UK’s only LGBTQ literature festival back in Brighton for fourth season

The Coast is Queer LGBTQ+ Literature Festival runs from October 12-15.

Spokeswoman Melita Dennett said: “The Coast is Queer is a festival of talks, books, spoken word and ideas from an LGBTQ perspective. It brings together an exciting line-up of nationally and internationally acclaimed queer writers, poets, performers and activists in a three-day festival of accessible, lively in-conversation events, workshops, films and discussions celebrating LGBTQ lives and writing. It’s stimulating, surprising, frequently very funny and often provocative, inviting audiences to dive into fresh perspectives on subjects from lived experience of mental health, LGBTQ lives in Ukraine to bisexuality and hidden queer identities. There’s also spoken word, cabaret and dancing.

“Students from the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton are selecting the contributors for the opening day, including YouTuber/ influencer Jamie Raines with a panel celebrating often unspoken gender identities, sexualities and attraction styles. Additionally, a programme of short queer films curated by the BFI will run throughout the weekend.”

The programme includes:

“On Thursday, October 12, best-selling novelist, screenwriter, journalist, and columnist Juno Dawson returns to The Coast is Queer with more inspiring, joyful conversation with some of our best trans writers. This year Juno will be joined by Harry Nicholas.

“On Friday, October 13, The Coast is Queer is showcasing some of Brighton’s very best queer voices at an inclusive open mic event that welcomes anybody who feels inspired by the theme rewriting queerness. The event will be hosted by Fuschia Von Steele, and poets Reanna Valentine, AFLO the poet and Priss Nash will share their work.

“On Sunday, October 15, a panel discussion will ask what it means to be a queer writer in a time of war when being visibly queer in your own country is an act of rebellion in itself? How are queer Ukrainian writers telling their stories against all odds, creating new work beyond all constraint, from inside and outside their war-torn country?”

Co-ordinator Lesley Wood said: “The Coast is Queer is a unique opportunity for audiences to meet some of the boldest and brightest LGBTQ+ writers, thinkers and activists around today. This event always stimulates lively discussion and is for anyone who wants to experience some fresh ideas rarely heard in the mainstream. The Coast is Queer has grown to represent a significant and exuberant contribution to the UK’s spoken word festival landscape.”

It runs at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts in Brighton from October 12-15.