The Love That Dares: Letters of LGBTQ+ Love Friendship Through History
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- Create Date：2022-04-28 08:54:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Rachel Smith
- ISBN：178157829X
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Summary
An intimate and inspiring collection of letters revealing some of the greatest queer love stories in history
"What this charming， moving and fascinating collection proves is that the [letter] form itself - a scribbled note， a declaration of love， an outpouring of passion， a bitter word - has always been with us。" - Mark Gatiss
A good love letter can speak across centuries， and reassure us that the agony and the ecstasy one might feel today have been shared by lovers long gone。 In The Love That Dares ， queer love speaks its name through a wonderful selection of surviving letters between lovers and friends， confidants and companions。
Alongside the more famous names coexist beautifully written letters by lesser-known lovers。 Together， they weave a narrative of queer love through the centuries， through the romantic， often funny， and always poignant words of those who lived it。
Including letters written by:
John Cage
Audre Lorde
Benjamin Britten
Lorraine Hansberry
Walt Whitman
Vita Sackville-West
Radclyffe Hall
Allen Ginsberg
"What this charming， moving and fascinating collection proves is that the [letter] form itself - a scribbled note， a declaration of love， an outpouring of passion， a bitter word - has always been with us。" - Mark Gatiss
A good love letter can speak across centuries， and reassure us that the agony and the ecstasy one might feel today have been shared by lovers long gone。 In The Love That Dares ， queer love speaks its name through a wonderful selection of surviving letters between lovers and friends， confidants and companions。
Alongside the more famous names coexist beautifully written letters by lesser-known lovers。 Together， they weave a narrative of queer love through the centuries， through the romantic， often funny， and always poignant words of those who lived it。
Including letters written by:
John Cage
Audre Lorde
Benjamin Britten
Lorraine Hansberry
Walt Whitman
Vita Sackville-West
Radclyffe Hall
Allen Ginsberg
Reviews
Simone
，
I cannot tell you how much I adore this collection。 We are looking at letters between lovers， between friends， between exes and everything in between but they all have one thing in common: The authors of these letters are of the LGBTQIAP+ community。 Dating back to Sappho， the letters， poems and musings in this collection offer us an insight what it meant to be queer all through history。 The texts are charming， funny， heartfelt and sad and this glimpse into the lives of these people made me tear I cannot tell you how much I adore this collection。 We are looking at letters between lovers， between friends， between exes and everything in between but they all have one thing in common: The authors of these letters are of the LGBTQIAP+ community。 Dating back to Sappho， the letters， poems and musings in this collection offer us an insight what it meant to be queer all through history。 The texts are charming， funny， heartfelt and sad and this glimpse into the lives of these people made me tear up multiple times。 These texts were clearly carefully chosen and the consideration of each and every one of them has created a whole masterpiece。 Even if you don't love non-fiction - read this。 。。。more
Abrar Touq
，
Let me get the physical book and then I’ll write a better review。
Lauren McCourt
，
"For a community which has lived too long with shame and oppression， this is a wonderful snapshot of a timeless and continuing presence。。。"This collection of letters not only told beautiful love stories through the ages， but shared important historical context to give me a deeper insight into queer love and how couples had to deal the social stigma， and even the legality， of being in a queer relationship。 These letters show clearly that love is love， no matter who you are。 The fascinating backgr "For a community which has lived too long with shame and oppression， this is a wonderful snapshot of a timeless and continuing presence。。。"This collection of letters not only told beautiful love stories through the ages， but shared important historical context to give me a deeper insight into queer love and how couples had to deal the social stigma， and even the legality， of being in a queer relationship。 These letters show clearly that love is love， no matter who you are。 The fascinating backgrounds and historical context pared with the intimate insights into these relationships made me feel like I was being transported in to their world。 At times I even felt like I was reading something I shouldn't be because of the intimacy of the sentiments shared between lovers。 While some of the earlier letters and poetry were slightly harder to get through， the introductions to the writers and their moment in time made their letters come alive。 I really recommend this to LGBTQ+ allies - it's one that you can easily pick up and put down and jump to the stories that you're most interested in。 It's also inspired me to pick up some books by writers featured in the book， such as John Hall。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kezia
，
