Peter Scott-Presland says people assume everything is about sex when it comes to gay events

COUNCIL managers demanded changes to a poster promoting an LGBTQ+ literature event – because of the words “spicy queer stories”.

The Town Hall said the choice of description was not suitable for all ages using Holborn Library ahead of the event organised by The Gay Authors Workshop.

Peter Scott-Presland, a writer and organiser of the group, said: “It was one of those cases that happens quite a lot, which is people taking offence on behalf of other people who haven’t been consulted. It’s a rather patronising form of protection.

“The offending phrase is ‘spicy queer stories in bite-sized chunks’. The reference is obviously to food, as shown by the phrase ‘bite-sized chunks’. Any other connotation is in the mind of the reader. “It’s as if the word ‘spicy’ coupled with the word ‘queer’ immediately puts sex into people’s minds. Again, they were legislating for other people’s supposed reactions, but nobody else had those reactions. It doesn’t really give me any feeling other than ‘here we go again’.”

The words that Camden Council said wouldn’t be suitable for all ages to see

An agreement on changing the text was reached so the event could continue to be promoted. The Gay Authors Workshop, founded in 1978, began as part of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, when local groups were set up around the country to provide social and creative spaces for gay men and lesbians.

Mr Scott-Presland said: “In the early 1990s people started wanting to get things published and were trying to get novels out into the world with no response from straight media, because at that stage it was seen as box office poison and that nobody would buy it. There were limited outlets for LGBT fiction.”

Gay Authors Workshop later established its own self-publishing cooperative, Paradise Press, which has produced more than 40 books to provide an outlet for people to get their writing into the public domain. Since 2000, the group has been meeting for monthly readings and, over the past two years, has been running writing workshops in the King’s Arms pub in Poland Street.

Mr Scott-Presland added: “It is still incredibly difficult to get into the mainstream, particularly if what you are writing is quirky. If it is not a conventional coming-out story, if it’s not centred on romantic relationships, if it’s got elements of politics, it’s quite difficult to get that out into the world. Also, for writers, it’s a very lonely occupation sitting there facing your computer all day, and through our workshops writers have social contact with other writers, so we all know what each other are going through.”

Members of the Gay Authors Workshop

The group is due to read extracts from the recent publication of anthologies Hot Flashes and Flash Dances at the Theobald’s Road library on March 14. Mr Scott-Presland is also the director of the theatre group Homo Promos and, for a time, ran the Rio Cinema in Dalston.

A council spokesperson said: “The council continues to roll out a jam-packed LGBT+ History Month programme this February and our library teams are playing a proud part, organising talks and workshops hosted by LGBT+ activists and putting together wonderful displays highlighting LGBT+ literature and history.

“Our team at Holborn Library worked with the organisers of the workshop, as is standard procedure, to ensure that public-facing comms were suitable for all ages.”

The Gay Authors Workshop Queer Fiction Fiesta will take place on March 14 from 2.30pm in Holborn Library, Theobald’s Road. Tickets are free on Eventbrite. The New Journal’s LGBT+ History Month special features can be found on pages 10–16.