Aesop - The Lost Library

For Pride 2023, AVCT partnered with Aesop on their annual ephemeral installation, The Aesop Queer Library, which offers complimentary books by LGBTQIA+ authors and allies, no purchase required.

Coming up with the theme to focus on forgotten, we worked with the brand to uncover and showcase two historical queer texts as part of ‘The Lost Library’. A Place for Us by Isabel Miller (1969) tells a tender story of a lesbian relationship set in early 19th-century New England, and Escape to an Autumn Pavement by Andrew Salkey (1960) explores sexuality in Caribbean culture against the backdrop of a changing London.

In addition, we brought the activation to life with a talk entitled “Repeated Histories.” hosted by our founder Charlene Prempeh and creative director Lewis Dalton Gilbert, which featured, author Mendez, writer and bookseller Erica Gillingham, and university lecturer Dr Peter Ely, discussing the importance of preserving stories from marginalized communities.

More information here.