Such a beautiful collection of love letters and poems。 Many of them are made even more special and touching by the fact that they were written by individuals who were having to hide who they are， and consequently keep their feelings and love for one another a secret。 We are very lucky to be able to read these moments and see people be totally vulnerable and honest。
M
，
It wasn’t particularly groundbreaking for me， but I didn’t get the sense that it was supposed to be。 It very much felt like a comforting collection， reminding me that we have always been here， which made for a relaxing and lighthearted read of LGBTQ+ loving over time。 A great read that served to reassure very well。
Susan Corcoran
，
Stories are powerful tools， especially letters， as they speak straight from the world and experiences of the people who wrote them。 For many it is rare to see themselves and their community reflected in books， especially LGBTQ+ people， children and adults， who are often made to feel that they have no history they can identify with。 The Love That Dares seeks to correct that and give them a link with those that came before them， such as Benjamin Britten， Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde。It is a wonder Stories are powerful tools， especially letters， as they speak straight from the world and experiences of the people who wrote them。 For many it is rare to see themselves and their community reflected in books， especially LGBTQ+ people， children and adults， who are often made to feel that they have no history they can identify with。 The Love That Dares seeks to correct that and give them a link with those that came before them， such as Benjamin Britten， Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde。It is a wonderful collection of love letters from the past， that speaks to the present generation， shouting loud and clear that love is definitely love， no matter your sexuality。 What I found fascinating was how Rachel Smith and Barbara Vesey didn’t just include letters from famous people many of us are familiar with， but have given a voice to the historical diversity of the LGBTQ+ community; such as the ancient Greek poet Sappho， who is said to have had male and female lovers and whose poetry talks about her passionate love of women。Sing the song while I， in the arms of Atthis，Seal her lips to mine with a lover’s fervour，ANACREON’S SONG: THE LOVE THAT DARES: LETTERS OF LGBTQ+ LOVE & FRIENDSHIP THROUGH HISTORY – RACHEL SMITH & BARBARA VESEYNot only is it and emotional and powerful read， it is informative as well， each section is given an introduction， giving us the background to the letters and the people that wrote them。 I was fascinated to learn of not just the love felt by the writers， but the context in which they poured out their feelings within。 Men such Bayard Rustin， who was not just an openly gay man during a time of civil unrest， he was an influential adviser to leaders such as Dr Martin Luther King。 Despite facing discrimination and attacks simply for being gay， he continued to work for issues he felt passionate about and poured out in his correspondence the agonies of the love he felt as a gay man， when his very existence was deemed illegal and an act of gross perversion。 The authors giving a voice to his experiences and the anguish he and others felt， because society ostracized them。 They have brought to life in the best way possible way within The Love That Dares， his thoughts and the love he and others felt， through their own words。 They have allowed men and women to call across the generations to modern readers and say， we understand how you feel， we felt that way to， we see you and you are not alone because we walked before you。Many still live with shame and in isolation and need to see themselves reflected in written word， just as any community does。 This delightful collection of letters shows them that not only are they not alone， but that LGBTQ+ love， has existed throughout history。It is an excellent and highly emotive read， that brings the history and the written word of the LGBTQ+ community to modern readers。 It does so with a great deal of sensitivity， allowing the writers to speak for themselves and shows that queer love has existed throughout history。It is time now to stop homophobia in in tracks and this book gives the lie to their arguments against equality。 Love is what connects us to the people that pour out their feelings in The Love That Dares， not what separates us！ 。。。more
Lauren
，
I loved this book so much！I have previously read collections of letters such as those between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West so although part of me feels like I am intruding upon these relationships， the other half is fascinated to see them develop through their own words。 There were names and relationships I knew from this collection prior to reading and many that I did not; but their universal themes of love and longing were so poignant and powerful even today。 I think it is so importa I loved this book so much！I have previously read collections of letters such as those between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West so although part of me feels like I am intruding upon these relationships， the other half is fascinated to see them develop through their own words。 There were names and relationships I knew from this collection prior to reading and many that I did not; but their universal themes of love and longing were so poignant and powerful even today。 I think it is so important to learn more about LGBTQIA+ history and it is collections like this which make it so much more accessible for gaining such knowledge and insight into queer relationships of the past and also how they still impact in the present。 I enjoyed the humour， sadness， flirtations and the mundane that makes up every relationship。 Simply a wonderful collection and a perfect example of how enduring and beautiful love can be。 。。。more
