PENGUIN PRIDE AT PROUD to celebrate LGBT equality and diversity with live music performances, spoken word poetry, LGBT literature and much more at Proud Camden on 5th July.
During this year’s Pride in London, Proud Camden will see an evening packed with a variety of entertainment as Penguin Pride takes to the stage for the very first time.
The evening’s line-up includes live readings from Matthew Todd (author of Straight Jacket) and Paul Flynn (author of Good As You), spoken word performances from poets Toby Campion, Keith Jarrett and MC Angel as well as exclusive live music from Z-Star Delta and acoustic set from super-star headliner Kele Okereke (Bloc Party).
The night will also feature a topical panel discussion with Zee Gachette (Z-Star Delta), Rebecca Stinson (Head of Trans Inclusion, Stonewall UK), Matthew Todd and Paul Flynn. Trans activist and campaigner Fox Fisher joins as guest speaker and host of the main stage is Josh Rivers (Gay Times).
Produced by Penguin Live, the event supports the UK’s largest LGBT charity, Stonewall, who campaign for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people across Britain. A specially curated photography exhibition, hand-picked from the Stonewall archives, will take a look back at the last 50 years of LGBT culture.
Ruth Hunt, CEO of Stonewall, explains: “Moments like Penguin Pride are vital in building understanding of why we need to create a society where everyone is accepted without exception. We still have a long way to go before we can say everyone is free to be themselves, but sometimes people assume that this fight is won.
These events are of course an opportunity to celebrate our achievements but, importantly, they give us space to reflect on why we need to continue to create equality for all and why we aren’t there yet. When we hear stories of people who weren’t able to be themselves, or from those who aren’t yet accepted for who they are, it makes the fight for equality all the more palpable, personal and urgent.”
Penguin Random House UK is committed to making publishing more inclusive. Last year, it launched WriteNow, a programme to find, mentor and publish writers from under-represented communities, including up-and-coming LGBT voices. Four of the 12 finalists in 2016 were LGBT, and they are each being mentored by a Penguin Random House editor over a 12-month period. WriteNow 2017 has now opened for applications at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/work-with-us/authors/writenow/
PENGUIN PRIDE AT PROUD
Proud Camden, Chalk Farm Rd, London NW1 8AH
Wednesday 5th July, event starts 7:30pm
Tickets available at www.penguin.co.uk/pride
Pricing: £20 Standard, £18 Student (booking fees apply)