Damian Barr and Keava McMillan: Scotlands Hidden LGBTQ+ Art History
Uncover the queer lives behind some of Scotlands finest 20th century art with award-winning author Damian Barr and art historian Keava McMillan. Barrs latest novel, The Two Roberts , tells the moving story of painters Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun, deeply devoted to their art and their love for one another. Dr McMillan will share insights from her WayWORD-commissioned pamphlet exploring the queer art of artists Dorothy Johnstone, Cecile Walton and Anne Finlay, all featured in Aberdeen Art Gallerys Art of Empowerment collection.
Damian Barr is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and journalist. His memoir Maggie & Me won Stonewall Writer of the Year and Sunday Times Memoir of the Year. His debut novel, You Will Be Safe Here , was shortlisted for six major awards and named a Book of the Year in the Observer , Guardian and Mail . In 2019, Damian brought books back to television with the Big Scottish Book Club, now in its sixth series and syndicated internationally. Damian holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. His world-famous Literary Salon ran from 2008 to 2023, celebrating writers from around the world and widening the cultural conversation. He is a trustee of Gladstones Library and a campaigner for libraries. He lives in Brighton. damianbarr.com | @mrdamianbarr
Dr Keava McMillan is a cultural historian specialising in modern queer art and histories. She is a Lecturer in Gender History at the University of Glasgow and works at Lavender Menace, a queer community archive in Edinburgh. She has a PhD in Visual Culture from the University of Aberdeen and has worked in heritage interpretation and engagement with places like the V&A Dundee, Historic Environment Scotland, and Rozelle House.
Find the full programme, including accessibility information, at www.waywordfestival.com [//www.waywordfestival.com]
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Dates & Booking
Oct. 05, 2025 3:30pm
Book now -
Ticket Info
Standard - £10.00
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