Lau
，
Thank you to Netgalley， Rachel Smith and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review。Beautiful historical accounts of LGBTQ+ people throughout history; told through letters， stories and poetry。 Very interesting and emotional to read， I would recommend。
em
，
What a beautiful collection of letters， poems and accounts from history。 Each piece of text was clearly chosen with careful consideration and placed perfectly in this anthology。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection， the addition of the small biography about each writer helped in keeping me informed as I read。 This would be perfect for a gift， or just as a reminder of how beautiful love really is。Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an hone What a beautiful collection of letters， poems and accounts from history。 Each piece of text was clearly chosen with careful consideration and placed perfectly in this anthology。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection， the addition of the small biography about each writer helped in keeping me informed as I read。 This would be perfect for a gift， or just as a reminder of how beautiful love really is。Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 #NetGalley #TheLoveThatDares。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Christopher Jones
，
Absolutely fabulous， wonderfully researched， hugely informative ， great all round read ， only downside。。。。。。。。。。wish it was treble the size in volume ， read it far too quick ， but BRILLIANT ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Becky
，
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ The Love That Dares 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 - Book Tour and ReviewThis collection of letters of LGBTQ+ love in many forms expressed throughout history compelled me from start to finish。 This specially selected series of letters and excerpts encapsulates just a snapshot of the facets of the lives and loves of LGBTQ+ people through history， ranging from royalty right through to repressed minorities。 The letters have underlying tension throughout- of secrecy， loss， grief， confusion over self， discrimin 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ The Love That Dares 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 - Book Tour and ReviewThis collection of letters of LGBTQ+ love in many forms expressed throughout history compelled me from start to finish。 This specially selected series of letters and excerpts encapsulates just a snapshot of the facets of the lives and loves of LGBTQ+ people through history， ranging from royalty right through to repressed minorities。 The letters have underlying tension throughout- of secrecy， loss， grief， confusion over self， discrimination and many other grave and perhaps unsurprising elements。 What endured for me， however， was the true strength and magnitude of the love that continued because of and often despite that。 The declarations of this love throughout the collection will stick with me for a very long time。 I tabbed， laughed， read quotes aloud， got lost googling and researching people and figures and ended up taking some of my favourite declarations of love down in a spread celebrating the book for my book journal。A beautiful celebration of both the LGBTQ+ community and its resilience， intertwined with a commendation to the tireless research and preservation undertaken by those involved with the Bishopsgate Institute。Thank you so much to @annecater14@randomthingstours and @octopus_books_ for my beautiful copy。 I thoroughly recommend exploring this collection。 。。。more
Charlotte Brook
，
“We are here and we have always been here with the same current desires， thwarted loves， pain and pleasure resonating throughout” The collection of letters， written by queer lovers， friends and confidants throughout the centuries， felt like a privilege to read。 There is such an intensity and intimacy of feeling through looking upon words written only to be seen in private， an expression of an all-consuming love that is penned so beautifully。 that these people were writing at times when their lov “We are here and we have always been here with the same current desires， thwarted loves， pain and pleasure resonating throughout” The collection of letters， written by queer lovers， friends and confidants throughout the centuries， felt like a privilege to read。 There is such an intensity and intimacy of feeling through looking upon words written only to be seen in private， an expression of an all-consuming love that is penned so beautifully。 that these people were writing at times when their love for one another was shunned， even criminalised， adds a depth of passion， longing and heartache that is truly awe-inspiring。 the collection moves chronologically through the letters， emphasising that queer love has shone throughout history despite being hidden away and from the countless letters that have undoubtedly been destroyed through necessity I am so grateful that these have remained intact。my favourites to read were those by Sylvia Townsend Warner and her partner involved in a heated love triangle with letters that are so personal it almost feels invasive to read， yet I couldn’t stop！ another is the letter written by Ivan Nuru， a gay Black American poet to his gay Black father in which he talks of how they can learn from each other to stop being afraid and embrace themselves as who they are。 he writes “I haven’t read a story like ours because it hasn’t been written yet， so I thought I’d start with this letter” truly encompassing how many queer love stories are yet to be lived and told。 。。。more
