When they first opened their doors in 1982, one Edinburgh bookshop was providing important literature for a community that was still ‘strongly stigmatised’.
Now, 40 years later, the team at Lavender Menace secured funding from The National Lottery Heritage fund to continue their work. Founders Sigrid Nielson and Bob Orr hope to continue creating a safe and welcoming space, while putting vital information into readers hands.
Sigrid and Bob launched Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive in 2019 to turn the books accumulated in the shop by into a permanent, accessible archive. Now with £148,250 support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, they are launching a community project that will centre around the archive’s collection of historic books, and preserve LGBT+ memories and heritage which are in danger of disappearing.
