Aesop Queer Library

Overview

The Aēsop Queer Library has popped up all over the globe, and now it is New Zealand's turn. From Friday, 16 February– Sunday, 18 February, the Ponsonby Aēsop store will transform into a library full of books by people in the LGBTQIA+ community, providing a safe space for queer authors as well as those reading the books themselves.

The library is arriving just in time for Auckland Pride, which has been running throughout the Supercity since the beginning of the month. The Aēsop Queer Library — which has previously visited Melbourne, England, America and Taiwan — was established with the aim that telling queer stories can have a significant impact on both the queer community and its allies, through both reading and discussing novels found in this safe environment.

The Ponsonby space will platform a range of LGBTQIA+ voices, including queer BIPOC, transgender and gender non-conforming writers. The team has curated a collection of books that speak to the effort of challenging stereotypes, while making positive steps within the community. By platforming these authors, Aēsop hopes to create a space for writers who may have been overlooked by the mainstream publishers.

The books collected for the Aēsop Queer Library come from The Women's Bookshop. The library will be open from 9.30am–5.30pm on Friday, 9.30am–7pm on Saturday and 9.30-5pm on Sunday.