Julie
，
This is a moving， daring and very readable book。 Subtitled “Letters of LGBTQ+ Love & Friendship Through History ''， it is a valuable resource of letters that have attempted to express feelings that have transformed lives。 These are the often secret relationships that may have been frowned on at different times and places throughout the centuries， and indeed， have even been deemed illegal in some cases。 It is a positive book， often celebrating love and friendship between people separated by circu This is a moving， daring and very readable book。 Subtitled “Letters of LGBTQ+ Love & Friendship Through History ''， it is a valuable resource of letters that have attempted to express feelings that have transformed lives。 These are the often secret relationships that may have been frowned on at different times and places throughout the centuries， and indeed， have even been deemed illegal in some cases。 It is a positive book， often celebrating love and friendship between people separated by circumstance， as letters rarely pass between those who are physically together， and trying to express real depths of feeling。 I was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this fascinating book。 This book is made more interesting by the biographical notes that precede each writer， which gives some details of the writer and recipient and the context in which they were written。 These are well researched and written， giving necessary starting points for further reading。 Most of the letters are from the twentieth century， but actually the collection begins with some of Sappho’s poetry from the BCE period。 As the Foreword by Mark Gatiss points out， this collection also contains poetry which has attempted to convey something of the love that “dare not speak its name” in words and images。 He emphasises the element of secrecy that has typified many relationships。 The book has emerged from the collections held by the Bishopsgate Institute London， which has sought to gather and store the documentation and ephemera which reflect LGBTQ+ experiences in the UK and throughout the world。 It invites those in possession of letters at the moment to contribute to the collection， with details at the back of the book。 Some of the letter writers in this book are well known。 Anne Lister writes to Ann Walker， Benjamin Britten to Peter Pears， and Vita Sackville-West to Violet Keppel Trefusis。 Some letters have replies added。 There are reflections of complex relationships， including the situation involving Sylvia Townshend Warner， Elizabeth Wade White and Valentine Ackland， with reference to the definitive collection of their letters produced by the Handheld Press and Peter Haring Judd。 Indeed， this book is extensively indexed， and features an exhaustive References & Resources section。 The latter lists Archives， Books， Articles， Websites and Podcasts which are there to inform and inspire further delving into this area of interest。 Throughout the text of the book are text boxes which give snapshots of others who had relationships of note， such as “The Ladies of Llangollen” and Eleanor Roosevelt。 This book also includes writings of activists who are very much active today， and brings right up to date the issues of the twenty first century。 This is a book which works on several levels。 As a collection of the thoughts and feelings which have often been ignored by mainstream literature it is an excellent book of introduction to fascinating people。 For more academic study it presents accessible resources for in depth investigation。 This is a book which I found readable and enjoyable， giving real insight into real people’s feelings， and introducing me to writers and others writing honestly of their love and friendship。 。。。more
Connor Girvan
，
4 / 5 starsI really enjoyed this book - just a collection of letters and poetry between lovers or intense friendships with a lot of love present。 I feel like book doesn't really make an overwhelming point， other than giving the letters a space/platform but nonetheless， I really enjoyed it and it was a welcome read。 （note; I don't think the book AIMED to make some huge sweeping point other than to showcase a range of relationships throughout history）。 Despite the fact that the book was all about 4 / 5 starsI really enjoyed this book - just a collection of letters and poetry between lovers or intense friendships with a lot of love present。 I feel like book doesn't really make an overwhelming point， other than giving the letters a space/platform but nonetheless， I really enjoyed it and it was a welcome read。 （note; I don't think the book AIMED to make some huge sweeping point other than to showcase a range of relationships throughout history）。 Despite the fact that the book was all about love， I actually liked letters which contained 'mundane' elements like when they were merely updating one another about their lives or seemingly everyday things that happened to them （as opposed to grandiose declarations of their love）。 