Queering the Archive: Who Gets To Tell Our Stories?

If you have ever spent time digging through library collections or local archives, you might have noticed that the stories preserved often follow a very specific, traditional narrative. On Sunday, 24 May 2026, the University of Sussex Library is hosting a workshop titled Queering the Archive: Who Gets To Tell Our Stories?, which aims to challenge exactly that dynamic. The session is led by Aghh! Zine and Erin James, and it focuses on the tension between how institutions typically collect history and the more personal, grassroots approach of storytelling through zine-making.

The workshop is part of the University of Sussex’s Festival of Ideas and is presented in collaboration with several local organisations, including Coast is Queer, Queer Heritage South, New Writing South, and Marlborough Productions, with additional support from the Centre for Study Of Sexual Dissidence and the university’s Library, Culture and Heritage division. The core idea is to explore what happens when people with lived experience take control of their own narratives. Participants will have access to selected archival materials from the library, which they can then use to create their own zines based on stories they want to share.

It is taking place in the Teaching Room at the University of Sussex Library, located on the Southern Ring Road, Brighton (BN1 9RH). The session starts at 14:00. If you are planning to attend, tickets are priced at £5.00. There is also a booking fee of £3.50 for online or phone reservations, though this does not apply to members of the Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival. It is a practical session, so it is likely to appeal to anyone interested in DIY media, self-representation, or the intersection of academic archives and community-led creativity.