If you sit anywhere on the queer spectrum then you’ll know how very important it is that we write our own stories. Failing that we need to encourage and support others that do it on our behalf.
That’s where Inkandescent comes into it. The brainchild of East London queer couple writer/publisher Justin David and writer/editor Nathan Evans just 4 years ago, it has already made an impact championing ideas and voices underrepresented in mainstream publishing. They are the folks behind Threads, their first publication long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize, of which their second publication AutoFellatio by James Maker was the inaugural winner.
Now they are about undertake their most ambitious project yet. In partnership with Unbound they are creating MAINSTREAM: an anthology of stories from the edges, bringing thirty authors in from the margins to occupy centre-page. Queer storytellers. Working class wordsmiths. Chroniclers of colour. Writers whose life experiences give unique perspectives on universal challenges, whose voices must be heard. And read.
The collection will be published Summer 2021. It will feature established authors Elizabeth Baines, Gaylene Gould, Golnoosh Nour, James Maker, Julia Bell, Juliet Jacques, Keith Jarrett, Kerry Hudson, Kit de Waal, Leoni Ross, Neil Bartlett, Neil McKenna, Padrika Tarrant, Paul McVeigh, Philip Ridley and Queergurus very own Jonathan Kemp.
Now this is where you come in to it. They need all out help to ensure this project becomes a reality. So everyone who pledges now will receive a copy of the book. Their name will be printed in the back. For those who are able to pledge more, rewards include manuscript critiques, photo shoots. PLEASE check it out and GIVE!
https://unbound.com/books/mainstream/
P.S. Unbound is a crowdfunding publisher. They believe great ideas shouldn’t fall between the cracks because they don’t fit the mould, so they’ve built a platform allowing people to champion the voices which deserve to be heard. Their community of 247,007 people from 206 countries have pledged £8,793,698 to fund 530 projects—and counting—from bestsellers to award-winners.
https:// queerguru.com/the-pharmacist-by-justin-david-reviewed-by-queergurus-stephen-coy/
https:// queerguru.com/queerguru-reviews-cnut-nathan-evans-second-anthology-of-poems/
