The Queer Side of Museum Objects and writing competition

At the Victoria and Albert Museum – London.

Monday 17 November
11.00-13.00

Meeting Point at the Grand Entrance.

In association with UntoldLondon and Chroma: Queer Literary and Arts Journal, the V&A is hosting short lunchtime talk focussing on the queer side of the museum collection. Subjects will include the politics of the poster, fashion and identity and gay as lesbian visibility within the museum itself.

This talk has been organised as part of a workshop for entrants to ‘Write Queer London’ competition, a writing competition for everyone everywhere.

Competition entry and bookings must be made through UntoldLondon. For more information and to enter this competition, please visit http://www.untoldlondon.org.uk/news/ART61698.html or contact Sara Wajid on swajid@museumindocklands.org.uk

What does your queer London look like? And how does it compare with queer London of yesteryear? We’re looking for stories, non-fiction, and poems about queer London, past, present and future. Where do lovers meet? What are some of the delights and dangers of queer London? Tell us those untoldtold stories of clubbing and dating, cruising and marching, loving and breaking up. Bring an alternate queer history of London alive. What if Hadrian and Antinous had had a civil partnership in ancient Cheapside? Was there a thriving scene of African sailors and Indian lascars down at the docks in the 18th century? Take inspiration from museum collections as Marguerite Yourcenar did when she wrote her modern classic, Memoirs of Hadrian, after visiting the British Museum. Or don’t. Just make it up!

We want the pride and the prejudice, the sensible and the highly senseless. Don’t hold back! Delve into the past, imagine the future, tell it like it is.

See competition guidelines and details of how to enter here. (There’s no link – so I’m assuming you email the woman above with your entry – I’ve emailed her as to how you are supposed to pay the entry fee (which isp retty steep, and I’m not a fan of entry fees to begin with)

Stories and Non-fiction: no longer than 2500 words

Poems : no longer than 30 lines

Deadline: 8th January 2009

Prizes: £100 for winning story for each category (and £25 in book tokens from Gay is the Word bookshop)

Entry Fee: £5