Jessica Kingsley Publishers snaps up Scott’s lesbian advice guide

Jessica Kingsley Publishers has acquired influencer and presenter Helen Scott’s Live, Laugh, Lesbian: Navigating 21st Century Life as a Lesbian.

Lisa Clark, publishing director, acquired world rights, excluding audio, to the “first-of-its-kind self-help guide for lesbians in the 21st century", from Abi Fellows at the Good Literary Agency. The book is set to be published in October 2023.

The synopsis reads: “With the ‘L’ in LGBTQ+ too often banished to the sidelines, Helen Scott is the big lesbian sister you never had. A scene queen at 19, in a same sex marriage at 22, and back on the queer party circuit by her mid-20s, Helen knows a thing or two about the gripes and glories of lesbian living – and in her debut book delivers life hacks and lessons learned from her time living it up as a lipstick femme extraordinaire.

“From strap-ons and Lesbian Bed Death to dealing with homophobic microaggressions in the workplace and finding your second family, Helen is here to hold your hand as you travel your own unique path to Gay Town. Chock-full of candid, wise, and hilarious anecdotes, this is half a memoir, half a guide, and 100% a big lesbian hug. Here’s to reclaiming the ‘L’ word…”

Scott is a presenter, broadcaster, content creator and ambassador for the lesbian community. She’s hosted variously on BBC Radio, ITV and Virgin and writes a regular column for Gay London Life.

She said: “I created Live Laugh Lesbian as a semi-autobiographical guidebook to empower, unite and inspire lesbians around the world to express their label loudly for all to hear. While hosting a radio show for the BBC I realised just how little healthy representation existed in mainstream media and I knew I had to bridge that gap. And so this is the first book of its kind to speak directly to those who identify as lesbian.

“I’m your lesbian big sister/best friend with no topic off limits. I share my stories, my ups and downs and my messy moments in this book to show lesbians and queer people that they are perfect, beautiful and important just as they are. My hope is that after years of the lesbian label being feared, weaponised and sexualised, we’re able to reclaim it and to make a home for ourselves there instead of running away from something that simply describes who we are. We all fall in love, we make mistakes, we have families, we navigate friendships, we have sex, we are alive and we’re magic. It’s the year of the Lesbian. It’s our label, and we want it back.”