OPEN BOOK FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Janine Adams on Queer Celebrations.
SCAFFOLD’s editor-in-chief Gary Hartley speaks to Janine Adams about the role of joy as resistance, and why queer gatherings matter now more than ever.
OPEN BOOK FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Dr Lwando Scott on Queer Anxiety.
This September, the Open Book Festival returns to Cape Town for three days of conversation, connection, and literary exploration. Since 2011, the Festival has carved out space for dialogue that is as urgent as it is creative, tackling the issues that shape our lives today, and, of course, issues that affect queer lives. For a programme titled Queer Anxiety, Nkgopoleng Moloi, Pieter Madibuseng Odendaal and Lwando Scott will speak to Rebecca Davis about the safety of queer people on our continent and in our cities
SCAFFOLD’s editor-in-chief, Gary Hartley, had a chat with Dr Lwando Scott for an exclusive preview.
OPEN BOOK FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Kelly-Eve Koopman on Exploring the Queer Imaginary.
SCAFFOLD’s editor-in-chief, Gary Hartley, speaks to acclaimed writer, change-maker and artivist Kelly-Eve about the power of imagining new worlds for queer lives, and how storytelling can shape the future.
OPEN BOOK FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Dr Azille Coetzee on Queering Intimacy.
Returning to Cape Town from 5–7 September 2025, the Open Book Festival offers over 100 events featuring writers from South Africa and beyond. This year’s programme moves between the deeply personal and the globally political, with conversations on mental health, evolving identities, colonial legacies, and many more. The festival also features queer-focused programmes. Gary Hartley chats to Dr Azille Coetzee about Queering Intimacy.
PERFORMANCE ART: Gena Marvin: Queerness, Protest and Survival in Russia.
Gena Marvin, a non-binary artist from Russia, defies oppression with powerful drag performances. Queendom documents her journey from Magadan to Paris, where activism and art collide.
BOOKS: ‘The Queer Arab Glossary’: A Bold New Lexicon for LGBTQ+ Language in Arabic
Discover The Queer Arab Glossary, a unique collection of Arabic LGBTQ+ slang. This innovative book by Marwan Kaabour captures the diverse language of queer Arab identity, blending art, activism, and cultural insights.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Exploring Queer Bodies and Desire: Spyros Rennt’s ‘Corporeal’.
Capturing the beauty of queer bodies and the power of self-acceptance, Spyros Rennt’s new photo book Corporeal is a vibrant homage to queer identity
PHOTOGRAPHY: Benjamin Fredrickson's "Wedgies": A Provocative Exploration of Queer Fetish (NSFW)
Discover the unique subculture of wedgies through Benjamin Fredrickson’s debut book, "Wedgies," featuring provocative photographs and a deep dive into the erotic and artistic aspects of this fetish.
LITERATURE: Lamya H's "Hijab Butch Blues": A Groundbreaking Memoir on Queerness and Faith
Discover Lamya H's award-winning memoir, "Hijab Butch Blues," which intertwines personal narratives with Quranic stories, challenging the notion that queerness and Islam are incompatible.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Exploring the Untold Legacy of Jason Byron Gavann: A Chronicler of Queer Life in Boston
Discover the impactful yet overlooked work of Jason Byron Gavann, a key figure in queer photography, known for capturing the vibrant nightlife and communities of Boston and Provincetown from the 70s to the 90s.
ART: A Look Inside "I Love You Like Mirrors Do" by Coyote Parks.
Coyote Park's lens captures more than just moments; it captures the essence of love, intimacy, and togetherness. Their latest exhibition, "I Love You Like Mirrors Do," is currently captivating audiences at the esteemed Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in New York City. The exhibition, part of the museum's Interventions series, invites LGBTQIA+ artists to explore the extensive collection established by Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman, pioneers in showcasing homoerotic art and preserving the work of AIDS victims.
BOOKS: A Closer Look at the Legacy of Blacklips, the Underground Queer Performance Cult.
Blacklips: Her Life and Her Many, Many Deaths is a book that documents the history and legacy of the Blacklips Performance Cult. This theatrical collective emerged from the queer underground during the AIDS crisis in New York City and left a lasting impact on the world of performance art.
ART: Frieda Toranzo Jaeger Explores Queer Bliss, Catastrophe and Freedom in “Autonomous Drive”.
In her first major solo exhibition in the USA, Mexican artist Frieda Toranzo Jaeger explores queer freedom and the creation of safe spaces in response to a possible apocalyptic future.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Paging Through Ian Lewandowski’s new book, The Ice Palace is Gone.
The Ice Palace Is Gone features images of Ian Lewandowski’s close queer friends and acquaintances. The settings for each image is a space in which his subjects feel safe, from studios and bedrooms to dining rooms and outdoor spaces.
MUSIC: South Africa’s First All-Queer, All-Black Compilation EP Explores and Celebrates Queer Freedom.
Aptly titled, “Nkululeko”, which means freedom in isiZulu, this first-of-its-kind EP features six original tracks performed by Queer artists and highlights queer struggles, love, the fight for freedom, and community.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Exploring Photographer Steven Arnold’s Philosophy of Queer Mysticism
Steven Arnold’s (1943-1994) work features a vast array of imagined queer deities.
MUSIC: Umlilo Unleashes Femme Power in Africa’s First Queer VR Music Video.
Gender- and genre-bending multi-disciplinary artist Umlilo aka Kwaai Diva has released the video for her latest single, “Bhuti”. Dubbed as Africa’s first Queer virtual reality music video, “Bhuti” is a celebration of the divine feminine and femme power.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Photographer Pedro Pinho Captures Brazil’s Queer Rave Scene.
For almost a decade, Sao Paulo-based photographer Pedro Pinho has documented queer-friendly nightlife spaces in Brazil. For him, the collective experience of queer people finding solace and experiencing joy in these spaces is like a “religious ritual” through which people find their power.
SPOTLIGHT: An Interview with Alistair Mackay about His Debut Novel, “It Doesn’t Have to be This Way”.
In his debut novel, It Doesn’t Have to be This Way, Alistair Mackay tells the story of three queer friends trying to navigate an increasingly fractured, violent and unstable world ravaged by climate collapse and rampant inequality.
Our editor-in-chief, Gary Hartley, had a chat with the author about the thematic underpinnings of his work; crafting complex queer characters; and how he’d respond to criticism of being a white author writing about Black queer characters.
ART: Exploring Pol Anglada’s Latest Erotic Exhibition, “Hole”. (NSFW)
Since 2019, Pol Anglada has gained widespread recognition for his (homo)erotic depictions of Queer experiences and encounters. His latest exhibition, appropriately titled “Hole”, continues this journey with a series of erotic and abstracted close-ups.