Queer authors and bookworms converge at 14th annual New York Rainbow Book Fair
Sair Kaufman hit a stroke of inspiration back in 2020 while playing Dungeons and Dragons with their friends. It was the height of the pandemic, they were unemployed, and decided to write down their D&D character’s backstory. “I thought ‘this will be a fun 3,000-word jaunt through fantasy,’ and emerged seven days later with a … Read More
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Sair Kaufman hit a stroke of inspiration back in 2020 while playing Dungeons and Dragons with their friends. It was the height of the pandemic, they were unemployed, and decided to write down their D&D character's backstory.
"I thought 'this will be a fun 3,000-word jaunt through fantasy,' and emerged seven days later with a 63,000 word novel," Kaufman told Gay City News.
They published their debut work of fiction, "The Reality Shaper," just three days before joining nearly 100 other authors, vendors and publishing houses at the New York Rainbow Book Fair, taking over three floors of the LGBT Center in the West Village on Saturday, May 9.
"It's my first time being at a book fair as a vendor," said Kaufman, who was still on the waitlist just weeks prior. "I'm a little overstimulated, but extremely overjoyed."
[caption id="attachment_62915" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Sair Kaufman with their debut work of fiction, "The Reality Shaper."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
The Rainbow Book Fair celebrated its 14th anniversary on Saturday with the theme "Books Change Our Lives," providing a unique space to showcase queer works of literature, alongside panel discussions and readings.
"I described this as the happiest book festival in the world," said Perry Brass, an author and activist who has been one of the fair's organizers since its founding. "It's like this love fest among writers."
"The thing about the book world — especially the queer book world — now is there's not a lot of money in it," Brass, who has been a published author for the past 40 years, and was also a member of the Gay Liberation Front. "So if you're not in it for love, why are you in it?"
[caption id="attachment_62918" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Perry Brass shows his book, "King of Angels."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
Brass said he hopes the fair will encourage more queer people to read.
"We all have a book that changed our lives," he said, speaking to the day's theme, rattling off the names of some of his favorites — from Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel "A Single Man," to James Baldwin's classic "Giovanni's Room."
The fair brought together authors and booklovers of all ages. "You kind of get a good sense of just, like, how big the queer community is in New York City — it's the best!" said Jules Wernersbach, who founded Bushwick's Hive Mind Books and recently took over The Center's own Bureau of General Services — Queer Division.
[caption id="attachment_62919" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Attendees browse the books on display at the Rainbow Book Fair.Dashiell Allen[/caption]
Stationed next to Kaufman, Reuben Hayslett was promoting his novel, "Orbital Bebop," a sci-fi saga of six interconnected stories each set 200 years apart that chart humanity's migration from Earth into the solar system and back again — all told from the perspective of queer people of color.
"I'm a huge sci-fi nerd, but I feel like there's not enough representation of queer people of color in sci fi, or in most depictions of the future," Hayslett explained, determined to change that.
[caption id="attachment_62920" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Reuben Hayslett is the author of the sci-fi saga "Orbital Bepop."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
Another author, Wendell Edward Carter, promoted his novel "Melting The Snow," about a Black gay man's journey towards embracing his identity.
"You get people who don't see themselves in traditional literature who actually have the chance to engage with you as an author," drag queen and author Jeza Belle told Gay City News, attending the Rainbow Book Fair for the third year. "I get a chance to stand my ground and show 'hey, you can be anything in this world, be who you are.'"
[caption id="attachment_62917" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Jeza Belle showcases "Harlot's Guide to Classy Cocktails."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
Visitors to the fair also enjoyed their experience.
"I've purchased two books in 10 minutes, that's pretty good," said one attendee, Jeffrey, who came with his friends.
"There's literally something for everybody — they have poetry and old vintage magazines. They have young-adult, children's books, they have t-shirts and chapbooks; they've got it all," marveled his friend Nick. "You never know what you're going to see."
