In the early days of the HIV epidemic, books and community-produced pamphlets were a crucial source of information at a time when the virus was little understood. While media and Government stoked up fear and stigma, LGBT+ bookshops were key in proving life-saving information to communities in a pre-internet age.
As the 1980s and 1990s become an increasingly distant memory, books continue to help us remember those we have lost, understand the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis, and explore different experiences of living with HIV today.
Pioneering LGBT+ bookshop Gay’s the Word have been steadfast in their work to raise awareness of HIV over the last forty years. Ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December, we’ve worked with the bookshop to compile a list of essential books on HIV.
All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks
Ruth was a young single mum in Arkansas who cared for people with AIDS-related illnesses when no-one else would during the dark days of the epidemic. Her memoir details the incredible steps she went to look after those in her care.
The Guardian called it a 'paean to making friendships across boundaries, to being kind even when the cost is nearly unbearable'.
First Time by Nathaniel Hall
Can you remember your first time? In this hilarious and heartbreaking true story, theatre-maker and activist Nathaniel Hall can't seem to forget his. To be fair, he's had it playing on repeat for the last fifteen years… but now he's ready to lift the lid on his life-changing secret.
Russel T Davies called it 'a truly remarkable story of triumph. I was in awe'.
Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith
Danez Smith, winner of Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry, is a Black non-binary poet whose work covers topics including race, desire and being diagnosed with HIV. This collection of their work confronts America, where every day is too often a funeral and not often enough a miracle.
Love from the Pink Palace by Jill Nalder
This is the memoir of the real-life inspiration of Jill from It’s a Sin. Earlier this year, our Campaigns Director Richard Angell called it an 'emotional rollercoaster', filled with heart-breaking loss and hilarious stories 'too graphic even for Channel 4'.
A Working-Class Family Ages Badly by Juno Roche
Writer and activist Juno Roche’s memoir covers their life from growing up in a working-class London in the 1960s, to finding out they were HIV positive, to dealing with addiction, and finally to the life they have built today. Through a series of insightful and funny essays, they explore life, queerness and much more besides.
