StoneCrabs’ ‘Out On An Island’ book won ‘Isle of Wight Book Of The Year’ and ‘Best Non-Fiction Book’ at this year’s Isle of Wight Book Awards, with a recent celebration lunch held at the Island Sailing Club.
The competition is in its 2nd year and its objective is to encourage the writing, reading and publishing of books about the Island; to reward and praise authors.
It was founded by Hunter Davies and sponsored by Hovertravel, The Isle of Wight Music Festival and private benefactors David and Patsy Franks, with support from Medina Bookshop in Cowes and Monkton Arts in Ryde.
Out On An Island is StoneCrabs Theatre’s LGBTQ+ Heritage Project that started in 2019 to research and highlight the Island’s rich, but often hidden LGBTQ+ history from the last 100 years. It was funded by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund and at its core were 20 oral histories, interviews recorded with LGBTQ+ people with Isle of Wight connections.
The book is a collaboration of writing from people in the community, many of whom have never written for a book before.
It connects LGBTQ+ historical figures and draws on common themes from the interviews such as coming out, Pride and suicide. There are poignant portraits of the interviewees taken by photographer Jon Habens and poetry by LGBTQ+ people.
Project manager Caroline Diamond said:
“We are incredibly grateful to over 40 volunteers and 20 interviewees who have contributed to the book. We spoke to LGBTQ+ people with Isle of Wight connections from Prague to Brighton and across the Island with no preconceived ideas of what to expect. We dedicate the book to all those who had the courage to share their stories and those whose stories we may never know.’
On announcing Book of the Year winner, Isle of Wight Book Awards founder and judge Hunter Davies said:
“There isn’t a book anywhere in the UK in print that documents the LGBTQ+ history so well. ‘Out On An Island’ is a beautifully produced book and is of historic significance not only for the Isle of Wight, but for the whole of the UK.”
The title of the project and book, ‘Out On An Island’ is a nod to ‘coming out’ but also to the isolation and loneliness in the lives of everyday Isle of Wight LGBTQ+ people that is evident throughout the book.
There are moments of joy in the book particularly when people find the courage to live as their authentic selves and are accepted and respected in their family and wider community. The book has also been shortlisted for the Best Indie Book (results due in November) and International Books Awards.
There is a 2nd phase of the project Pride In Self, Pride In Place which will research the role of the NHS in Isle of Wight LGBTQ+ culture in the 1980’s and 1990’s at the time of AIDS and Section 28.
‘Out On An Island’ is also looking for 15 LGBTQ+ people with connections to the Island who are willing to have their oral histories recorded and filmed for this new phase of the project.
The recordings will be archived at Carisbrooke Castle Museum and at the Wessex Film and Sound Archives in Winchester. Anyone who would like to volunteer or to learn more about the project should contact Project Manager Caroline Diamond by email on [email protected]
