Queerphoria is out in paperback and eBook, and we cannot stress enough how much of a pleasure it has been putting it together for you all. To see the incredible stories, essays, poems and reflections that have stemmed from such a broad brief all collated into one anthology has been so rewarding, creatively and personally.
It is no secret that the queer community has experienced increased hardships over the last few years. Our spaces are disappearing, with six in ten LGBTQ+ venues shut down since 2006 (BBC News, 2024); the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of ‘woman’ has been devastating, as has the subsequent rise in discrimination against trans and gender-nonconforming people; and among it all, we’re seeing escalating far-right sentiment nationally and internationally. There is a lot of fear in our communities right now – so what better time to reclaim some joy?
This collection is a love letter to our community. We wanted queer writers and queer narratives to be at the forefront of our inaugural anthology, not only because the story of VERVE cannot be told without queer voices, but as a means of resisting the current backlash – politically, socially, culturally – against the human rights of those in our community. We wanted this anthology to reflect VERVE’s vision and values for publishing, and act as an opportunity to further broaden the range of forms, voices and ideas available to readers on our list. Lastly, we wanted to partner with a charity that has always been a beacon to the LGBTQIA+ community, that has consistently offered support to queer people; this led us to Switchboard, the LGBTQ+ support line that has provided assistance for over five decades to members of the community, holding us through the AIDS crisis, the legalisation of same-sex marriage and more.
Split into three parts – The Self, Love and Sex and Community – within Queerphoria you can find explorations of gender euphoria, queer club culture, sexual exploration, found family, self-discovery and more from your favourite writers, along with poems and excerpts from brand-new queer voices. In these pages, we hope you find a story to relate to, a character that represents you and words that comfort you. Above all, we hope you discover new and exciting definitions of joy and experience the queer euphoria we felt creating this anthology.
Help us celebrate the publication of our first in-house anthology by attending our launch events at The Common Press in Dalston with Chloe Michelle Howarth, William Rayfet Hunter and Santanu Bhattacharya, chaired by co-editor Demi Echezona – tickets available here; or if you’re based in Scotland, head to Category is Books for an event with Carrie Marshall and Elle Nash, with an introduction from Queerphoria co-editor Jenna Gordon – tickets available here.
If you’re keen to find other joyously queer books to read, read Foyles’ blog Queerphoria: The books that encapsulate ‘queer joy’, with contributions from Queerphoria authors and the editor.
Pictured above: Editor Jenna Gordon (left), Assistant Editor Demi Echezona (right)