Title: Archiving Joy
Author: Lu Williams
Publisher: Grrrl Zine Fair
Published: 2022
Pages: 60
Format: Paperback
Shop
A story of my Great Aunt Joy b.1924, a transgender woman, a veteran, a musician, a civil servant, an aunt, a sister, and a partner.
Archiving Joy is the story of Rosemary Joy Erskine, local artist Lu Williams’ Great Aunt Joy. The tale of Joy (b. 1924 d.1995) starts from family oral history and delves into the archive, pulling together fragments of a colourful life, weaved in with contributions from local artists, writers, and historians.
This retelling of Joy’s life is joined by artist, writer and researcher contributions, reimaginging and reflecting on our current archival process in the UK.
Contributing writers:
Elliot Gibbons
George Morl
Hava Carvajal
Howe Furber
Laura Love
Maz Murray
Merline Evans
The project is part of the Snapping the Stiletto: Campaigning for Equality programme, which seeks to provide spaces for people to share and create. Both Lu Williams, founder of Grrrl Zine Fair and the Grrrl Zine Library, and STS recognises that archiving and sharing queer and especially transgender stories is so important- not only for others to see themselves in our writing but for our moment in history to be preserved – particularly within the archive where the voices of well to do, cisgender white men, have been prioritised.
The publication was designed with Design Print Bind, cover photo by Anna Lukala and features gold foiling embossed by hand on the cover.
Supported by Heritage Fund UK.
