This edition’s Fynests reads were provided by Pluto Press, a radical political publishing house founded in 1969. As one of the world’s oldest radical publishers, Pluto’s focus remains making timely interventions in contemporary struggles. “Though our collective outlook has developed over time, we proudly identify as anti-capitalist, internationalist and politically independent.” They recommended two great reads to us ahead of Pride month – Queer Footprints, and Private Worlds.
Queer Footprints: A Guide to Uncovering London’s Fierce History
by Dan Glass
Published by Pluto Press in May 2023
Paperback ISBN: 9780745346212
£14.99
Walk in our queer elders’ footprints in this guide full of humour, joy, pathos, and mischief
This ground-breaking guide will take you through the city streets to uncover the scandalous, hilarious, and empowering events of London’s queerstory. Follow in the footprints of veteran activists, such as those who marched in London’s first Pride parade in 1972 or witnessed the 1999 bombing of the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho.
Accompanied by a chorus of voices of both iconic and unsung legends of the movement, readers can walk through parts of East, West, South and North London, dipping into beautifully illustrated maps and extraordinary tales of LGBTQIA+ solidarity, protest and pride. The shadows of gentrification, policing, homophobia, and racism are time and again resisted.
From the Brixton Fairies to Notting Hill Carnival to world-changing protests in Trafalgar Square, Rebel Dykes to drag queen communes, Queer Footprints celebrates the hidden histories of struggle and joy. Including an accessibility guide and a list of these gems for your pleasure – queer spaces, clubs, networks, and resources galore.
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Private Worlds: Growing Up Gay in Post-War Britain
by Jeremy Seabrook
Published by Pluto Press in Apr 2023
Paperback ISBN: 9780745348421
£14.99
A moving memoir chronicling the friendship of two gay men coming of age in 1950s Britain
In 1950s suburban England, a friendship bloomed between Jeremy Seabrook and Michael O’Neill – both gay men coming of age during a time when homosexuality was still a crime. Their relationship was inflected by secrecy and fear; the shadows that had distorted their adolescent years were never wholly dispelled, long into their adult life.
Lyrical, candid and poignant, this is a tale of sexual identity, working-class history and family drama. A memoir of unparalleled authenticity, Private Worlds is an elegy for a doomed friendship.
