Bring a Queer to Your Eye

It’s here and it’s queer – Mumbai’s first online bookstore which not only houses a vast collection of gay and lesbian literature, but is also a treasure trove of hard-to-find “non-commercial” works. Sitting pretty in Queer Ink’s (www.queer-ink.com) virtual library we found the world’s most beautiful fat woman; three gay writers in search of divinity; the one-eyed monkey who teamed up with a curious ant; a sardonic sex worker who doesn’t need a man, and other intriguing characters usually kept out of nice neighbourhood bookstores. Along with the more esoteric titles, available are usual suspects like Electric Feather, Bombay Dost, The Boyfriend and books by popular authors Hanif Kureishi and Ashok Banker.

A Hundred Climaxes (And Counting)

According to founder Shobhna S. Kumar, the over hundred volumes currently available at the week-old bookstore are “a mere fraction” of the collection they ultimately hope to build. “My partner and I researched many catalogues, Indian and overseas publishers, read reviews of these books before settling on our choices,” she says. bpb loves the site’s clean, intuitive user interface, an email service that lets you order books the site doesn’t carry, and the fact that if you’d rather not use your credit card online, you can pay and pick up your order at Azaad Bazaar (www.azaadbazaar.com) in Bandra. In the future, Queer Ink plans to sponsor offline discussions, readings and other literary events, and also donates some book proceeds to community publications and independent authors.

High Five

Wondering where to start? We had Shobhna write up a beginner’s reading list, especially for you: Sycorax - New Fables and Poems - Suniti Namjoshi; Beyond Acceptance - Parents of Lesbians and Gays talk about their Experiences - Carolyn Welch Griffin, Marian Wirth and Arthur G. Wirth Gay-2-Zee: A Dictionary of Sex, Subtext and the Sublime - Donald F. Reuter Armistead Maupin’s series of seven books Indradhanu - Bindumadhav Khire

Getting there: Log on to www.queer-ink.com, books start at Rs 40. Also look for their stall at Kashish, PVR Juhu, this weekend.

Queen of Arts Also on the cards is Kashish: Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (April 22 to 25) which will showcase 110 domestic and international (Portugal, Norway, US, Australia) films that address issues pertaining to gender and sexuality. In addition to movies – popular picks include Suddenly, Last Winter and the World Unseen - the festival will feature play readings, photo exhibits and panel discussions (see schedule here). Let the show begin!

Getting there: PVR Juhu and Alliance Francaise de Bombay, Marine Lines, register on www.mumbaiqueerfest.com.