Writing an Archive — A Living Archive is a creative workshop and public program bringing together lesbian writers from across Europe to explore how personal stories can become collective cultural action.
Lesbian stories have always existed, but too often they have disappeared with the living memory never to be recorded. The project Writing an Archive — A Living Archive responds by creating a space where lesbian writers can claim authorship, build solidarity, and contribute to a living record of cultural production. This June, the project brings together eight lesbian writers working across genres — poetry, fiction, memoir, hybrid and experimental forms.
The project celebrates linguistic diversity, creative resistance, and the joy of creating together. The outcome is a living archive of voices, languages, and stories that actively claim their place in our shared cultural memory.
Participating authors: Lilly Axster (AUT/DE), Henrie Dennis (AUT/DE), Elīna Kokareviča (LV), Fleur Pierets (BE), Joelle Taylor (UK, creative coordinator), Giorgia Tolfo (IT), Tiina Tuppurainen (FI), Lara Well (LUX).
Tiina Tuppurainen is a Finnish writer living in Helsinki. She has written several novels and two non-fiction books about the LGBTQ-community. Her latest novel Jossain on aina San Francisco (Avain) connects the AIDS crisis of the 80s and current queer issues from the perspective of two Finnish women in San Francisco. Last year she also published Salatun rakkauden historia (publisher Like Kustannus), a non-fiction book about the lgbtq history of Finland, in collaboration with Heidi Airaksinen.
The public program includes a discussion event at Oslo Pride House and a performative reading during The Norwegian Festival of Literature as the result of workshops and co-writing sessions.
Meet the authors
Tuesday 2 June at 18:00
Pride House, Oslo, Storgata 41
Language: English
Free entry
There is barrier-free access to all conference rooms, and the venue is accessible with wheelchair. Read more about the accessibility of Pride House on their website.
Performative reading: Writing and Archive – A Living Archive
Thursday 4 June at 16:00
The Norwegian Festival of Literature
Verdensteateret Lillehammer, Kirkegata 68
Language: English
The event is part of The Norwegian Festival of Literature, read more and get tickets on their webpage.
The venue is wheelchair accessible. If you need specific arrangements or have any questions about the accessibility of the venue you can email bjorn(at)litteraturfestival.no including post(at)litteraturfestival.no as a copy in the email.
To read more about the public programme visit the project’s facebook event.
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Writing an Archive — A Living Archive is organized by EUNIC Norway, which is is a European network of organisations engaging in cultural relations from all EU Member States. The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute is part of the EUNIC network.