The Book of Queer Prophets - Panel Discussion

Join Ruth Hunt and The Very Reverend Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark for this panel event as we celebrate the release of The Book of Queer Prophets - 24 Writers on Sexuality and Religion by publisher William Collins.

Chaired by Ruth Hunt this panel discussion event will include some of those who have contributed to the publication. The panel includes Jeanette Winterson and other contributors TBC.

The Book of Queer Prophets - 21 Writers on Sexuality and Religion. Curated by Ruth Hunt and published by William Collins on 28 May 2020.

How does it feel to be excluded from a religious community because of your sexuality? Why do some people still believe being LGBT is a sin?

Ruth Hunt invites Queer Prophets of different faiths and none to share their experiences of navigating their sexuality and contemporary religion.

The book of Queer Prophets contains modern-day epistles from some of our most important thinkers, writers and activists: Jeanette Winterson tackles religious dogma, Amrou Al-Kadhi writes about trying to make it as a Muslim drag queen in London, John Bell writes about his decision to come out later in life, Tamsin Omond remembers getting married in the middle of a protest and Kate Bottley explains her journey to becoming an LGBT ally.

Queer Prophets contains essays from: Jeanette Winterson, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Rev. Winnie Varghese, Keith Jarrett, Jay Hulme, Lucy Knight, Tamsin Omond, Erin Clark, Michael Segalove, Jarel Robinson-Brown, John L. Bell, Mpho Tutu van Furth, Karl Rutlidge, Garry Rutter, Rev Rachel Mann, Jack Guiness, Dustin Lance Black, Ric Stott. With an afterword by Kate Bottley

Panel for this event includes;

Ruth Hunt (Chair)

Ruth Hunt was the Chief Executive of LGBT rights charity Stonewall between 2014-2019. Under her leadership Ruth redefined Stonewall’s role as a charity, from one that enables change to one that empowers others to make change happen.

After becoming CEO, Hunt spearheaded Stonewall’s commitment to trans equality, launching A Vision for Change which sets out how Stonewall will help achieve legal and social equality for trans people across all areas of their lives.

Hunt attended St. Hilda’s College, Oxford, where she studied English and was elected President of Oxford Student Union. Prior to Stonewall, Hunt worked at the Equality Challenge Unit where she led work advising higher education institutions on sexual orientation and gender identity equality.

In March 2019 she was appointed to the UK Government’s first LGBT Advisory Panel on LGBT Health in the NHS.

Hunt is a practising Roman Catholic.

Jeanette Winterson

Jeanette Winterson CBE was born in Manchester. Adopted by Pentecostal parents she was raised to be a missionary. This did and didn’t work out. Discovering early the power of books she left home at 16 to live in a Mini and get on with her education.

After graduating from Oxford University she worked for a while in the theatre and published her first novel at 25. Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit is based on her own upbringing but using herself as a fictional character. She scripted the novel into a BAFTA-winning BBC drama. 27 years later she re-visited that material in the bestselling memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

She has written 10 novels for adults, as well as children’s books, non-fiction and screenplays.

Jeanette is Professor of New Writing at the University of Manchester. She lives in the Cotswolds in a wood and in Spitalfields, London.

She believes that art is for everyone and it is her mission to prove it.

Further panel members to be announced soon.

Copies of this thoughtful and fascinating book will be available to purchase on the evening. You can also pre-order your copy when ordering tickets at a special promotional price.