The Coast Is Queer: Tareq Baconi and Leila King

Created by The Coast Is Queer

What does it mean to write queer lives across borders, exile, memory and resistance?

What does it mean to write queer lives across borders, exile, memory and resistance? Palestinian writer and scholar Tareq Baconi joins British-Iranian poet Leilah King to explore storytelling shaped by displacement, desire, politics and belonging.

Drawing on work from both writers that spans criticism, poetry, film and activism, the conversation โ€”ย chaired by journalist, writer and editor Elias Jahshan โ€” will explore the relationship between personal and collective histories, the role of art in confronting violence and erasure, and queer expression across the Middle East and its diasporas. From Jerusalem, Beirut and Amman to Tehran, Shiraz and London, this is a conversation about language, intimacy, identity and survival โ€” and the ways writing can imagine new futures.

Event details

When: Sat 17 Oct 2026, 5:30 pm โ€“ 6:45 pm

Format: In-person

Venue:
The Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts
University of Sussex, Gardner Centre Road, Falmer
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 9RA
England

Cost: Free - ยฃ15

Access & inclusion

Event languages

  • British Sign Language (BSL)
  • English

This event includes BSL interpreters.

Access features

  • Sign language interpreters
  • Wheelchair access
  • Hearing loop
  • Quiet space

More access info

Step-free access and accessible toilet. Access staff available.

Organiser

The Coast Is Queer

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