Independent bookshops are the unsung heroes of queer liberation, providing friendship, solidarity and sanctuary through the ages.
'A terrific read!' Jane Cholmeley, author of A Bookshop of One's Own
Travelling from Shakespeare and Company in Paris to Gay's the Word in London to the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop in New York, A.J. West has written the first history of these remarkable spaces. Tracing their evolution from under-the-counter operations to beloved out-and-proud institutions, West reveals how they stood at the vanguard of LGBTQ+ rights, offering support through the AIDS crisis and bringing the fight to Section 28.
How Queer Bookshops Changed the World celebrates cherished shops past and present, the ground-breaking books they championed when others wouldn't, and the booksellers who demonstrated courage and community through it all.
'I have savoured every chapter, practically every sentence.' James Cahill, author of Tiepolo Blue
'Perfectly captured and inspirational.' Robin Ince, co-host of BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage
'A crucial history of love, struggle, solidarity and liberation.' Jake Arnott, author of The Long Firm
| ISBN: | 9781836431695 |
| Publication date: | 7th May 2026 |
| Author: | A J West |
| Publisher: | Oneworld an imprint of Oneworld Publications |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 336 pages |
| Genres: |
Popular culture Social discrimination and social justice LGBTQ+ Studies / topics Human rights, civil rights Social and cultural history Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers |
Independent bookshops are the unsung heroes of queer liberation, providing friendship, solidarity and sanctuary through the ages.
'A terrific read!' Jane Cholmeley, author of A Bookshop of One's Own
Travelling from Shakespeare and Company in Paris to Gay's the Word in London to the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop in New York, A.J. West has written the first history of these remarkable spaces. Tracing their evolution from under-the-counter operations to beloved out-and-proud institutions, West reveals how they stood at the vanguard of LGBTQ+ rights, offering support through the AIDS crisis and bringing the fight to Section 28.
How Queer Bookshops Changed the World celebrates cherished shops past and present, the ground-breaking books they championed when others wouldn't, and the booksellers who demonstrated courage and community through it all.
'I have savoured every chapter, practically every sentence.' James Cahill, author of Tiepolo Blue
'Perfectly captured and inspirational.' Robin Ince, co-host of BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage
'A crucial history of love, struggle, solidarity and liberation.' Jake Arnott, author of The Long Firm
How Queer Bookshops Changed the World features in the following genres: Popular culture, Social discrimination and social justice, LGBTQ+ Studies / topics, Human rights, civil rights, Social and cultural history, Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers
How Queer Bookshops Changed the World is available in Hardback
How Queer Bookshops Changed the World was written by A J West and published by Oneworld an imprint of Oneworld Publications
How Queer Bookshops Changed the World has 336 pages
£15.29