On 10 February 2023, our Library was home to Desire in the Archive, an anti-Valentine's Day evening that celebrated queer-flavoured desire.

Bringing together poetry, discussion, drag performance, stripper life drawing and archival displays, this event laughed at the usual saccharine trappings of Valentine's Day. The audience were stirred by poets SL Grange and Aimée Lê, informed by a conversation between Jordan Osserman and Jamie Hakim, stimulated by a life drawing class with the East London Stripper Collective, and entertained by drag performers Bolly-Illusion and Saya Tikka.

Photographer, Valerie Leona was on hand to get some shots from the evening. Check out the gallery below.

There are plenty more events coming up this spring, including Kink in the Archive. For more information, check out or Special Events page.