Juno Dawson’s Lovely Trans Literary Salon with Munroe Bergdorf

Always a highlight and audience favourite, we’re delighted to welcome Juno’s Lovely Trans Literary Salon back to the festival for the sixth year. This year, Juno Dawson will be in conversation with renowned activist, model, writer, speaker and broadcaster Munroe Bergdorf to celebrate the publication of her new book, Talk To Me. Covering topics from beauty standards, cancel culture, gender identity and more, Talk To Me provides the tools to navigate tough discussions, change people’s minds, accept when you’re wrong and know when to step away. Join Juno and Munroe for an evening of important, joyful conversation.

Juno Dawson is a #1 Sunday Times best-selling novelist, screenwriter, journalist, and a columnist for Attitude Magazine. Juno’s books include the global bestsellers, THIS BOOK IS GAY and CLEAN. She won the 2020 YA Book Prize for MEAT MARKET. Her first adult fantasy trilogy HER MAJESTY’S ROYAL COVEN launched in 2022, becoming an instant best-seller. She also writes for television and has multiple shows in development both in the UK and US. Her debut short film was THE BIRTH OF VENUS (BBC 2020) and she created the first official Doctor Who scripted podcast DOCTOR WHO: REDACTED (BBC Sounds 2022). An occasional actress and model, Juno had a cameo in the BBC’s I MAY DESTROY YOU (2020), a recurring role in HOLBY CITY (BBC 2021) and was the face of Jecca Cosmetics Play Pots campaign. Juno grew up in West Yorkshire, writing imaginary episodes of Doctor Who. She later turned her talent to journalism, interviewing luminaries such as Steps and Atomic Kitten, before writing a weekly serial in a Brighton newspaper. Her writing has appeared in Glamour, The Pool, Dazed and the Guardian. She has appeared on Pointless Celebrities, BBC Women’s Hour, Front Row, ITV News, Channel 5 News, This Morning and Newsnight. Juno lives in Brighton. She is a part of the queer cabaret collective known as CLUB SILENCIO. In 2014, Juno became a School Role Model for the charity STONEWALL.

Munroe Bergdorf is a writer, activist and model who has spoken on international panels from Oxford to Princeton University and contributed to publications including the Guardian, Evening Standard, Grazia, i-D, Elle, Teen Vogue and British Vogue. Her highly anticipated podcast The Way We Are has seen great success on Spotify. She has been awarded an honorary doctorate for her contributions campaigning for transgender rights by the University of Brighton and was recently appointed a National Champion for UN Women UK. Her first film, ‘What Makes a Woman’ premiered on Channel 4 in 2018. She has been on the cover of Time, Teen Vogue, Hunger, Cosmopolitan and Gay Times. Her latest book Talk To Me is out now.