Sex, Lust and Romance Panel

“Where are all the sensual, honest, uncomfortable, glorious sex scenes?” asked Kirsty Logan in her 2015 Guardian article about desire and intimacy in queer literature. In 2024, she might find them here – in Jon Ransom’s muscular prose in his lust-drenched second novel, The Gallopers; in Viola Di Grado’s Blue Hunger, a taboo-breaking novel about lust and desire; in Paul Burston’s unflinching, wholly relatable autobiography We Can Be Heroes; and in the complex layers beneath interpersonal relationships in Nicola Dinan’s debut about  friendship, transitioning and first love, Bellies. 

Join them in candid conversation with radical provocateur and disruptor, Harry Clayton-Wright (Sex Education, You Otter Know) as they discuss how the language of sexuality, desire and love is changing in new queer literature.

Paul Burston is the author of six novels and five non-fiction books and the editor of two short story
collections. He hosts the award-winning LGBTQ+ literary salon Polari and is the founder of The Polari
Prize book awards for LGBTQ+ writers. In 2016 he featured in the British Council’s Global List of ‘33 visionary people promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world.’ His memoir We Can Be Heroes is published by Little A and has been described by Russell T. Davies as “brutally honest” , by Bernardine Evaristo as “a compelling and hugely enjoyable memoir about a fearless life lived to the full” and by ES Magazine as “probably the gay book of the year”. Born in York and raised in South Wales, he now divides his time between London and Hastings.

Nicola Dinan grew up in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur and now lives in London. Bellies, her debut, was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Polari First Book Prize, shortlisted for the Mo Siewcharran Prize, and a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Her second novel, Disappoint Me, will be released in 2025.

Jon Ransom is the author of The Whale Tattoo, winner the Polari First Book Prize 2023, and named a Guardian Best Fiction. His second book, The Gallopers, was published in January 2024. He grew up in Norfolk and now lives near Cambridge.

Viola Di Grado is an Italian author with works published in several countries. Born in Catania, Sicily, in 1987, she earned a Master’s in East Asian philosophies at the University of London. With her first novel 70% Acrylic 30% Wool she became the youngest winner of Italy’s Premio Campiello Opera Prima and the youngest finalist for the Premio Strega. Her novel Hollow Heart was shortlisted for the PEN Literary Awards. Her novel Fuoco al cielo won the Premio Viareggio Selezione della Giuria. She is also a literary translator: among others she has translated Joyce Carol Oates, Anne Boyer, and Patricia Highsmith. She lives in London.

Harry Clayton-Wright is a performance artist, theatre-maker and radical creator from Blackpool. Harry has worked with cabaret and circus ensembles, presented and self-produced his own solo theatre work, created short films, published zines, crafted durational performance and has been a commissioned artist on queer heritage projects across the country. Associate Artist with Brighton based NPO Marlborough Productions since 2016, Queer Amusements – a brand new multi-artform festival situated in Blackpool –  marks a step up to a Creative Director role which is both a cumulative moment in his practice and a logical progression in a diverse and wide-ranging seventeen year career. 

Harry has collaborated with GRAMMY nominated and UK Music Video Award winning director David Wilson (Christine and the Queens, Arctic Monkeys, Lady Gaga, Tame Impala) on their film Deep Clean (2019). This film, described by Little White Lies as “truly stunning… a work of legitimately radical power”, was part of the official selection for the Iris Prize, SXSW, NewFest in New York and Fringe! Queer Arts and Film Fest in London, before premiering online on NOWNESS in December 2019. Further film selections and screenings include: Berlin Music Video Awards, Sydney Underground Film Festival and Gay Propaganda for the Tom of Finland Foundation. Harry’s debut solo theatre show Sex Education (2017) won the LGBTQ award at Brighton Fringe Festival and was presented to critical acclaim with a Total Theatre Award nomination at Summerhall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe (2019) where Harry was named one of British Council’s Artists to Watch. 

During lockdown in 2020, Harry founded You Otter Know, a queer zine featuring over twenty artists, in collaboration with independent publishing house Polari Press. After four digital releases, You Otter Know: The Bumper Edition was released in physical form in November 2021. Harry’s next project is a seaside spectacle titled Mr Blackpool, pivoting from genre and discipline as an end of the pier show at the end of the world. 

All the way from Blackpool Promenade to Las Vegas, Butlins Skegness to the West End, San Francisco to Sydney Festival, Harry Clayton-Wright is an artist who never stands still and has built a career creating interesting, exciting and provocative work.