Being the books editor at DIVA magazine is a dream job. Every few days, books arrive in the post for me. These packages are a queer reader’s idea of heaven – the latest LGBTQ books delivered right to my door, usually before they’ve hit the shelves. And to the amusement of my housemates, they often come addressed to “Diva Sita Balani” as though this is my official title. This steady stream of new books makes it easier to see ideas coming to the surface and new generations of writers emerging. It’s exciting to catch a glimpse of an incipient trend and to see it take hold of our imaginations.
In the last year, I’ve been sent countless books about women obsessed – and I mean, obsessed – with other women. The heart-racing, stomach-churning kind of obsession.