for the queer community? I think queer people flock to the arts because they allow us to dream, to collaborate, and to express ourselves. In a world that constantly finds new ways to marginalise us, we can still be seen, heard and experienced. You only have to look at the impact drag culture has had on the mainstream over the last decade or so to see how change can be effected through art. Is there a certain book that has shaped your personal perspective on queerness? From James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son: ‘I learned in New Jersey that to be a Negro meant, precisely, that one was never looked at but was simply at the mercy of the reflexes the color of one’s skin caused in other people.’ Baldwin wrote that statement as a young Black, queer man. It was like an X-ray that identified a cancer in my body, and explained all the (micro-)aggressions I faced depending on who read me as Black and who read me as queer. What questions would you like your work to provoke in the minds of your readers? I would like readers to ask themselves who they are, how they got here, and where they’re going.
Sharan Dhaliwal on arts as activism
Part memoir, part manual, Sharan Dhaliwal’s Burning My Roti: Breaking Barriers as a Queer Indian Woman seeks to inspire a new generation of South Asian women, covering topics such as sexuality, identity, ageing, colourism and mental health. This collection of essays, interviews and reflections is built on the foundations of Burnt Roti—an online and print publication founded by Dhaliwal, which features contributions from a broad spectrum of South Asian creatives. She is also the Director of Middlesex Pride and creator of Oh Queer Cupid, a queer speed dating and comedy night.
What role have queer spaces played in your life? Queer spaces are my lifeline. They are my focus on self-care, love, activism, rebellion, consistency, balance and strength. The spaces created by queer people aren't just for safety but for a ‘debrief’, so to speak: what happens next and what do we do—how do we do it and why? We plan, we love, we cherish and we grow. Because of the Black and Asian queer spaces that I have been in, I have felt the most comfortable version of myself…that acceptance has allowed me to accept myself, and importantly—it allowed an entry into self-love through activism. How does your writing seek to broaden understanding and empathy? I think my intention is to ask people to consider themselves, in very particular ways: a lot of the time, I ask them to look at their proximity to white supremacist powers. By examining my own proximity, I allow people to have uneasy conversations with themselves. From the way we feel about body hair on feminine bodies, to how we dismantle bigoted attitudes in our spaces—the idea is to challenge and sit in uncomfortable places. I think being uncomfortable (while safe) is a brilliant place to be, because it only allows us to challenge ourselves. This is heavily aligned with privilege, so it's asking those who hold that power to be uncomfortable, and not to feel defensive in the journey, but to accept that learning is powerful, and egos are destructive. Why do you think the arts are such an important cornerstone for the queer community? It's about expression—the ability to explore freely. The arts have historically been a radical statement on queer and political lives; we exist in the space of ideas, questions, ‘colouring outside the lines’ and so on. Art expresses how people want to be free yet are confined to the world we create—but queerness has always allowed for that expression. So, art represents queerness and queerness represents art.
Travis Alabanza on rethinking the gender binary
Travis Alabanza is an award-winning writer, performer and theatre maker. After being the youngest recipient of the Artist-in-Residency programme at Tate Galleries, Alabanza’s debut show Burgerz toured internationally to sold-out performances, and won the Edinburgh Fringe Total Theatre Award. Alabanza’s memoir, None of the Above, is released on 4 August—it reflects on their experiences as a BIPOC trans person through seven phrases that have had a lasting impact on their perceptions of self.
How do you hope people respond to your latest book? I think I am always hoping my work makes us realise that things are beyond black and white. I am hoping my latest book will have us rethink what we thought we understood about the gender binary, and our relationship to it. What power do the arts hold for queer people? If we do not have the political representation, or the board rooms, or the power in the streets, arts provide a place for us to have that power. To speak back and to question. What more can artistic institutions do to amplify marginalised voices? Give us the keys! We may not give them back…
Further reading
Explore more LGBTQIA+ reads, author interviews, a Pride playlist and details of Aesop Queer Libraries across the globe.