As a part of our A Dash of Lavender programme: we welcome you to join us in celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month and invite you to this captivating book talk.

Queer as Folklore is an exhilarating exploration through time and across continents, shedding light on the overlooked heroes and villains of storytelling, magic, and fantasy. Join storyteller and queer historian Sacha Coward for a spellbinding evening blending captivating visuals, storytelling, and a deep dive into the queer histories behind mythic and folkloric figures, both ancient and contemporary.

From the myths of ancient Greece to the dazzling main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Sacha will take you on a wild journey encountering cross-dressing pirates, radical fairies, and the resting places of the “queerly departed.” Unearth extraordinary tales of resilience as we step into the shadows, liminal spaces, and underworlds where queer communities have found solace and kinship.

This is a vibrant celebration of queer history and folklore, shining a light on the tangled tales of the past to understand the queer identities of today.

Event Details:

• Immerse yourself in a compelling journey through folklore, myth, and queer history with captivating storytelling from Sacha Coward
• Explore fascinating visuals drawn from archives, galleries, and museums across the globe
• Encounter the queer histories of legendary figures, both ancient and contemporary, with plenty of surprises along the way

Refreshments Available:

The Physic Garden Café will be open, offering drinks and light bites.

Schedule:

• Doors open at 6pm and the talk begins at 6:30pm
• The event finishes at 8pm

Further Information:

• Tickets are £20 per person (contact us to discuss concessionary rates)
• Spaces are limited, so early booking is recommended!
• Please note: discounts are not available for Members of the Garden
• This event takes place indoors.

Bring an open mind, a love for stories, and a sense of curiosity, and we’ll be ready to welcome you for a unique, intimate exploration of queer folklore and history! Suitable for ages 16 and above.

Author Bio:

SACHA COWARD

Sacha Coward has worked in museums and heritage for over 10 years. For the past three years, he has been freelancing as an historian, public speaker, and researcher. He has run LGBTQ+ focused tours for museums, cemeteries, archives, and cities around the world.

Sacha has made several appearances on Virgin Radio, speaking on topics such as Turing’s Law and the history of the rainbow flag. He hosted the sell-out ‘Dragged Through History’ event featuring drag queens from UK’s Drag Race such as Sum Ting Wong, Tia Kofi and Divina De Campo. During Lockdown he worked on the #MuseumFromHome movement on twitter creating daily 60 second videos about history and collections, as featured in Forbes, The Metro and the BBC’s Culture in Quarantine series.

He has written articles for a huge number of publications, including Metro, Gay Star News, National Theatre, Art UK, Queer Bible, Royal Museums Greenwich, and Dig It Scotland, with a focus on LGBTQ+ history, underrepresented audiences in heritage and mythology and folklore.

Queer as Folklore is Sacha’s first book.