A Place of Our Own

* LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE 2025 * A highly readable cultural history of queer women‘s lives in the second half of the twentieth century ‘An inspiring celebration of lesbian camaraderie, activism and fun‘ SARAH WATERS ‘A cracking read, and a reminder of what shaped where we are now‘ VAL MCDERMID ‘Riveting; indispensable; and suffused with a humane warmth‘ ALISON BECHDEL For as long as queer women have existed, they‘ve created gathering grounds where they can be themselves. In A Place of Our Own, journalist June Thomas invites readers into six iconic lesbian spaces over the course of the last sixty years, including the rural commune, the sex toy boutique and the feminist bookstore. She also illuminates what is gained and lost in the shift from the exclusive, tight-knit women‘s spaces of the ‘70s toward today‘s more inclusive yet more diffuse LGBTQ+ communities. ‘Thomas‘s ability to resurrect the past is a testament to her meticulous research. But it‘s her voice - charming, irreverent, tender - that makes the journey through lesbian history so worthwhile‘ NEW YORK TIMES ‘A must-have for any queer bookshelf‘ TEGAN QUIN ‘Pulses with delicious dykes and the spaces we have made for ourselves over the years‘ STELLA DUFFY