What does queer family life really look like? Catch the author on a panel titled Mum’s the Word at The Coast is Queer Festival
BY DIVA STAFF, IMAGE PROVIDED
Many DIVA readers have devoured author Kirsty Loehr’s books A Short History Of Queer Women and A Short History Of Queer Parenting. So, you’ll be excited to see that Kirsty is joining a panel titled Mum’s the Word at The Coast is Queer this October. The panellists will discuss the unique challenges queer mothers face, from pregnancy and parenting roles to representation, visibility and finding community.
We asked Kirsty why conversations like this matter, and about the queer books that have shaped her as a writer.
Tell us what you’re doing at The Coast is Queer (TCIQ) this year.
KL: I’ll be talking about the unique challenges queer mothers face, from pregnancy and parenting roles to representation, visibility and finding community.
Why is TCIQ an important festival?
It creates space for queer people to see themselves reflected in stories and conversations. It also celebrates queer creativity while bringing people together across generations and experiences. This reminds us that our stories matter and that queer culture deserves to be celebrated and preserved.
What is the queer book that inspired you as a writer?
Without question, Tipping The Velvet by Sarah Waters. As a child, I was obsessed with history. I hated school, but I was always present for History and English. I loved reading historical fiction and non-fiction, but as I grew older and became aware of my sexuality and identity, I soon realised that this was missing from the history books that I loved.
Then I picked up Tipping The Velvet. To this day, I have no idea where it came from or how it ended up in my hands, but somehow it did. And what did I find! Here were lesbians, here were queer people, living in the Victorian era, my favourite period of history. It was an enormous relief. Suddenly, I existed. I finally had a past, and if I had a past, I could imagine a present and a future too.
That book changed everything for me. I ate up every Sarah Waters novel I could find, and it ultimately led me towards writing queer history myself.
What is the book you would add to the queer bookshelf for future readers?
My third book, A Short History Of Queer People And Their Pets, because queer people and animals have a lovely special relationship that is often ignored.
Mum’s the Word
Sunday 18 October, 11am | Auditorium
General admission £12 | Concession: pay what you can | Student: £2, plus booking fee.
DIVA readers can get 10% off all Coast is Queer events and workshops with code DIVA10.
Book tickets to Mum’s the Word →
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