Both a historical record and a celebration of unique stories, people and places, Queer Nottingham 1960-1990 gives us a powerful glimpse into the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals in and around Nottingham over three pivotal decades of the last century. It will be followed by a second volume, Queer Nottingham 1991-2020 in February 2026 to coincide with LGBT History Month.

For the two volumes, journalist and author CJ DeBarra conducted over 170 interviews with people who remember the times. Combined with archive materials and research, the story in the first book takes us from the underground queer spaces of the Swinging Sixties, through the fight for LGBT+ liberation in the Seventies, to the heartbreaking years of AIDS fear and activism. The stories told reveal the struggles, queer joys and activism that defined the community, and shed light on the fight for recognition and equality during a time when being queer often meant living in the shadows

CJ DeBarra says:
Nottingham’s LGBTQ+ history is similar to, yet completely different from that of London. Nottingham has so many firsts that should be noted: the first nightclub with a license for LGBT+ people, the first rainbow crossings, and the first openly gay footballer.
For me, the proudest part of this project has been connecting and reconnecting people. I have seen friends meet for the first time in decades, and people who grew up as neighbours but never knew each other share a pint over memories of Mario’s.

Pippa Hennessy, publisher at Five Leaves, says:
As a queer person who arrived in Nottingham in the mid-1980s, it’s fascinating to read how the ‘scene’ as it was then came about. I remember some of the venues described in this book, and several of the people too. I’m immensely proud to have been a part of this project, and I can’t wait to publish the second volume too.

Queer Nottingham 1960-1990 will be published on July 25th for Nottingham Pride, with a
launch event at Five Leaves Bookshop. There will be a high-profile launch for the second
volume in February.

CJ DeBarra is an Irish author and journalist based in Nottingham. They founded the Notts Queer History Archive in 2022 as an oral history project to capture LGBT+ stories. DeBarra’s
first book, NeuroQueer: A Neurodivergent Guide to Love, Sex, and Everything in Between, was published by Global Words Press in 2023.