Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Author Niven Govinden welcomes Brighton's first LGBTQ+ literary festival

by LAUREN CODLING

A CRITICALLY acclaimed author spoke of “challenging times” relating to the visibility of the arts industry, as he is due to appear in an LGBTQ+ literary festival next month.


Niven Govinden will take part at the inaugural The Coast is Queer festival next month, the first of its kind in Brighton.

Appearing in a Q&A alongside fellow writer Dean Atta, Govinden will discuss his latest release, This Brutal House. Programmed by New Writing South and The Marlborough, the festival will bring together an array of LGBTQ+ voices to celebrate queer lives and writing.

“It is a challenging time in terms of visibility for the arts around the country,” Govinden told Eastern Eye. “So, it is great to see a brand-new festival springing up outside of London and I hope that it will run for years to come.”

He believes that festivals such as this are not just vital for the LGBTQ+ community, but all avid literary fans. Reading is a very solitary act, so being able to go to a space where there are other people with similar interests is a very positive thing, he said.

“I think (these festivals) exist as a beacon to attract like minded people to come together”, he added.

Govinden’s latest work, This Brutal House, his fifth novel, takes place in New York City. The narrative of the novel opens on a group of ‘Mothers’ — known as the guardians of the queer vogue ball community — who are sitting in silent protest. Their ‘children’ have gone missing and the authorities have made no moves to find them.

It took Govinden five years to write the book. He read an array of protest and queer literature to prepare for his own writing process. Govinden said he aimed to portray New York as “a character in the book”. While conducting research, he read books by American journalist Robert Caro who wrote a biography on the urban planner “master builder” Robert Moses.

On his typical writing style, Surrey-based Govinden said he was more “concerned with how people think, rather than what they do.”

“I’m very much interested in how people live now, how people make sense of their surroundings and the world around them,” the novelist explained, citing writers James Baldwin and Hubert Selby Jr. as early inspirations.

Since his first book, We Are The New Romantics, was published in 2004, Govinden has seen the literary world change. Although he has never personally felt he ever hit a glass ceiling due to his sexuality or race, he does believe that the LGBTQ+ community has progressively become more visible in the publishing trade.

“The way you (have a voice) is by creating work and putting it out there, but this is very much supported by major publishers now,” he said. “This is a strong year in terms of queer writing being published.”

The Coast is Queer is set in Brighton, a town which is unofficially known as the LGBTQ+ capital of the UK. The community is thought to be one of the largest in the country and Brighton Pride is one of the largest events of its kind in Britain.

Born in East Sussex, Govinden always felt a strong connection to the seaside resort. When he was in his teens, he spent a lot of time in Brighton. Later, as a young adult, he realised what the town offered as a “queer space”.

“I always remember thinking how welcoming it was,” Govinden said. “It has always felt like such an accessible and open place.”

See more: https://coastisqueer.com/

More For You

Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

Christine Kangaloo awards Narendra Modi with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago last Friday (4)

Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

INDIA’S prime minister, Narendra Modi met Argentine president Javier Milei in Buenos Aires last Saturday (5), urging the expansion of New Delhi’s preferential trade deal with South America’s Mercosur bloc.

The bilateral talks with Milei were the latest in Modi’s whistle-stop diplomatic tour culminating in the summit of Brics emerging economies which began last Sunday (6) in Brazil.

Keep ReadingShow less
Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

Lord Coaker (Photo: UK Parliament)

Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

A FRESH parliamentary initiative to establish a dedicated Sikh regiment within the British Army has gained momentum in the House of Lords, with defence minister Lord Coaker expressing willingness to engage in further discussions about the long-debated proposal.

The issue was raised in the House of Lords on Monday (7) by Labour peer Lord Sahota, who asked whether there had been any progress on long-standing calls for a Sikh regiment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heatwave Alert: Don’t Leave Contraceptives or Medication in Cars

Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

iStock

Drivers warned to remove contraceptives and medication from cars during UK heatwave

Highlights:

  • Experts urge motorists to avoid leaving certain items in vehicles during upcoming heatwave
  • Temperatures expected to rise above 30°C across large parts of the UK
  • Contraceptives and common medications can lose effectiveness in high heat
  • Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

Drivers urged to act as UK braces for extended heatwave

Drivers across the UK are being urged to remove a range of everyday items from their cars ahead of a predicted heatwave, with experts warning that the rising temperatures could pose both safety and health risks.

The Met Office has forecast a prolonged spell of hot weather, with temperatures expected to soar into the low 30s on Thursday and Friday. Much of the UK is likely to hit its regional heatwave threshold by the weekend, with this episode potentially affecting a wider area and lasting longer than previous hot spells.

Keep ReadingShow less
Royal Mail

The Royal Mail logo is seen on the side of a van as the UK government clear a 3.57 billion pound takeover offer by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in London, December 16, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Ofcom updates Royal Mail delivery targets, starts pricing review

MEDIA regulator Ofcom has set new minimum delivery standards for Royal Mail and revised existing targets in an effort to reduce delays. It also announced a review into pricing and affordability, amid concerns over rising stamp prices.

Royal Mail, which has faced fines of around $20 million over the past two years for not meeting delivery targets, is currently trying to modernise operations and focus more on parcel deliveries.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sheikh Hasina

Hasina left for India at the end of the student-led protests and has not returned to Dhaka, where her trial for alleged crimes against humanity began on June 1. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Leaked audio suggests Hasina ordered use of force during 2024 protests

SOME leaked audio recordings suggest Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently on trial in absentia, ordered a deadly crackdown on protests last year.

According to the United Nations, up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 when Hasina's government cracked down on demonstrators during an attempt to stay in power.

Keep ReadingShow less