Conferences took place across Nottingham, Manchester and Dublin Cities of Literature to spark a conversation with the publishing industry and empower the next generation of LGBTQ+ writers and illustrators. Through a combination of panel discussions, creative workshops and performances, we aimed to:
- Amplify the stories of LGBTQ+ writers and illustrators
- Explore routes into publishing for aspiring authors
- Champion the bold steps publishers are making to advance equality
- Discuss ways to make the industry more representative and inclusive
- Provide networking opportunities for emerging and established creatives
- Create a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ creatives.
Our Stories took place in November 2023 across three Cities of Literature: Dublin, Manchester, and Nottingham. In Nottingham, we were particularly keen for the conference to celebrate the city’s established comics and zine culture. Our Stories was co-curated with members of our Youth Advisory Board and young creatives from The Rainbow Library, and took place at Nottingham’s brand new Central Library the week before its official public opening. Four panels made up of writers, illustrators and publishers explored important topics from an LGBTQ+ perspective, including:
- Game Changing Comics and Graphic Novels
- Unboxing Histories and Heritages
- Reframing Our Stories and Exploring Adaptations
- Publishing Our Stories: Publishing Processes, Successes and Challenges
Take a look at Our Stories Nottingham programme and find out more about Our Stories in Manchester and Dublin below:
Thanks to funding from Arts Council England, we were able to bring a group of eleven incredibly talented writers, illustrators and publishers together to bring the conference to life: Beth Risidore, Gareth Peter, Jake Hall, Jake Wild Hall, Jules Scheele, Katie Blagden, Miggy Barker, Octavia Nyombi, Ramzee, So Mayer, and Ben Macpherson.
- 11 established and emerging creatives spoke on panels, delivered workshops and performed at Our Stories.
- 34 people booked tickets to take part in Our Stories as audience members and workshop participants.
Conference attendees also had the opportunity to take part in creative workshops with esteemed cartoonists, Ramzee and Jules Scheele. The day was rounded off with a performance by Nottingham-based poet and performer, Ben Macpherson, who performed material from his debut poetry collection, Serious Nonsense (for Terribly Grown Up People).
“It was a genuine pleasure to get to hear so many interesting speakers, and I was really impressed with the programming. I’ve had some great contact with various people from the day since then, so thanks for having me!”
“It felt really galvanising to be inspired by other creatives, to meet such wonderful people in similar fields, and to practise public speaking with such a supportive audience.”
Our Stories was in part a continuation and celebration of The Rainbow Library, a partnership project led by Pop Up. Throughout 2022, 60 young people in seven cities (Basildon, Manchester, Nottingham, Glasgow, Inverness, Belfast, Cork) in the UK and Ireland took part in workshops with LGBTQ+ writers and illustrators. Through those workshops, the writers and illustrators developed new queer-influenced stories, while the young people developed their own writing and illustration.