Emily Garside is a writer, journalist, self-professed nerd and expert in LGBTQ+ history. Her new book, Rainbow Wales: Queer Icons Past and Present, is a bold and jubilant exploration of the rich tapestry of Queer identity in Wales.

Join Emily for a personal tour through the Queer icons – from culture and sport to politics and activism – who have shaped Welsh history and culture.

Rainbow Wales: 

Who are the Queer figures, past and present, who have made, and continue to make, Welsh history? Discover the diverse array of LGBTQ+ figures influencing Wales – and the world -in an exploration of the household names and hidden icons who have shaped their fields and driven forward Queer representation. From Jan Morris to Ivor Novello, Kenneth Williams to Callum Scott Howells, Jess Fishlock to Lauren Price, via Terrence Higgins, The Vivienne and Owain Wyn Evans, Welsh people have marked the breadth and variety of Queer achievement. 

Emily Garside is a writer and professional nerd from Cardiff. Previously an academic with a PhD on theatrical responses to the AIDS crisis and the evolution of LGBTQ theatre, she now writes and teaches Queer culture and history. Teaching at organisations like Bishopsgate Institute, and as a freelance speaker/educator. She published her first non-fiction book, Love That Journey For Me: The Queer Revolution of Schitt’s Creek in 2021 with 404ink and is currently under contract with Applause Books, McFarland and Calon Books for non-fiction books. As a journalist, she is a regular contributor for The Queer Review and has written for American Theatre, Slate, BBC and The Stage. When not writing, she is most likely on the ice, a mediocre figure skater and a passionate ice hockey fan.