About the programme
Language is a Queer Thing is an international poetry development programme by The Queer Muslim Project, VERVE Poetry Festival and supported by the British Council and BBC Contains Strong Language, that connects LGBTQIA+ poets from India and the UK. Together, they develop poems that explore what it means to be queer in their respective countries and ask how language can better reflect queer identities and experiences.
Since its launch in 2022 the programme has supported 12 LGBTQIA+ poets from India and the UK and included residencies in Birmingham, Leeds and Mumbai that culminated in two ground-breaking anthologies of queer poems.
Watch: The 2023 poets perform
'Queer South Asian people exist and they have a voice and a lot of alternative perspectives. That brings something fresh to poetry.'
— Jay Mitra, poet from the 2023 programme.
Impact
So far the poets have reached over 2 million listeners through BBC Radio and direct to live audiences. They've performed their poems at prominent festivals in the UK and India including BBC Contains Strong Language Festival, Tata Literature Live, Jaipur Literature Festival and Spoken Fest.
Language is a Queer Thing has created strong bonds between those who took part, a nurturing community space and career development opportunities involving mentorship, workshops and interactions with local communities.
Discover the 2024 programme
The 2024 programme engages six more LGBTQIA+ spoken word artists and poets from India and the UK and will focus on using poetry to create and transform communities.
We look forward to the continued journey of the poets and how they will explore the link between language, queerness and identity.
See also
Tags:
- Art Form: Literature