Undiscovered Scotland

 

"Who Will Be Remembered Here" is a fascinating and - for this straight male reviewer - eye-opening read that sets out to present aspects of a place I know well, Scotland, through a series of lenses that highlight it in ways that are novel, interesting and thought-provoking. This is a book for all of us, not only for the communities it celebrates.

You get a strong sense of what the book is about from the introduction, which begins: "Queerness threads and weaves through every part of Scottish history, but it is largely intangible. Records are not kept or are deliberately destroyed. Very few places or buildings belong specifically to our community. By making these invisible lives visible, who will be remembered here captures something of the richness, complexity and beauty of this history which we all share."

It continues: "At the root of who will be remembered here are questions about which stories we choose to tell, and how those stories shape the lives of those who come after us. We wanted to look at history through a queer lens, to find kinship with those whose stories could so easily be lost. This perspective illuminated the many marginalised and voices which have been disappeared from the historical record. This book is a cry against the erasure of cultures, languages and identities which has defined our past, and which threatens to define our futures."

The book is a collection of contributions from fourteen authors about the places and spaces which define their queer history: wherever has meaning for them. The breadth of the content is impressive and in keeping with the sense of inclusiveness that underpins the book, one of the stories is in Gaelic and another in Scots. As the publishers say in their description: "From theatres and hillsides to amusement arcades and libraries, who will be remembered here reconsiders and reimagines the built and natural environment through a queer lens, to uncover stories full of hope and humanity."