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[Staff Picks] [Where to find us] [Links]

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Textual Orientation, since 1979

In February 2009 Gay's the Word celebrated three decades of bookselling and community work. Having pioneered access to gay books in the early 80's and surviving raids, high court battles and financial scares, it is truly a fantastic achievement to reach our thirtieth year. We are here because of your support and loyalty. When you buy a book from us, either in-store, or by phone or e-mail, you also make an investment in one of the most sweethearted and comprehensively stocked gay community bookshops in the World. Thank-you.

Gay's The Word is the UK's pioneering first (and is today the last surviving) lesbian and gay bookshop. Established in 1979 and located in the historic Bloomsbury district of London, we stock an enormous range of books; from the profound to the frivolous, from the liberating to the indulgent. Our fiction ranges from prize-winning literary works through to crime, romance and erotic fiction. Our non-fiction covers a wide range of issues from cutting-edge queer theory through to how to tell your mother you are gay. Our range of queer philosophical, political, historical and other scholarly works is unequalled in the UK. When we recommend a title, it's because we've read it and particularly enjoyed it. We are proudly independent and very much see ourselves as the friendly and non-judgemental safe-space of the gay scene. We are a straight-friendly gay-family business! We have books on gay subject-matter across all genres and also host free book readings and signings.


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Forthcoming Events for November

Historian H.G. Cocks Reads from:

NAMELESS OFFENCES: HOMOSEXUAL DESIRE IN THE 19TH CENTURY, and

CLASSIFIED: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PERSONAL COLUMN

MONDAY 30TH NOVEMBER 2009 AT 7PM

Nameless Offences
The Secret history of homosexual culture in Victorian England

What did the Victorians know about desire between men? Was it really 'the love that dare not speak its name'? Nameless Offences argues that even before Oscar Wilde and the rise of sexual science there was an open, public and concerted discussion of same-sex desire that went to the heart of Victorian notions of masculinity, class and identity.

'a breath of fresh air...a powerful contribution to the history of male homosexuality...and the cultural history of nineteenth-century Britain.' Matt Houlbrook.

Nameless Offences , by H.G. Cocks is £16.99 and published by I.B. Tauris.

Classified
Classified is a fascinating sideways look at the history of relationships in twentieth-century Britain, explored through the medium of the personal ad. From lonely clerks and typists desperate for love in the cities of 1920s England, through to the swingers of the 1960s and 1970s and the internet junkies of today, it shows how the personal ad has mirrored and encouraged seismic shifts in society and popular attitudes to relationships.

'a fascinating portrait of changing social mores, from Thirties pornography and Seventies wife-swapping through to modern internet dating.' - Mail on Sunday

Classified, by H.G. Cocks is £14.99 [HB] and published by Random House

H.G. Cocks is a lecturer in the School of History at the University of Manchester. His other publications include The Modern History of Sexuality. This is a free event...with refreshment provided and all are welcome

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How to Get Queer!

Gay's The Word is located at 66, Marchmont Street in Bloomsbury, London - just a two minute walk from Russell Square Tube Station. Click on the Transport for London link below to plan your journey.


or bell a bookseller on 0207 278 7654

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News & Information

The Gay's The Word Documentary is available to view on-line both on YouTube (keyword search 'Gays the Word Documentary) and through the ITV local web-site. For the latter simply click on the Camden area on this link to view:

Gay's The Word Documentary

Gay's the Word is now thirty years old!!! Happy Birthday to us! GTW continues to be as dedicated to the well-being and spread of ideas in the queer community as it was in 1979 when our doors first opened. We are genuinely proud of our part in promoting access to what we believe is some of the most facinating and insightful literature ever produced by some of our most creative and daring minds.

Recently we have enjoyed hosting some excellent book events, including Novelists Jake Arnott and Patrick Gale, literary jack-of-all-trades Richard Canning, Poet Mark Walton, Novelist Nick Alexander, literary and civil rights powerhouse Elizabeth Wilson.
. In addition, the long-running and tremendously enjoyable Lesbian Discussion Group that meets every Wednesday at 8pm continues to provide a relaxed and welcoming woman-only space. See the [Notice Board - Lesbian Discussion Group] page for a list of weekly discussion topics.

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If you are interested in accessing details of our stock that deals with Queer Youth, Lesbian and Gay Parenting or Children's books that promote diversity please either e-mail us at sales@gaystheword.co.uk, putting your topic of interest plus the word 'Review' in the subject header or, alternatively, give us a ring. We also now have Children's books listed up on this site on the [Children's Books] page.

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[Home Page]
[New Titles] [Gay Fiction] [Lesbian Fiction] [Non Fiction] [Coming Out, Sex & Relationships] [Gay & Lesbian History]
[Transgender] [Gay Erotic Fiction] [Children's Books] [Notice Board - Lesbian Discussion Group]
[Staff Picks] [Where to find us] [Links]

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