Tell us what you’re doing at The Coast is Queer this year

I’ll be in conversation with Sarah Waters about her unparalleled career and about the importance and development of queer literature in the 21st Century!

Why is The Coast is Queer an important festival?

It’s one of my favourite festivals because it keeps such a close eye on emerging talents and showcases an incredibly broad range of queer and trans voices. I think at a point where rights are being so systematically rolled back across the board, it’s crucial to continue to recognise queer literature and queer writers as a vital and inescapable presence.

What is the queer book that inspired you as a writer?

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor – it’s the kind of book that reminds you there are no rules in writing and that a truly transcendent novel can be funny, tender, bizarre and sexy all at once.

What is the book you would add to the queer bookshelf for future readers?

The Persistent Desire: A Femme/Butch Reader (ed. Joan Nestle)

Julia Armfield and Sarah Waters in conversation will close this year’s Festival at 5pm on Sunday 18 October 2026.