The Queer Story
An evening of queer storytelling
Friday 23 October
Central Library
7-9pm
What does it mean to write stories that place LGBTQ+ characters and themes at their heart? Join some of the Midland’s leading writers in an evening of readings and discussion on writing queer stories in the surroundings of Nottingham Central Library.
Writers Becki Jayne Crossley, Elizabeth Lovatt and Polis Loizou will be joined by host CJ De Barra to unpack what it means to write LGBTQ+ stories today. Sharing extracts from their novels, and talking about their experience as LGBTQ+ writers, this evening will be the perfect antidote to the dark evenings as the nights start to draw in.
Come and get cosy amongst the shelves of the library – bring your favourite LGBTQ+ novel to share with others by joining the discussion.
Becki Jayne Crossley
Becki has had a book in her hands since before she could actually read, and since mastering the art of holding a pencil they’ve been writing down stories. As a bisexual author, Becki is passionate about queer YA stories that portray the realities of coming out and discovering your sexuality – especially considering the lack of stories they had like this while growing up. When not writing, Becki can be found watching awful horror films, reviewing local theatre, spending too much money at theme parks, and playing computer games with questionable skill.
Polis Loizou
Polis is an award-winning Cypriot author, theatre-maker, performer and oral storyteller based in Nottingham. His debut novel, ‘Disbanded Kingdom’ (Cloud Lodge Books, 2018) was long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize. His next two books are set in Cyprus, including ‘A Good Year’ (Fairlight Moderns, 2022) – a historical novella inspired by local horror folklore.
His short stories have featured in Litro, the Stockholm Review of Literature and been long-listed for the Fish Short Story Prize.
Elizabeth Lovatt
Elizabeth is a writer of fiction and creative non-fiction, originally from Leicester and now living in London. Her first book Thank You For Calling the Lesbian Line was published by Dialogue Books in 2025 and was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize 2026 and the 2026 Lambda Literary Awards.
The book, which is part social history, part memoir, reimagines the women who both called and volunteered for the Lesbian Line in the 1990s, whilst also tracing Elizabeth’s own journey from accidentally coming out to disastrous dates to finding her chosen family. It has been described as “a timely and vital exploration of how lesbian identity continues to remake and redefine itself in the 21st century” and “a heartfelt history of the gay community”.
In 2019 she was a writer-in-residence for Islington Pride and the ruckus! archive. In November 2020 she was accepted onto Penguin Books’ #WriteNow mentorship scheme and has an MA in Creative and Critical Writing from Birkbeck. Her dissertation was awarded the Lynne Segal BiGS Prize in Gender and Sexuality.
CJ De Barra
CJ (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, neurodivergent author and journalist. Their first book, Neuroqueer: A Neurodivergent Guide to Love, Sex and Everything in Between (Mercier Press), was published in 2023. They have been a journalist for 20 years and have written for many different publications, including GCN, BBC, Diva Magazine, Euronews, The Stylist, and The Independent. CJ founded the community-led, unfunded project – Notts Queer History Archive (NQHA), which preserves and documents LGBT+ history from Nottingham, covering 1770 to 2026. This includes 210 oral history interviews, 1240 donated items and 830+ newspaper articles on queer heritage. CJ has produced three history books (Five Leaves Publications), with the first covering 1960 to 1990, released in August 2025. The follow-up, covering 1990 to 2025, was published in February 2026, and the third will cover 1770 to 1965. The archive was awarded a Rainbow Heritage award in February 2025 for its contribution to the community in the East Midlands. The project was also mentioned in the House of Commons in 2024 by MP Nadia Whittome. DIVA magazine named CJ a queer role model in 2026.