author talk: Out On An Island - The Isle Of Wight's Hidden LGBTQ+ History
Saturday 26th March
in shop - 11am - free entry
Please register via Eventbrite if you wish to attend so we know how many people to expect.
Join us in the shop to meet the team behind Out On An Island and enjoy some live music by Giulio Cantore.
Hot on the heels of Russell T Davies' TV series 'It's A Sin' comes the book 'Out On An Island' revealing the real stories of the Isle of Wight's hidden LGBTQ+ community. The book is the culmination of an Oral History and Heritage project, which for the past 3 years has been gathering first hand accounts as well as researching the Island's LGBTQ+ history.
Exploring the lives of the general public as well as known names such as Virginia Woolf and Kenneth Kendall, one of the book's strengths is that it goes from detailing the everyday struggles of current Island residents, through to bizarre tales from history such as that of the Ferguson gang, an anonymous group of well-to-do ladies who during the 1920s would ambush National Trust meetings in capes and masks to deposit large sums of money in an effort to protect rural England from urbanisation.
The Island had its first Pride only in 2017 and a lot of local queer folk still struggle to be ‘out’ on the Island. The book aims to help spread the word about the Island's hidden queer history, and support further projects which helps educate mainstream folk about LGBTQ+ life in rural, remote places like the Isle of Wight.
Please register via Eventbrite for instructions to join and to help us manage numbers in the shop. We are operating with Covid caution here at October Books, so please respect your fellow attendees by maintaining some distance. We are requesting that people attending events/gatherings in the shop please wear a face covering, and take a lateral flow test on the day of the event - to ensure all people feel safe.
If you would like to reserve a copy of ‘Out On An Island’ please email us at info@octoberbooks.org
Find out more about the book on their social channels - on Twitter /FB/insta @OutOnAnIslandIW
This is a free entry event, but if you'd like to sling October Books a donation, please do.
