London is proud to welcome Russian-French journalist, writer and LGBTQ activist Sergey Khazov-Cassia who will be reading extracts from his novel The Gospel According To…, a story of queer repression and liberation in modern Russia, translated to English by Reuben Woolley.
For years Sergey Khazov-Cassia has been travelling in Russia, writing and filming about its people and its system, witnessing state injustice and individual courage. His two novels are now banned within Russia due to anti-LGBTQ legislation, he has been a victim of attacks and police pressure, yet he stayed in the country until it became totally unsafe for opposition journalists, and fled Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
The Gospel According To… is what can be called documentary fiction, it is based on real events that have happened to real people, the author himself, and others who met with the repressive machinery of an authoritarian state. Even the biblical part of the novel is no invention but based on apocryphal gospels, damned by the Church.
In February 2023 ‘The Gospel According To…’ received a grant from PEN Translates. “We’re delighted to have been able to support these projects, from publishers who are continuing to publish bravely despite our current economic climate,” So Mayer, cochair of the English PEN Translation Advisory Group, said. “Awarding 15 titles across ten languages, it particularly highlights the work of small publishers investing in books in still-underrepresented languages… and for bold novels dealing with themes of gender and sexuality by two acclaimed Russian authors, as PEN continues its charter commitment to writers facing censorship worldwide.”
Dan Glass, activist with ACT UP London and author of Queer Footprints said “The Gospel According To… is an emotional rollercoaster that grips on every page. Through honest and captivating stories of queer sex, love, and loss, I didn’t want to get off. Sergey has written a masterpiece that shares an incredible tapestry of Russian Queer life that has been hidden for too long. Until now. It is an absolute triumph.”
Dan Healey, University of Oxford, author of Russian Homophobia from Stalin to Sochi, said “The Gospel According To… is an indictment of the Russia of homophobia and tyranny. Imagine a conversation between Mikhail Bulgakov and Guillaume Dustan. It deserves your attention.”
The reading will be followed by a Q+A with activists Steve Wardlaw and then an autograph session, and you will be able to buy the book.
Polari Press was established in 2020 and has released nine books by queer authors over the past two years including art, poetry and memoir. Taking its name from the secret queer slang Polari, it is an independent publishing house and design studio which seeks out hidden voices and helps them be heard.
English PEN is one of the world’s oldest human rights organisations, championing the freedom to write and the freedom to read around the world. They are the founding centre of PEN International, a worldwide writers’ association with 147 centres in more than 100 countries. They award literary grants for translating new works into English.
This event will take place in a frame of Henry Miller Fine Art exhibition in Coningsby Gallery. Henry Miller Fine Art is a London based gallery, whose collection focuses on the male form. It spans many centuries and types of media, including paintings, drawings, prints and photography from the 18th century to the present day.
Donations will be collected for Moscow Community Center for LGBTQ initiatives, a clandestine group in Moscow that, among other projects, operate the only LGBTQ shelter in Russia.