Writing The Night

How can writers translate the experience of queer nightlife to the page? How can music, dance and the rich cultural history of queer clubbing be immortalised in memoir and fiction? Brighton’s own nightlife Tzarina, Kathy Caton, will find out when she talks to legendary DJ, radio presenter and memoirist,  DJ Paulette (Welcome to the Club);  prolific activist, performer, presenter and writer, Dan Glass (Queer Footprints); historian Alf Le Flohic (The Magic Farm and other queer tales) who reminded us that queer hedonism once lived large in the villages of Sussex and Kent; and Brightonian Daren Kay (The Brightonians Under Siege) who reclaimed the spirit of the Magic Farm for 21st century readers. 

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Daren Kay is the Author of two novels (The Brightonians & The Brightonians Under Siege) and editor of a book on advertising copy (26 Compelling Letters). Community Curator of Queer the Pier at Brighton Museum, an exhibition celebrating 200 years of queer history in the county. Long-standing volunteer at The Ledward Centre, the city’s LGBTQ+ centre. Fundraiser for The Sussex Beacon, the much-loved charity which provides care and support for people living with HIV. And door-whore at queer-friendly-dress-fancy-soul-salon, Fever Club. Pronouns He/him

Alf Le Flohic is the author of a volume of queer oral history: The Magic Farm and Other Queer Tales (Colossive Press / Homo Made Books). Community Curator and donator to ‘Queer the Pier’ exhibition at Brighton Museum. Co-founder of ‘Gay Brighton Past: Our Velvet Vault of Memories’ Facebook Group. Still trying to find time to complete a book on the history of the Sussex Gay Liberation Front 1971–76. Ex-Director of Brighton Ourstory history group, and independent researcher into south-east LGBTIQ+ history: gayhistory.co.uk

Dan Glass (he / they) is an AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) healthcare and human rights activist, performer, presenter and writer. I have been recognised as Attitude Magazine’s ‘campaigning role models for LGBTQI youth’, a Guardian ‘UK youth climate leader’, 2017 ‘Activist of the Year’ with the ‘Sexual Freedom Awards’ and was announced a ‘BBC Greater Londoner’ in 2019 for founding ‘Queer Tours of London – A Mince Through Time.’  His book United Queerdom: From the Legends of the Gay Liberation Front to the Queers of Tomorrow was the Observer book of the week and new book Queer Footprints – a Guide to Uncovering London’s Fierce History is out now. As an artist and facilitator with the In Place of War global network he uses creativity in places of conflict as a tool for positive change and is an international trainer with Training for Transformation and Beautiful Trouble. Contact Dan at www.theglassishalffull.co.uk, alright@theglassishalffull.co.uk and @danglassmincer

DJ Paulette

THE CATEGORY IS … AWARD WINNING …

Winner of the DJ Mag Top 100 Lifetime Achievement Award (November 2022) the Keychange (PRS) Inspiration Award (Sound City April 2023), the NTIA Ambassadors of The Night Award (March 2024) and voted DJ of the Year (Nordoff and Robbins) Northern Music Awards 2024 Paulette is a highly regarded DJ, broadcaster and now author, celebrated around the world, born and raised in (and still resident of) Manchester. Over a 30-year career, she has scaled the heights of dance music fame and hedonism playing disco, house and techno to huge crowds and in cool underground basements. She is a DJ who is renowned for consistently ‘smashing’ every set she plays. One of two women to have a monthly residency at the Hacienda, she went on to have residencies at Brighton’s Zap Club and London’s Heaven and Ministry of Sound, before serving successful stints in Paris and Ibiza then returning to Manchester to rise again in her birth and spiritual home. She has a keen talent for reinvention and replicating excellence. Her second Essential Mix was broadcast on Radio One in February 2023. She is known for her monthly radio shows with Reform Radio, Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM and has a Global Residency show produced in collaboration with The Radio Department that can be found on Apple Music. She is a regular presenter stand-in for AFRODEUTSCHE and Craig Charles on BBC 6 Music. 

Last year she played an iconic B2B with The Blessed Madonna, closing the massive Homobloc party at Warehouse Project. She shone consistently throughout 2023 with her sets at Faith at 93 Feet East, Trade at The Egg, HeSheThey at Ministry of Sound, Kaiku in Helsinki, Corsica Studios, Blitz Club in Munich, El Row, San Remo, Stonebridge and Greenpeace at Glastonbury, Bugged Out at Drumsheds , Glitterbox at Hi Ibiza and Defected in Malta amongst many more. She has played headline sets at Beams in London, for Warehouse Project – Glitterbox, Homobloc and Hacienda, in the NYC Downlow for Block 9 at Glastonbury, Beatherder, Brixton Disco Festival, Worldwide Festival in Sete, Mighty Hoopla, Horsemeat Disco in Berlin, Kelburn Garden Party, The National Theatre River Stage, Gilles Peterson’s stage for All Points East,  Brighton Pride, Glitterbox at Hi Ibiza, Flow Festival in Finland, Homoelectric, Feel It at Omeara and Fatboy Slim’s Weekender ‘All Back to Minehead’ whilst there is plenty more to come in 2024!

Aside from dj’ing Paulette is an events and exhibition curator and a regular contributor to radio shows as diverse as Jamz Supernova on 6Music, Radcliffe and Maconie , Afrodeutsche’s ‘The People’s Party’, Craig Charles’ Funk And Soul Show, Amy Lame, Anamatronic’s ‘Dance Devotion’, Eats Everything’s ‘Edible Beats’. She sits on the Regional Committee for the Musicians’ Union and is a Power Up mentor for shesaidso.  Her debut book ‘Welcome To The Club: The life and lessons of a black woman DJ’ published in January 2024 by Manchester University Press to huge critical acclaim.

Quite literally the queer voice of Brighton, Kathy Caton MBE is a broadcaster with the BBC and Radio Reverb, where she produced the Out in Brighton show, focusing on the arts, culture and all things LGBTQ, for over eight years. As the MD of Brighton Gin, Kathy is also a pioneer in the world of craft gin making, championing diversity and sustainability in the workplace.