Tuesday, the 10th of February, from 7 pm to 8:30 pm

This Queer Arab Family celebrates the beauty of chosen kin and the everyday acts of care and survival that bind Queer Arabs to each other. Ten LGBTQ+ writers from across the Arab world and diaspora redefine what family looks like, from raising children with mum and mum, to becoming an OnlyFans star and building a non-binary belly dancing robot. These writers illuminate, through their own lived experiences, how queer joy and community can be found in the most unexpected places.

This Queer Arab Family honours the spirit of those who, despite challenges, build community and family on their own terms.

Elias Jahshan is a Palestinian-Lebanese journalist and writer, and editor of This Arab is Queer: An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers (Saqi Books; 2022) - which was a finalist in the 2023 Lambda Literary Awards in the USA and shortlisted for the 2023 Bread & Roses Award in the UK.

His short memoir Coming Out Palestinian was anthologised in Arab, Australian, Other: Stories on Race and Identity (ed. Randa Abdel-Fattah & Sara Saleh; Picador, 2019), while Bittersweet Memories of a Palestinian Knight was anthologised in Ask the Night for a Dream: Palestinian Writing From the Diaspora (ed. Susan Muaddi Darraj; Palestine Writes Press, 2024). Elias is also a former editor of Star Observer, Australia’s longest-running LGBTQ+ media outlet, and has been published in The Guardian, Gay Times, The New Arab, Raseef22, Shado Mag, My Kali.

Born and raised in Sydney, he now lives in London.

Go to Eventbrite for more information and to book a place. Admission is free (and booking is optional, but helps with planning.)

If you can't attend in person, this event will be live-streamed from the Carnegie Library Facebook page and this will be available for viewing for a limited time thereafter.

Organised by the Friends, in co-operation with the Lambeth Library Service.

The libraries in Lambeth closed at 1pm today.

Susanna Barnes, the Head of Libraries, gave this statement:

"The rate of infection is just too high and is a real risk to staff and public. As soon as the rate reduces to a reasonable level we will reopen."

The library is currently not open for regular visits due to covid-19 restrictions - but there are services still available.

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 11am to 4pm

(to maintain social distancing and keep everyone safe you will need an appointment to use the library)

to make an appointment call:
020 7926 6050

Services on offer:

PCs, printing, photocopying and scanning

Select & Collect - Reserve books online or get in touch and the librarians will help you select items

Home Library Service - the library can deliver books to you if you are housebound and cannot get to a library.

There is an extensive online service on offer for you to enjoy. For ebooks, audiobooks, film streaming and more visit:

www.lambeth.gov.uk

Our 20th annual Winter Fair will be held in St Saviour's Church Hall with the usual festive and community stalls, raffle, music and games.

The council has announced the 2nd phase of the Carnegie Library redevelopment works: the fit-out of the gym and removal of the library space to one front room. The cost is approximately £1 million, additional to the £1.8 million spent so far on the basement excavation and additional buildings on the library garden. A `roof terrace' or `roof garden' has also been proposed by the CCT, but this would require planning permission and an additional £100,000 which is not included in the budget. The works are expected to be complete by December.

The proposal also confirms that the current provision of 2 hours librarian staffing per day is only a temporary arrangement - funded by one-off Section 106 funds - and gives no assurance of any specific librarian staffing for the eventual re-opening of the library.

The opposition Green councillors submitted a call-in of the proposal, on the grounds of the lack of details of the financing of the work. This call-in was rejected but Greens leader Scott Ainslie is appealing this rejection.

The `community liaison' group meeting with the council over construction issues has been re-activated. Please contact the Friends if you would like to be added to this group.

The Herne Hill Forum are hosting a hustings for Herne Hill (Lambeth) & Village (Southwark) wards, at 7pm on the 17th April, at Herne Hill Baptist Church (Winterbrook St).

Library campaigners will be requesting that the Herne Hill candidates sign the Defend the 10 libraries pledge. So far the Green, Lib Dem and independent candidates have signed.