Rainbow Wales: The Voices, Lives and Legends Redefining Welsh Identity
As Wales continues to reckon with and celebrate the richness of its cultural identity, a new book arriving this May offers a timely and vibrant contribution to that conversation. Rainbow Wales: Queer Icons Past and Present by Cardiff-based writer Dr Emily Garside is both a celebration and a reclamation, a spotlight on the LGBTQ+ individuals who have helped shape Welsh history, culture and public life.
Set for publication on 7 May, Rainbow Wales asks a deceptively simple question: who are the queer figures, past and present, who have made Wales what it is today? The answers, as Garside reveals, are as diverse as they are powerful.
The book takes readers on a journey through a constellation of lives, from the pioneering historian and travel writer Jan Morris to the iconic entertainer Kenneth Williams, and from composer and theatrical legend Ivor Novello to modern sporting hero Jess Fishlock. Alongside these well-known names, Garside also brings forward figures whose stories may be less familiar but are no less significant. Activists, performers and cultural changemakers whose influence continues to ripple outward.
What makes Rainbow Wales particularly compelling is its scope. This is not simply a catalogue of achievements; it is an exploration of identity, resilience and visibility. The inclusion of figures such as AIDS activist Terrence Higgins and drag performer The Vivienne speaks to a broader narrative, one that acknowledges both struggle and celebration within queer history.
Garside is uniquely placed to tell these stories. With a PhD focusing on theatrical responses to the AIDS crisis and a reputation as a leading voice in LGBTQ+ theatre scholarship, her writing bridges academic insight and accessible storytelling. Readers of her previous work, (including explorations of contemporary queer television) will recognise her ability to weave cultural critique with genuine enthusiasm, care and deep knowledge.
There is, too, a distinctly Welsh resonance running throughout the book. Wales is often celebrated for its landscapes, language and layered histories, yet many of its queer stories have remained underrepresented or overlooked. Rainbow Wales gently but firmly challenges that absence, reframing Welsh history as something more inclusive, more complex and more reflective of the communities that live within it.
In doing so, the book arrives at a moment when conversations around identity and representation feel more urgent than ever. It serves as both an introduction for those new to these stories and a deeper reflection for those already engaged with queer history. Above all, it offers a sense of connection. Across generations, across disciplines and across experiences.
Rather than positioning queer history as a niche or separate narrative, Garside integrates it into the broader fabric of Welsh life. The result is a work that feels not only informative but necessary, a reminder that these stories have always been here, waiting to be told, shared and celebrated.
With its publication just around the corner, Rainbow Wales stands as an invitation: to discover, to reflect and to recognise the individuals who have helped shape a more open and expressive Wales.
