Hayley~ 3 Books to Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month 2022
‘The Sun Isn’t Out Long Enough’ edited by Tatevik Sargsyan, with a foreword by Mary Chan and an afterword by Kazim Ali
Founded by Tatevik Sargsyan in March 2020 through the Poetry Streaming Project, Anamot Press is an independent small publisher that publishes poetry and prose concerning ‘intersecting experiences of gender, sexuality, race, migration, class, belonging and loss’. Taking its name from the word for ‘shameless’ in Armenian, Anamot intends to be a space for queer writers to tell their stories without shame. This first anthology of poetry and essays is stunning and absorbing, bringing together incredibly talented authors from across the world to explore experiences of queerness intersecting with migration, race and connection. The pieces cover a wide range of themes including queer historical figures, diasporic desires, and experiences of inhabiting multiple – potentially conflicting- identities at once. The pieces are often quite intimate, and I feel very privileged to have been able to engage with the authors on such a personal level. Tatevik Sargsyan both runs Amanot Press and edited this collection, and you can really feel the dedication and care put into it. I am really looking forward to reading what Anamot publishes next.
‘Detransition, Baby’ by Torrey Peters
On the 10th March 2021 Torrey Peters’ debut novel ‘Detransition, Baby’ was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021, making Peter’s first transgender women to be nominated for the award. Recently released in paperback, this ground-breaking novel tells an unconventional story. A detransitioned Ames has accidentally gotten his boss pregnant, and uncomfortable with the idea of fatherhood, decides to seek out his ex, Reese. Reese has always wanted to be a mother, and so as their lives intertwine, the three of them attempt to navigate gender identity, relationships, and an unconventional family arrangement. At times both funny and devastating, Peters intrepidly tackles taboos around gender, sex and womanhood, really exploring what these subjects mean on a personal and emotional level. Peters also digs into the effects of internalised misogyny and gender stereotypes, and how these expectations and limits we apply to each other can affect our relationships and ability to understand each other. This book has a lot of heart and is a chaotic, messy and moving story about vulnerability and love.
Queer Life, Queer Love: An Anthology
Published by independent publisher Muswell Press, this brand new collection of 43 stories, essays, poetry and flash fiction celebrates queer writing from all around the world, from India to Ireland, Botswana to New Zealand. Exploring stories and characters beyond the mainstream, this collection is a mix of tragic and uplifting, autobiographical and humorous, speaking to a range of emotions and queer experiences. An excellent additional touch are the small bios at the end of each contribution, listing the author’s previous or upcoming works, giving you plenty of additional reading. The pieces in this collection were selected from hundreds of entries to an open submission which was free to enter, with work coming from authors from across the globe.
The book is dedicated to it’s publisher Sarah Beal’s trans daughter Lucy, a student, musician and an advocate of LGBTQI rights, who passed away in March 2020 at the age of 20. The book had been a project that she and Sarah had discussed as a way of celebrating queer life experiences and encouraging new writers. Lucy had also been involved in designing the logo for the Muswell Press LGBTQ+ list, which is reflected in the collection’s vibrant cover, designed by Jamie Keenan.
You can request these titles here.