8 Queer Authors That Brought Queer Narratives To Centre Stage

If you have even a faint interest in Greek mythology or have dabbled in the history of queer literature and narratives, then one of the first names that you must have come across is Sappho. The ancient Greeks already have a fair share of homoerotic tales, with a great fanfiction base of Achilles and Patroclus that still sustains to this day. Sappho's 'Fragment 31' was written somewhere around the 5th and 6th centuries, who lived on the Greek Isle of Lesbos, from where the term 'Lesbian' was later derived. Her very famous fragment shows her anguish and pain towards her 'object of desire', her female companion, who is supposedly marrying a man. This 'Fragment' of hers is considered pioneering in the history of queer studies. It paved the path for many upcoming queer writers and inspired them to show their trials and tribulations through their narratives. 

I discovered Selvadurai's writing during college, and his work still stands as one of my all-time favourites. He is a Sri Lankan-Canadian novelist who migrated to the latter during the Sinhalese and Tamil conflict crises. His novel 'Funny Boy' not only deals with coming-of-age notions vis-a-vis homosexuality but also sheds light on social prejudices and shows the navigation and infringement of queer desire in the everyday world. This novel of his has also won the LAMBDA award, with the prose being light, simple, structured, and nuanced. We also recommend Mansions Of The Moon and Storywallah!

'The Love that Dare Not Speak Its Name' is one of the most iconic statements that is still widely used today. A prime literary figure of the 19th century, Oscar Wilde stands as the prime example of hiding queer themes and love in literature from the fear of being censored. His famous portrait with 'green carnations' is again a statured code in the queer understanding of things, where the term 'pansy' was also derived later on. His original version of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' was censored for being too scandalous and was later published with many updates. His famous trial for his relationship with Douglas still is a topic of much discussion, remaining an iconic figure in queer history. We also recommend his 'The Importance of Being Earnest', which is equally good.

Bell Hooks has remained a very influential figure in the movement against racism and class while also being a much-celebrated literary figure. She identified herself as 'queer pas gay', borrowing 'pas' from the French language, meaning 'Queer Pat Gay'. She emphasises her queer subjectivity as not something relating to physical and sexual needs but as a dimension of her self, where 'everything seems at odds around her', as they thrive there in order to make it their own. Her famous book 'All About Love' captures race, class, justice, and morality in all its contrasting isolation yet shows great themes in a meshed and intertwined layout. 

One of the most important figures of the Civil Rights movement and considered an ambassador of Black identity, James Baldwin's understanding of the deeply rooted institutionalised racism and his understanding of what it means to become a man is still the most important theory and critical framework we have towards this subject. History books have regarded him as a bisexual icon, and his novel, 'The Fire Next Time' is one of the best interpersonal works of crisis and coping of the Black subjectivity told with a nuanced prosaic language. 

An openly lesbian writer, Patricia Nell Warren's 'The Front Runner' is not only a bestseller but one of the most celebrated queer romances of all time. The novel captures a budding romance between a football player and his coach, who is one of the most prominent figures in the contemporary gay movement. She still works as an editor, journalist, and essayist and has pioneered the hopeful romance genre for queer stories and retelling.