Manchester University Press British Queer History: New Approaches and Perspectives

This collection of essays takes stock of the ‘new British queer history’. It is intended both for scholars and students of British social and cultural history and of the history of sexuality and for a broader readership interested in queer issues. British queer history builds on the first wave of sexual diversity scholarship in the 1970s but, since the turn of the millennium, there has been a remarkable efflorescence of deeply researched, theoretically savvy work, covering the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, that has taken the study of ‘gay and lesbian’ history in intriguing new directions. In offering a snapshot of the field, this volume demonstrates the richness and promise of one of the most vibrant areas of modern British history and the complexity and breadth of discussion, debate and approach. It showcases challenging think-pieces from leading luminaries alongside some of the most original and exciting research by established and emerging young scholars. Drawing on a wide variety of source materials, the topics range from newspaper reporting of sodomy cases, to homoerotic representations of male youths in art, to queer autobiographical accounts, to oral histories of Scottish lesbians, to the camp world of gossip writers, to gay pornography and to much else besides. The book provides a plethora of fresh perspectives and a wealth of new information, suggests enticing avenues for research and – in bringing the whole question of sexual identity to the forefront of debate – challenges us to rethink the parameters of the field.