Malcolm Tariq participated in the fair's poetry reading for the fourth year, reading poems about "queer life-cycles." This year, two tables featuring out-of-print novels written by queer people peaked his interest.
Kyera Singleton purchased works from Sinister Wisdom, a 50-year-old multicultural lesbian literary and art journal, including Anita Cornwell's "Black Lesbian in White America."
[caption id="attachment_62916" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Anita Cornwell's "Black Lesbian in White America."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
"It's really great to see the work independent presses are doing to not only get this work back circulating, but also to bring these poets who have fallen out of mainstream knowledge back into prominence," Singleton said.
Sair Kaufman with their debut work of fiction, "The Reality Shaper."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
The Rainbow Book Fair celebrated its 14th anniversary on Saturday with the theme "Books Change Our Lives," providing a unique space to showcase queer works of literature, alongside panel discussions and readings.
"I described this as the happiest book festival in the world," said Perry Brass, an author and activist who has been one of the fair's organizers since its founding. "It's like this love fest among writers."
"The thing about the book world — especially the queer book world — now is there's not a lot of money in it," Brass, who has been a published author for the past 40 years, and was also a member of the Gay Liberation Front. "So if you're not in it for love, why are you in it?"
[caption id="attachment_62918" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Perry Brass shows his book, "King of Angels."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
Brass said he hopes the fair will encourage more queer people to read.
"We all have a book that changed our lives," he said, speaking to the day's theme, rattling off the names of some of his favorites — from Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel "A Single Man," to James Baldwin's classic "Giovanni's Room."
The fair brought together authors and booklovers of all ages. "You kind of get a good sense of just, like, how big the queer community is in New York City — it's the best!" said Jules Wernersbach, who founded Bushwick's Hive Mind Books and recently took over The Center's own Bureau of General Services — Queer Division.
[caption id="attachment_62919" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Attendees browse the books on display at the Rainbow Book Fair.Dashiell Allen[/caption]
Stationed next to Kaufman, Reuben Hayslett was promoting his novel, "Orbital Bebop," a sci-fi saga of six interconnected stories each set 200 years apart that chart humanity's migration from Earth into the solar system and back again — all told from the perspective of queer people of color.
"I'm a huge sci-fi nerd, but I feel like there's not enough representation of queer people of color in sci fi, or in most depictions of the future," Hayslett explained, determined to change that.
[caption id="attachment_62920" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Reuben Hayslett is the author of the sci-fi saga "Orbital Bepop."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
Another author, Wendell Edward Carter, promoted his novel "Melting The Snow," about a Black gay man's journey towards embracing his identity.
"You get people who don't see themselves in traditional literature who actually have the chance to engage with you as an author," drag queen and author Jeza Belle told Gay City News, attending the Rainbow Book Fair for the third year. "I get a chance to stand my ground and show 'hey, you can be anything in this world, be who you are.'"
[caption id="attachment_62917" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Jeza Belle showcases "Harlot's Guide to Classy Cocktails."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
Visitors to the fair also enjoyed their experience.
"I've purchased two books in 10 minutes, that's pretty good," said one attendee, Jeffrey, who came with his friends.
"There's literally something for everybody — they have poetry and old vintage magazines. They have young-adult, children's books, they have t-shirts and chapbooks; they've got it all," marveled his friend Nick. "You never know what you're going to see."
Malcolm Tariq participated in the fair's poetry reading for the fourth year, reading poems about "queer life-cycles." This year, two tables featuring out-of-print novels written by queer people peaked his interest.
Kyera Singleton purchased works from Sinister Wisdom, a 50-year-old multicultural lesbian literary and art journal, including Anita Cornwell's "Black Lesbian in White America."
[caption id="attachment_62916" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Anita Cornwell's "Black Lesbian in White America."Dashiell Allen[/caption]
"It's really great to see the work independent presses are doing to not only get this work back circulating, but also to bring these poets who have fallen out of mainstream knowledge back into prominence," Singleton said. 
