Below is a list of my forthcoming public events – it would be lovely to see you at any of them!
If you’d like to receive infrequent emails to update you on my books and public events (or you’d like a more reliable and ethical alternative to following me on social media), you can sign up to my mailing list.
And if you can’t make any of these events, why not book your own? Take a look at the talks or heritage activities I can offer.
January 2026
Sunday 11 January, 14.00: Leeds’s Hidden Queer History walking tour – City Centre
Starting point: The Bookish Type, 77a Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3BR
Tickets: https://thebookishtype.co.uk/products/leeds-queer-history-tour-city-centre-1
Queer history is all around us. The building we walk past on the way to work might have witnessed the first meeting of a campaign group; the bus stop we use every day might be remembered fondly as the site of someone’s first kiss. But like many marginalised experiences, too often this history remains invisible.
On this walking tour, historian Kit Heyam will take you on a tour of Leeds’ queer history highlights. From Pride to squats, from 1840s court cases to 1990s raves, you’ll see the city and its past in a new light.
Wednesday 28 January, 18.00: Leeds’s Hidden Queer History walking tour – Music & Nightlife
Starting point: The Bookish Type, 77a Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3BR
Tickets: https://thebookishtype.co.uk/products/leeds-queer-history-tour-music-nightlife-1
Where did Soft Cell’s Marc Almond hear his first disco tune? Why did people stick money to the floor in The New Penny? And what happened when a bunch of lesbians wanted to start a pool tournament?
Find out, and discover the history of Leeds’s queer music and nightlife scenes, on this new walking tour of Leeds City Centre.
February 2026
Sunday 7 February, 11.00 – 15.00: Make Your Plaque workshop
Venue: Crescent Arts, Woodend Creative Space, The Crescent, Scarborough YO11 2PW
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/out-of-the-margins-make-your-plaque-workshop-tickets-1974966914205
Drop in to make a rainbow plaque to commemorate the LGBTQ+ history that’s important to YOU. From forgotten bars, to iconic drag performances, to the place you first held your partner’s hand – no story is too small to be worth commemorating.
When you’ve made your cardboard plaque, you can take it home with you, or join us as we take to the streets to display our plaques and make our history visible.
Sharing these histories will also pave the way for our second workshop – see https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/out-of-the-margins-raise-your-banner-tickets-1976700678942.
Thursday 19 February, 18.00: Leeds’s Hidden Queer History walking tour – City Centre
Starting point: The Bookish Type, 77a Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3BR
Tickets: https://thebookishtype.co.uk/products/leeds-queer-history-tour-city-centre-1
Queer history is all around us. The building we walk past on the way to work might have witnessed the first meeting of a campaign group; the bus stop we use every day might be remembered fondly as the site of someone’s first kiss. But like many marginalised experiences, too often this history remains invisible.
On this walking tour, historian Kit Heyam will take you on a tour of Leeds’ queer history highlights. From Pride to squats, from 1840s court cases to 1990s raves, you’ll see the city and its past in a new light.
Saturday 21 February, morning: English Heritage Members’ Event – Edward II and Piers Gaveston
Venue: Scarborough Castle, Castle Road, Scarborough, YO11 1HY
Tickets: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/whats-on/me-scarborough-edward-ii-21-feb/
In May 1312, King Edward II and his favourite Piers Gaveston parted for the final time at Scarborough Castle. Chroniclers, poets and dramatists would soon develop their narrative into a tragic love story. But how did Edward II get his queer reputation? Join Dr Kit Heyam, author of The Reputation of Edward II, to uncover the life and afterlives of Edward and Gaveston, at Scarborough and beyond.
Sunday 22 February, 11.00 – 15.00: Raise Your Banner workshop
Venue: Crescent Arts, Woodend Creative Space, The Crescent, Scarborough YO11 2PW
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/out-of-the-margins-raise-your-banner-workshop-tickets-1976700678942
Make your mark on a community timeline banner showing the centuries-long span of Scarborough’s LGBTQ+ history.
Just like the plaques, we’ll commemorate nationally significant events alongside the events that matter most to local LGBTQ+ people.
Inspired by the medieval marginalia of the town’s most famous queer love story – King Edward II’s final goodbye to Piers Gaveston at Scarborough Castle in 1312 – we’ll decorate the edges of our timeline with textile art and fabric painting/drawing. You can suggest a milestone for the timeline, and/or you can help us decorate it – whatever works for you!
Saturday 28 February: Queer-ying the Museum
Venue: Royal Armouries Museum, Armouries Dr, Leeds LS10 1LT
Tickets and details coming soon!
March 2026
Sunday 15 March, 14.00: Leeds’s Hidden Queer History walking tour – Music & Nightlife
Starting point: The Bookish Type, 77a Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3BR
Tickets: https://thebookishtype.co.uk/products/leeds-queer-history-tour-music-nightlife-1
Where did Soft Cell’s Marc Almond hear his first disco tune? Why did people stick money to the floor in The New Penny? And what happened when a bunch of lesbians wanted to start a pool tournament?
Find out, and discover the history of Leeds’s queer music and nightlife scenes, on this new walking tour of Leeds City Centre.
Wednesday 18 March, 18.00: Leeds’s Hidden Queer History walking tour – City Centre
Starting point: The Bookish Type, 77a Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3BR
Tickets: https://thebookishtype.co.uk/products/leeds-queer-history-tour-city-centre-1
Queer history is all around us. The building we walk past on the way to work might have witnessed the first meeting of a campaign group; the bus stop we use every day might be remembered fondly as the site of someone’s first kiss. But like many marginalised experiences, too often this history remains invisible.
On this walking tour, historian Kit Heyam will take you on a tour of Leeds’ queer history highlights. From Pride to squats, from 1840s court cases to 1990s raves, you’ll see the city and its past in a new light.
April 2026
Saturday 18 April, 14.00: Leeds’s Hidden Queer History walking tour – City Centre
Starting point: The Bookish Type, 77a Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3BR
Tickets: https://thebookishtype.co.uk/products/leeds-queer-history-tour-city-centre-1
Queer history is all around us. The building we walk past on the way to work might have witnessed the first meeting of a campaign group; the bus stop we use every day might be remembered fondly as the site of someone’s first kiss. But like many marginalised experiences, too often this history remains invisible.
On this walking tour, historian Kit Heyam will take you on a tour of Leeds’ queer history highlights. From Pride to squats, from 1840s court cases to 1990s raves, you’ll see the city and its past in a new light.
Kit Heyam 