Queer Fiction Reading Group

Welcome to our Queer Fiction Reading Group!

This is an inclusive reading group open to anyone to come together to read and discuss LGBTQIA+ literature, with titles handpicked by Sanna. Through a queer lens we’ll explore everything from overlooked queer classics to groundbreaking works of contemporary literary fiction.

This has been the book most suggested by you: James Baldwin's masterpiece Giovanni's Room. Published in 1956, Giovanni's Room is an intimate novel that was considered controversial upon its release. It has since prompted discussions of many issues, including representations of homosexuality, bisexuality and struggles with internalized homophobia. The novel also raises questions of social alienation, identity, masculinity, and manhood.

David, a young American in 1950s Paris, is waiting for his fiancee to return from vacation in Spain. But when he meets Giovanni, a handsome Italian barman, the two men are drawn into an intense affair. After three months David's fiancee returns and, denying his sexuality, he rejects Giovanni for a 'safe' future as a married man - a decision that will bring tragedy, longing and regret.