Founded on a belief in the transformative power of queer storytelling, the Aesop Queer Library returns to Aesop Soho, London, from 29 June to 2 July. The ephemeral installation offers complimentary books by LGBTQIA+ authors and allies, no purchase required.
This year, Escape to an Autumn Pavement by Andrew Salkey (1960) joins A Place for Us by Isabel Miller (1969) as being offered for free until Sunday.
The focus in 2023 is on texts once forgotten amid cultural shifts and evolving prejudices — spotlighting such stories by LGBT+ authors and allies, and making them readily accessible anew. Creative agency A Vibe Called Tech was enlisted to uncover and showcase these two historical queer texts for the library.
A Place for Us tells a tender story of a lesbian relationship set in early 19th-century New England; and Escape to an Autumn Pavement explores sexuality in Caribbean culture against the backdrop of a changing London. Excerpts from these groundbreaking works are available to read at the Aesop Soho website.
