CARRIE LYELL, EDITOR QUEER INTENTIONS By Amelia Abraham
One of the great things about working at DIVA is that you get sent books – lots of books – before they’re available in shops. One of those is perched atop the (very, very large) pile beside my bed at the moment. Inspired by heartbreak, Amelia Abraham’s Queer Intentions examines LGBTQI culture through a personal lens, and though I’m only a third of the way in so far, I’ve found it to be immersive, funny and relatable. In the style of Louis Theroux, 28-year-old journalist Abraham uses skills she’s picked up working at VICE, Refinery29 and Dazed to find answers to the big questions in her own life. It’s quite the journey, taking readers through reporting on the first same-sex wedding in the UK, to a drag convention in LA, via Turkey’s underground LGBTQI scene and a polyamorous community in Sweden. A fascinating read for anyone with a passing interest in LGBTQI culture, Queer Intentions not only touches on issues in Abraham’s life, but issues many LGBTQI people in the West are facing ourselves. I highly recommend picking up a copy of this when it comes out in May. Picador, £14.99