Rachel Lau, Beatrix Pang, Kaitlin Chan (left to right) at Kitakagaya Flea in Osaka, Japan, May 2019.
Catalyzed by the removal of ten LGBTQ-themed children’s books from public shelves by the Hong Kong Public Library in June 2018, Queer Reads Library (QRL) was created to cultivate a space where queer people can gather and celebrate their narratives. In the beginning, we asked ourselves: “Where is the queer community in Hong Kong?”
QRL, much like queer gender and sexuality, is fuelled by the fluid, experimental, and (sometimes) mischievous. We are interested in where our library will take us and who wants to engage with queer histories and narratives, specifically through printed matter.
QRL aims to connect and collaborate with queer Asian people in the continent and in the diaspora. By virtue of our connections, our team spans across two continents. Currently, Beatrix Pang and I are based in Hong Kong and Vancouver, respectively.
Pop-ups + Exhibits
Workshops + Talks
Press + Interviews
Online
ArtAsiaPacific, February 2023, A Visit to the Queer Reads Library
Object Lessons Space, August 2020, Library Conversations for SGABF2020: Queer Reads Library and Queer Zine Fest
HEAPS, June 2020, 「香港のクィアのための場所はどこにある？」
Queer Zine Library, April 2020, Interview with Queer Reads Library
Discovery, October 2019, An Insider’s Guide to LGBTQI+ Hong Kong
Eye on Design, June 2019, The Queer Zine Library in Hong Kong That’s Finding a Global Community
Hokk Fabrica, April 2019, 流動閱酷 Queer Reads Library
Still / Loud, January 2019, Queer your reading list for 2019
Artforum, January 2019, Alvin Li at Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Art Book Fair
The Paris Review, January 2019, Staff Picks: Decadence, Doodles and Deep Ends
Print
c mag, December 2022, Queer Asian Diaspora as Sensibility: A Conversation With Rachel Lau of Queer Reads Library
Vogue Italia, January 2020, Failure E Un Po' Rinascere
Harper’s Bazaar (Hong Kong), April 2019, Read About LGBT
Podcast + Radio
Typically Tuesdays on CJSF 90.1FM, October 2020, A Conversation with Rachel Lau and Queer Reads Library
Organizing Ideas, March 2020, Grassroots Libraries and Care in Community