> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# The Coast Is Queer returns to Brighton with Juno Dawson, Damian Barr and Yael Van Der Wouden
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/the-coast-is-queer-returns-to-brighton-juno-dawson-damian-barr-and-yael-van-der-wouden/
- Published: 2025-10-03T09:11:30.000Z
- Updated: 2025-10-03T09:11:50.000Z
- Author: Brian Butler
- Tags: Culture

The UK’s biggest festival of LGBTQ+ literature - **The Coast Is Queer** \- returns to Brighton’s **Attenborough Centre** from **9 - 12 October**.

Headline writers include **Yael Van Der Wouden**, **Juno Dawson**, **Munroe Bergdorf**, **Ali Smith**, **Jackie Kay**, **Travis Alabanza**, **Damian Barr** and **Joelle Taylor**.

Panel sessions will include publishers, writers and literary agents, and a pop-up queer **Heritage Hub** at the **University of Sussex**’s library will open up Brighton’s queer past.

Now in its seventh year, The Coast Is Queer creates a space for queer readers, writers and allies to celebrate the written word.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-03-at-10.10.06.png)

Highlights include ***It Ain’t Over Until The Bisexual Speaks***, with **Vaneet Mehta**, **Lois Shearing** and **Sam Mills**. The session will examine among other topics the common erasure of bisexuality.

***From Page To Stage -*** with **Coral Wylie** and **Debbie Hannan** \- shows how to bring queer stories to theatrical production. ***Graphic Sexuality: The Novel Art of Being Queer*** will delve into the world of queer zines, comics and graphic novels. ***Re: Search: Ways of Finding Queer Histor***y looks at how researchers are bringing queer history out of the closet and into the light.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-03-at-10.08.50.png)

Poet **Joelle Taylor** will read extracts from her electrifying collection ***The Night Alphabet***. Other topics will include queer horror stories, black history and **Juno Dawson**'s much-loved ***Lovely Trans Literary Salon*** with **Munroe Bergdorf**. 

***Letter to My Little Trans Self*** will include **Ebony Rose Dark**, **Luc Grey** and **Libra Levi Bridgeman** reading trans people’s letters to their former selves - moving, humble, scary and joyful.

There’s an open mic night with Brighton-based **AFLO** **the poet**, and much more. 

💡

****Full programme and tickets** [****HERE**](https://coastisqueer.com/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)