The Lewes History Book Festival is just around the corner! For those who are unfamiliar with Festival here’s a brief description of the festival and its mission:
HBF is a festival of history, literature and learning! It is a dedication of learning through stories, through Authors and through history and is described as the only book festival dedicated to history through story, showcasing new historical fiction and narrative nonfiction from multiple subjects, eras, and voices. Their mission is engaging and inspiring people of all ages to read, think, and talk about history.
Sussex Pride is proud to co-sponsor a panel discusion on a book called “The Lilac People”. It was written by author Milo Todd, whose works focus on a vast array of trans and queer history, with additional works on the trans experience and the trans body.
The Lilac People is Milo’s debut novel! It just came out this year, and here’s a brief summary of it from Milo’s website
“Brimming with hope, resilience, and the enduring power of community, The Lilac People tells an extraordinary story inspired by real events and recovers an unknown moment of World War II and trans history. Bertie is a trans man employed at the Institute of Sexual Science where he works to improve rights in Germany’s thriving, pre-war queer community. But with Hitler’s rise, Bertie goes into hiding with his girlfriend, first to survive the Nazis and then to evade the Allied forces, who are arresting queer people as they liberate the country.
This event will be taking place at the Lewes Public Library on September 27th 2025 at 12:30 pm! To learn more about this event, please visit our link here
About the Author
Milo Todd is a Massachusetts Cultural Council grantee and a Lambda Literary Fellow. His work has appeared in Slice Magazine and others. He is Co–Editor in Chief of the literary journal Foglifter and teaches creative writing, with a focus on queer and trans adults. This is Todd’s debut novel.