Celebrating Pride at the ’Gen

21.06.2023
On 26 June, we will celebrate Pride month at the National Library of Wales with an afternoon of special activities.

For the first time ever a queer tour will be held and visitors will be taken on a journey through our Proud Collections in the company of the expert Norena Shopland.

An important part of the Library’s mission is to collect and keep diverse information about Wales and its people, and this tour will look at various fascinating items from across all our collections that shine a light on LGBTQ+ lives in Wales – from Hywel Dda to the present.

Rhodri ap Dyfrig, Head of Marketing and Audiences said:
“The National Library is a library for all of Wales, and it is important to us to celebrate Pride month with LGBTQ+ people from Wales, the local area and our staff like this. We are over the moon to be able to offer this specially commissioned tour of the collections and to give an insight into some of the ways in which LGBTQ+ people have shaped us and our history. The Pride flag will be waving proudly to welcome you.”

Author and historian Norena Shopland said:
“It’s a great pleasure to be invited to write the first queer tour of the National Library of Wales. It is vital that public bodies representing society are fully inclusive and Pride Month is an ideal opportunity to showcase some of the important contributions made by LGBTQ+ people in Wales.”

As well as this special tour, Llyfrau Lliwgar, the Bangor and Cardiff LGBTQ+ Welsh book club, will join us to present a talk in the company of special guest writers, Llenorion Lliwgar, who will talk about the extent to which Welsh literature is inclusive and shows diversity.

To book your place on the guided tour or the Llyfrau Lliwgar talk visit our events page.

On the day, stalls and delicious cakes will be in Pen Dinas Café and an exhibition showcasing items from the Jenny Porter collection will be in the Peniarth exhibition space.

--ENDS--

** Mae’r datganiad hwn hefyd ar gael yn y Gymraeg **

For more details and images, please contact: Rhodri ap Dyfrig, Head of Marketing and Audiences, National Library of Wales

rhodri.apdyfrig@llyfrgell.cymru / 07855362206

About the National Library of Wales

The National Library of Wales is a library for Wales and the world. Located in Aberystwyth, it is the home of the story of Wales.

Opened in 1907, the Library is the centre of research into the culture and heritage of Wales and the Celtic nations.

The purpose of the Library is to make our culture and heritage accessible for everyone to learn, research and enjoy.

We are a legal deposit library, which means we are entitled to a copy of every print publication in Britain and Ireland, but our collections also include the following

• 7,000,000 feet of film
• 250,000 hours of video
• 6,000,000 books and newspapers
• 40,000 manuscripts
• 1,500,000 maps
• 150,000 hours of sound
• 950,000 photographs
• 60,000 works of art
• 1,900 cubic meters of archives

You can search the collections online. You will find further information along with a list of resources on our website.