News - Kes Otter Lieffe

7. Polari with Jess

A conversation about queer cant slang, Polari, with Jess In my second novel, Conserve and Control, a resistance community use Polari as their communicative language. Parts of my first novel, …

6. Queer Ecology with Jo

by Kes Otter Lieffe

Jo is a queer, PoC person currently living and studying in Basel, Switzerland. They have worked in different exhibitions in Switzerland, one of which is the queer ecology exhibition in the natural history museum in Bern, where they give workshops to kids and teens. Gently floating down the Rhine or having a joyful dinner with friends and loved ones is Jo’s ideal way to pass time.

A conversation with queer ecology educator, Jo In my second novel, Conserve and Control, I imagined a futuristic museum with exhibits on queer ecology. Three years later I found out …

5. Solidarity and Queer Community with Felix McNulty

by Kes Otter Lieffe

Felix is a founding member and core volunteer at Books Beyond Bars. Alongside this, they are a research associate, book nerd and cat parent living in Manchester, dreaming of a better world than the one we live in.

A conversation with prisoner support volunteer and research associate, Felix McNulty During my first book tours back in 2017/18 I got to work with groups like Action for Trans Health …

4. Transformative friendships with Sadaf Javdani

by Kes Otter Lieffe

Sadaf is a Berlin-based writer and activist. With a PhD in visual and media anthropology, they have been active in different fields, including university teaching, social work, community organising and video production.

A conversation with writer and activist, Sadaf Javdani I’ve had the honour of meeting Sadaf through our community organising work in Berlin and after many months of sending each other …

8. Community Healing and Anti-Capitalism with Cindy

by Kes Otter Lieffe

Cindy is currently a nursing student, parent, and organizer with a group working to abolish prison slavery in community with people impacted by the system and medical workers. They are the parent to an amazing almost-4 year old, and have worked for the past 8 years as a massage therapist and bodyworker. Cindy finds a lot of hope and grounding in speculative fiction.

A conversation with nursing student and organiser, Cindy A few years ago I had a beautiful conversation with Cindy for my blog. In this new podcast episode we got to …

3. Trans Herbalism with Ayelet Adelman

by Kes Otter Lieffe

Ayelet Adelman, Jewish educator and trans herbalist who runs a trans herbal clinic in Brooklyn, New York

An interview with trans herbalist and educator, Ayelet Adelman In Margins I wrote about a herbal clinic run by trans and queer folk that forms part of a resistance movement …

2. Ash in the forest

by Kes Otter Lieffe

Margins and Murmurations - a utopian trans speculative fiction novel with trans, queer, sex worker and nonbinary characters

Story time! Welcome to the second episode.Time for a story in one of my favourite spots among the trees. An excerpt from my first novel, Margins and Murmurations. Also available …

1. Starlings and Murmurations

by Kes Otter Lieffe

Image from the cover of Margins and Murmurations - a utopian trans speculative fiction novel with trans, queer, sex worker and nonbinary characters

Welcome to the first ever episode of Margins and Murmurations, the podcast! What is a murmuration and what is it about starlings that I find so exciting? Join me for …

Elegant, glamorous and outrageously pink, no-one should be too surprised that flamingos can be queer. Among flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) both males and females form same-sex pairs, feeding, travelling and sleeping …

Yes! Penguins are sometimes gay.

by Kes Otter Lieffe

Everyone loves penguins, but not everyone loves gay penguins. Since at least 1911, penguins have been observed “engaging in homosexual behaviour.” What’s interesting is that the earliest report was considered …

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