Queer Histories from Ancient Times to Yesterday

Contrary to the current narrative, queer stories didn’t begin in the modern day — in fact they are as old as humanity itself. Join us for this fascinating journey into queer lives, myths and histories from the ancient world to recent history, with Harry Tanner (The Queer Thing About Sin) and Frank Wynne (Queer: A Collection of LGBTQ Writing from Ancient Times to Yesterday), chaired by Tazmyn-Mei Gebbett.

From classical texts to hidden historical narratives, all the way up to the present, this panel will uncover how queerness has been recorded, erased and reimagined across time. Expect fresh perspectives on familiar histories, dives into unknown territories and a deeper look at the stories that still resonate today.

Whether you’re a history lover or simply curious about the roots of queer storytelling, this session will open up the queer past in bold and unexpected ways. 

3-Day Festival and Friday Pass holders: This event is free to attend with your pass, but advance registration is required as places are limited. Please book a Pass Holder Free Registration ticket to reserve your place. Without a reservation, we cannot guarantee entry.

Frank Wynne is an Irish literary translator, writer and editor. He has translated numerous French and Hispanic authors including Michel Houellebecq, Patrick Modiano, Javier Cercas and Virginie Despentes. Over a career spanning more than twenty-five years, his work has twice earned him the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, and been awarded the Scott Moncrieff Prize three times and the Premio Valle Inclán twice. Most recently, his translation of The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers Guild by Mathias Énard won the 2024 French-American Prize. He has edited two major anthologies, Found in Translation: 100 0f the finest short stories ever translated (2018) and QUEER: LGBT writing from Ancient Times to Yesterday (2021).

Dr Harry Tanner earned his PhD in Ancient Greek at the National University of Ireland, Galway. As a teenager, he was an evangelical Christian and came to believe homosexuality was a sin. After a period as an atheist, he is open once again to spirituality and religion, and lives a fulfilled gay life in London where he writes and teaches ancient languages and history.

Tazmyn-Mei Gebbett (chair) (they/them) is an actor (Jamie Lloyd’s Cyrano de Bergerac, Netflix’s The Decameron) and writer who spends their spare time talking about books on the internet, @TeaBooksAndTazmyn. They particularly focus on highlighting books from queer, ESEA and/or disabled authors.