It was fun to see what certain individuals deemed worthy of telling their significant other or friend about their life。 Enjoyed brief note about how William Shakespeare published a full collection of his sonnets in 1609 despite writing them roughly 10 years earlier because they would be better received in the 'homosocial' court of King James。 Also fun to learn that in Ancient Rome， romantic love between men wasn't deemed a crime unless the elder man seduced a young boy。 Unsure how I felt about Anne Lister's letters being included/preserved considering they wished for the diaries to be burned upon the knowledge of their contents。 Been speaking to a few friends about it， but don't know if I agree with them being preserved。 The book positions it as a positive thing because now we have access to this queer relationship in this time etc。， etc。， but I don't know if I feel that it was right given their original wishes。 Not entirely sold either way。 Big fan of MC Shermans writings at the end of the book though - couldn't really pinpoint why but I feel like their letters just seem more applicable to modern day than some of the others given when they were written。 Fan of the book though， really enjoyed and on brand for the valentines day reads I'm doing。 。。。more
Clare booksandmoomins
，
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓼 𝙻𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝙶𝙱𝚃𝚀+ 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 & 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝙷𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢Today is my spot on the blog tour for this beautiful book， which is filled with letters and poems written from as far back as 620 BCE。 We start with poems from Sappho， known as ‘The Poetess’ and some of her work describing her passionate love of women， such as Aphrodite and Anactoria。 We also hear from James I， the son of Mary， Queen of Scots。 The letters span right through until modern day and really are fantastic to read， s 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓼 𝙻𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝙶𝙱𝚃𝚀+ 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 & 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝙷𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢Today is my spot on the blog tour for this beautiful book， which is filled with letters and poems written from as far back as 620 BCE。 We start with poems from Sappho， known as ‘The Poetess’ and some of her work describing her passionate love of women， such as Aphrodite and Anactoria。 We also hear from James I， the son of Mary， Queen of Scots。 The letters span right through until modern day and really are fantastic to read， some are heartwarming and some heartbreaking。 My favourites were the parts written by Oscar Wilde and the poem， Two Loves as the foreword of the book， which was written by Lord Alfred Douglas。 This poem unfortunately was used as evidence as Wilde， leading to his imprisonment。 I highly recommend this book， it’s beautiful and poignant。 A book you can pick up again and again and it will definitely live on my bookshelves。 。。。more
patri
，
an homage to LGBTQ+ love throughout history as much as it is about the here and now， this litany of letters （though looking through them sometimes seems vaguely voyeuristic） is a treasure trove of statements of unadulterated ardour， loving sentiment and heartful humour across the ages - from the writings of well-advertised gays and lesbians to titillating tidbits on the lesser-known homosexual lives of authors， artists and activists， there's lots to learn and heaps to appreciate from the time-ho an homage to LGBTQ+ love throughout history as much as it is about the here and now， this litany of letters （though looking through them sometimes seems vaguely voyeuristic） is a treasure trove of statements of unadulterated ardour， loving sentiment and heartful humour across the ages - from the writings of well-advertised gays and lesbians to titillating tidbits on the lesser-known homosexual lives of authors， artists and activists， there's lots to learn and heaps to appreciate from the time-honoured lines tended to in this title。thank you to NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for kindly passing on this ARC！ 💫 。。。more
Gareth Johnstone
，
LGB readers will have a special interest and empathy for this book。 It demonstrates a history that has been deliberately ignored， denied， and 'straightwashed' throughout history。 Smith and Vesey have performed a valuable service not just to those of us whose lives， loves， and experiences are reflected here， but also for everyone interested in knowing and understanding more about the human condition。 I hope that publication of these letters and poems stimulates greater openness and acknowledgment LGB readers will have a special interest and empathy for this book。 It demonstrates a history that has been deliberately ignored， denied， and 'straightwashed' throughout history。 Smith and Vesey have performed a valuable service not just to those of us whose lives， loves， and experiences are reflected here， but also for everyone interested in knowing and understanding more about the human condition。 I hope that publication of these letters and poems stimulates greater openness and acknowledgment of a universal truth， and the discovery of much more material in this vein。 。。。more
Sammi
，
