Unbound launches ‘utterly magical’ book on Queer Folklore by Sacha Coward 

Unbound has launched Queer as Folkore: A Secret History of the Links Between Queerness, Folklore and Myth by museum and heritage professional Sacha Coward.

Commissioning editor Aliya Gulamani acquired UK, Commonwealth and translation rights from Carrie Kania at the C&W Agency. It is currently 65% supported, by 327 supporters. More information can be found here. 

In the book, the publisher says, Coward will take readers on a journey from Ancient Greece to "RuPaul’s Drag Race", from seashell bras to unicorn sex toys, all in a quest to uncover the story of how magical mythical monsters have always been a part of queer life.

The synopsis continues: “Across 12 accessible chapters, Sacha Coward uncovers the secret links between queerness, folklore and myth. His original research of artefacts, collections and paintings has expanded into an exhilarating journey of hidden queer stories across centuries and continents. You’ll be transported to the ancient temples of Israel, travel in time to the HIV crisis in New York, and will uncover the origin stories of superheroes, alien abductions, and 1970s orgies.

“Sacha believes that to truly understand who queer people are today, we need to look into the stories of our past. The vampire we know today has a convoluted story, from the rebellious first wife of Adam in Eden, to the original lesbian countess and the bisexual enigma that was Lord Byron. Coward explores how and why these creatures of the night are infamously queer coded?

“Unicorns originated as both a sexual and religious icon, with links to fertility and the male phallus. They’ve been used to both elevate and insult the bisexual community. Where does this leave them today and how have ‘girly’ unicorns become sexy again? From the ancient Syrian goddess Atargatis, through to Hans Christian Andersen, the painting of Sea Maidens by Evelyn De Morgan, the burnt books of Nazi Germany and the merman in Trafalgar Square, why are mermaids so beloved by the queer community?”

Coward said: “If you go to a Pride parade, drag show or LGBTQ+ nightclub you will see unicorn tattoos, mermaid shirts, fairy wings and cat ears everywhere you look. The LGBTQ+ community  has a deep love for mythical creatures and fantasy monsters. As a gay man and historian this has become my obsession. The truth, it turns out, is hidden in museum cabinets, love letters and crumbling ruins. A truth that goes back thousands of years; we haven’t just borrowed these symbols.  We own them!”

Gulamani added: “Sacha Coward’s  Queer as Folklore  is an utterly magical proposal filled with otherworldly creatures and tales of myth. But within this book is a powerful call to reinstate queer voices and stories into our cultural history, a call which I am incredibly proud to amplify at Unbound.”