New exhibition explores the power of books to build community

Past Shelves: Histories of Queer Reading, now open at the Museum of Edinburgh, brings together interviews, books, magazines, and artefacts to examine how LGBTQ+ lives have been shaped by reading.

Article Source: City of Edinburgh Council
Last Updated: 11 March 2026 14:39

A collaboration between the City of Edinburgh Council and Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, the exhibition celebrates the vital role that queer bookshops have played in Scotland’s LGBTQ+ community.

Visitors can listen to interviews reflecting on the groundbreaking 1980s and 1990s LGBTQ+ bookshops Lavender Menace and West & Wilde and discover how these spaces became hubs for sharing information on everything from health issues to activism.

The exhibition features a rich array of content, including the original West & Wilde bookshop sign, ACT UP health awareness materials, slogan t-shirts, and posters. Visitors can also browse a wide selection of LGBTQ+ books while learning more about key genres in queer publishing and the ways in which these texts fostered connection, visibility, and pride.

Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said: “Past Shelves highlights an important part of Edinburgh’s recent history and the role that local bookshops played in supporting the city’s LGBTQ+ community.

It’s great to see these stories and collections brought together in a way that recognises their significance and makes them accessible to a wide audience.

I’d encourage everyone to visit the exhibition and discover this powerful chapter of our shared history for themselves.”

Curator Vicky Garrington, Museum of Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with the Lavender Menace archive. They do so much to preserve LGBTQ+ history as well as support today’s community. Their team have selected objects from our collections and given them fresh context, highlighting just how significant our LGBTQ+ collections are.

More than anything, this exhibition explores the power of books and reading to bring people together, despite the challenges they may be experiencing in society.”

Curator Anna Broomfield, Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, said: “We are so excited to celebrate the legacy of Lavender Menace and West & Wilde bookshops, the history of LGBTQ+ publishing, and the profound impact this had on Scotland’s LGBTQ+ community.

Our interviewees have generously shared their stories with us, and we are delighted to combine these stories with a treasure trove of material from both the City of Edinburgh Council and the Lavender Menace Archive.”

The exhibition, which is free to enter, is open until Sunday 3 May 2026. More information is available at cultureedinburgh.com

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