The Love That Dares was not on my radar - I had no idea it existed until the publishers kindly sent me a copy and I am so glad they did。I don’t really read a lot of non-fiction， it isn’t what I enjoy。 But I do enjoy letters， mixed media， secrets and heartfelt emotion。 This book is all of those things and I felt so many emotions reading this one。It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming， reading the most intimate and private thoughts， poems and correspondence felt both invasive and personal。 It The Love That Dares was not on my radar - I had no idea it existed until the publishers kindly sent me a copy and I am so glad they did。I don’t really read a lot of non-fiction， it isn’t what I enjoy。 But I do enjoy letters， mixed media， secrets and heartfelt emotion。 This book is all of those things and I felt so many emotions reading this one。It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming， reading the most intimate and private thoughts， poems and correspondence felt both invasive and personal。 It was amazing to see the displays of love， passion and friendship but so sad that it all had to be hidden away。 Thank you so much to the publishers for sending me a copy of this book， it was not one I knew of， but one I definitely needed。 I devoured it in two （very busy） days and it brought some joy to a very stressful time。 。。。more
Caitlin Davies
，
“I know that fear has reached places inside of us that love has yet catch up to， but the thing I’m curious about is now are we going to help love get there” ‘In The Love That Dares， queer love speaks its name through the words of lovers from years gone by。 Alongside the more famous names， the Woolfs and the Wildes， coexist beautifully written letters by lesser-known lovers， giving us an insight into queer love outside of the spotlight of fame or fortune。 These letters give us a glimpse into the “I know that fear has reached places inside of us that love has yet catch up to， but the thing I’m curious about is now are we going to help love get there” ‘In The Love That Dares， queer love speaks its name through the words of lovers from years gone by。 Alongside the more famous names， the Woolfs and the Wildes， coexist beautifully written letters by lesser-known lovers， giving us an insight into queer love outside of the spotlight of fame or fortune。 These letters give us a glimpse into the passion and courage it took to continue a gay relationship in times when it was at best improper， and at worst illegal。 Enlightening introductions to each set of letters give readers an idea of the historical context in which they were written。 A good love letter can speak across centuries， and reassure us that the agony and the ecstasy one might feel in the 21st century have been shared by lovers long gone。 This is all the more true of LGBTQ+ love letters: love affairs and relationships that， until very recently， had to survive within sealed envelopes and behind closed doors。’The Love that Dares is an inspiring collection of letters dating from Sappho in 620 BC to the present day。 Working from the archives at the Bishopsgate Institute in London， the book captures the emotion， the fear， the hope and the humour in letters sent by LGBTQ+ people across the centuries。 The book features a wide scope of letters， and highlights the importance of visibility and allyship as we reflect on the pressures faced by these writers。 These letters are informative， but the informative aspects of this book extend beyond that。 The closing pages provide details of archives， articles， further reading and podcasts， which cultivate and continue this important conversation。 A powerful collection that deserves your attention this year。 。。。more
Stacey Woods
，
I’m quite taken with collections of personal letters。 Perhaps it’s my nosiness， but there’s something fascinating about what people reveal in their correspondence。In The Love That Dares， Rachel Smith and Barbara Vesey have lovingly and sympathetically compiled a selection of letters that illustrate not only queer love stories， but the day-to-day lives of queer people through the ages。Although all of the letters will strike a chord， the most poignant I think are those that were sent at a time whe I’m quite taken with collections of personal letters。 Perhaps it’s my nosiness， but there’s something fascinating about what people reveal in their correspondence。In The Love That Dares， Rachel Smith and Barbara Vesey have lovingly and sympathetically compiled a selection of letters that illustrate not only queer love stories， but the day-to-day lives of queer people through the ages。Although all of the letters will strike a chord， the most poignant I think are those that were sent at a time when their very existence could have landed the letter writer in prison – love is love， as the saying goes。There are letters from famous figures here， blended with those from people who might not have been in the public eye， but still paved their own way in their personal lives。 It’s a sweet and touching collection which is taken from the Special Collection of LGBTQ+ letters housed at the Bishopsgate Institute。The book also comes with an invitation – if you would like to contribute your own letters to this collection that celebrates the history of LGBTQ+ love and lovers， you can contact the Library there for more information。 。。。more
Demelda Penkitty
，
Review to follow
travelsalongmybookshelf
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