Queer Fiction Reading Group

Welcome to our Queer Fiction Reading Group!

This is an inclusive reading group open to anyone to come together to read and discuss LGBTQIA+ literature, with titles handpicked by Sanna. Through a queer lens we’ll explore everything from overlooked queer classics to groundbreaking works of contemporary literary fiction.

Our next summer read is Zaina Arafat's award-winning debut You Exist Too Much. Opening up the fantasies and desires of one young woman caught between cultural, religious and sexual identities, this is a captivating story charting two of our most intense longings - for love, and a place to call home.

WINNER OF THE 2021 LAMBDA AWARD FOR BISEXUAL FICTION

Told in vignettes that flash between the US and the Middle East, Zaina Arafat’s powerful debut novel traces her protagonist’s progress from blushing teen to creative and confused adulthood.

In Brooklyn, she moves into an apartment with her first serious girlfriend and tries to content herself with their comfortable relationship. Soon, her longings, so closely hidden during her teenage years, explode out into reckless romantic encounters and obsessions with other people which results in her seeking unconventional help to face her past traumas and current demons.

“Deeply compelling.” - Roxane Gay

“An elegantly written debut... A thought-provoking exploration of love and belonging, and how the two come together to create a sense of self.” - The New European

“A nuanced, sparky debut.” - The Observer

“Powerful... With You Exist Too Much, Arafat announces herself as a provocative and insightful writer.” - The Irish Times