An Introduction to LGBTQIA+ Literature
Part historical overview and part literary analysis, this course will examine LGBTQIA+ literature through the decades. Beginning with “hidden histories” of queer literature forced to hide its identity through the liberation era, the response to the devastation from Aids, and ending with contemporary works, this course will consider extracts from key works of LGBTQIA+ literature, offer a discussion of the work and contextualise it alongside the history of the community, and author biographies.
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in LGBTQIA+ Literature, although no prior knowledge of these topics is required.
What can I expect?
This course is taught through presentations (PowerPoint on shared screen) video clips and discussions. Discussion sections are optional, but allow participants to reflect on the material and their own experiences.
Joining via Zoom
This course or event will be held via Zoom. You need a computer/laptop or mobile phone to access the Zoom website, and a reliable internet connection.
You will need a computer or other device to connect with Zoom and a notebook/paper and pen/pencil, or digital equivalent.
Practical information
- You can choose to purchase either a full course ticket (£165/£87) or drop-in tickets (£29) for the individual classes.
- Online ticket sales will close two hours prior to the event starting.
- If sales have closed and you would still like to attend, to enquire about availability please contact our Box Office team via 020 73929200. If spaces remain we can arrange payment over the phone.
- These sessions are live only and will not be recorded. Attendees must join at the scheduled time, as recordings will not be made available after the event.
Need to Know
Meet the Tutor
Dr Emily Garside
Emily Garside is a writer and professional nerd based in Cardiff. She has a PhD in theatrical responses to the AIDS crisis and is a leading expert on LGBTQ+ theatre. Emily regularly writes for journals such as The Queer Review, American Theatre, and Wales Art Review. She published her first non-fiction book ‘Love That Journey For Me: The Queer Revolution of Schitt's Creek’ in 2021 with 404ink. This was followed by ‘Angels in America at the British National Theatre’ in 2022 (McFarland). While 2023 sees ‘Seasons of Love, why Rent Matters’ (Applause), ‘Schitt’s Creek and the Rise of Queer TV’ (Applause), and ‘From Queer as Folk to It’s A Sin; Russell T Davies and Queer TV’ (Calon Books). She is also a journalist, a regular contributor for The Queer Review and has written for American Theatre, Slate, BBC, and The Stage. She also uses her research and lived experience to tell queer stories through fiction, having had several plays performed in London and nationally.
Course Overview
Week 1 - History of Queer Stories and Hidden Narratives
A brief look at the ancient history of LGBTQIA+ stories- from ancient myths to stories from indigenous peoples that show our stories have always been there. Through to eras of coded stories and writers hiding their identities. Culminating in a look at Brideshead Revisited and its ‘coded’ story and the story of EM Forster hiding his Queer stories for fear of their impact.
Suggested reading: Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh) Maurice (EM Forster)
Week 2 - Liberation-Era Narratives
A look at LGBTQIA+ narratives ‘coming out’ in the mid to late 20th century and beginning with people like Christopher Isherwood who wove biography into their narratives, through to Gore Vidal and blacklisting of gay authors, through to Tales of the City and beyond.
Suggested Reading: Giovanni’s Room (James Baldwin) Tales of the City (Armistaud Maupin) A Single Man (Christopher Isherwood)
Week 3 - Lesbian Stories
From Lesbian Pulp fiction and The Price of Salt (aka Carol) through to 20th-century classics like Oranges Aren’t the Only Fruit and The Color Purple, this session explores Sapphic women in literature. Moving forward to modern classics like Tipping the Velvet and genre-shifting works like Fun Home, we examine the various types of Sapphic stories and discuss their strengths, weaknesses, and potential shortcomings.
Suggested Reading: Tipping the Velvet (Sarah Waters), Fun Home (Alison Bechdel), Carol (Patricia Highsmith)
Week 4 - AIDS Narratives
Art was a form of activism at the height of the AIDS pandemic, and recording and sharing stories was at the heart of that activism. With a look at some theatre narratives alongside literary responses in nonfiction, biography and fiction, this week looks at words as resistance and memorial.
Suggested Reading: The Normal Heart, The Line of Beauty, Reports From the Holocaust
Week 5 - Children and Young People’s Narratives
From the reaction to Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin in the 80s, through to outrage over gay penguins in ‘And Tango Makes Three’ in the 2010s, children’s books around LGBTQIA+ themes are constantly under threat but also form a vital part of the LGBTQIA+ canon. Moving forward from that, YA novels are a hugely positive facet of LGBTQIA+ literary representation and have boomed in recent years —a dive into these from big hitters like Love, Simon and Heartstopper, or lesser-known works.
Suggested Reading: Heartstopper (Alice Oseman), What if It’s Us (Adam Silvera and Becky Albertelli) Love Simon (Becky Albertelli)
Week 6 - Contemporary LGBTQIA+ Stories
LGBTQIA+ literature has come a long way- this final session looks at where we are now. From gay rom-com literature, like ‘Red White and Royal Blue,’ to modern classics like Alan Hollinghurst’s work, as well as graphic novels, Queer detectives, and more.
Suggested Reading: The Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller) Young Mungo (Douglas Stewart) Red White and Royal Blue (Casey McQuiston)
Dates and Times
An Introduction to LGBTQIA+ Literature
– , 23:20 - 1:20
What We Do
