The Importance of Being Heard - 8th of June

Elizabeth Lovatt will be in conversation with Hugo Greenhalgh about the importance of being heard — a theme that runs through both of their recent books, which explore the ways people seek connection and recognition.

Elizabeth Lovatt’s debut book, Thank You for Calling the Lesbian Line, reimagines the lives of the women who both called and volunteered for the Lesbian Line in the 1990s. The book also traces Lovatt’s own journey — from accidentally coming out, to disastrous dates, to finding her chosen family.

Hugo Greenhalgh, a journalist who played a role in lowering the age of consent, shares the story behind The Diaries of Mr. Lucas, a heartfelt book that preserves the life and memories of Mr. Lucas, a diarist from Clapham.

Elizabeth Lovatt is a writer of fiction and creative non-fiction originally from Leicester and now living in London.

Elizabeth has an MA in Creative and Critical Writing at Birkbeck University and in 2019 she was the writer-in-residence at Islington Pride LGBTQ+ archives in London. She was part of Penguin Books’ #WriteNow mentorship scheme for underrepresented writers during which time she developed her first non-fiction book based on her archival research.

She occasionally runs writing and zine making workshops, as well as her own newsletter the tiny narrative, which was recommended as one of the best cultural newsletters by Elephant Magazine. In her professional life she has worked in publishing, product development and book buying in the cultural sector. Currently she manages the Buying and Product Development team for Tate shops.

Hugo Greenhalgh has been a journalist for more than 25 years. He is the editor of Openly, the LGBTQ+ news website from the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Before that he worked for the Financial Times. He has been nominated for the European Press Prize, Amnesty International's Media Awards and the GLAAD Media Awards. He is also a former activist. Aged 19, he took the British Government to the European Court of Human Rights over the age of consent for gay males in the UK.