Prishtina’s Sekhmet Institute has unveiled a database on queer literature in Kosovo, the Balkans, and the world.

Globally recognized as “queer,” this genre significantly contributes to the literary landscape of Kosovo, the Balkans, and beyond. It offers a platform for expressing oneself differently, a rich tapestry of emotions, diverse linguistic registers, and narratives often suppressed by patriarchal systems. This genre vividly portrays the lives of individuals from unconventional families and those seeking to understand their own identities.

“We are all witnesses of the human right breaches that happen in Kosovo and in the Western Balkans and just as the same we also can see that a specific genre of literature is coming to life but is not being given the space and attention it deserves,” said Dardan Hoti, executive director of Sekhmet Institute for Prishtina Insight.

“Thus, we want to give more visibility to authors and literature pieces that are queer–not heteronormative–pushing the literary envelope and giving it a variety of expressions beyond conventional definitions and understandings of sexuality and gender identity/expression,” he adds.

Through carefully chosen words, queer literature sheds light on characters and realities seeking greater recognition and acceptance. From places where homosexuality remains criminalized and punishable by death to more progressive societies where the fight for equal rights is in full swing, queer literary documents in written and spoken form open up new spaces for the lives of LGBTIQ+ individuals worldwide.

In this collection, Sekhmet aims to present a curated list of queer literature, including works by authors from Kosovo and the broader Balkan region, alongside a comprehensive selection of books that should be read by the global literary community. These texts explore topics related to LGBTIQ+ issues and what it means to be queer in its entirety.

This database includes queer books by authors who may identify as queer themselves or may not belong to this social group.

Besides well-known authors in this genre, this database also incorporates books and poetry collections by less acknowledged authors who are making a significant contribution to such literature.

This project is supported by the Regional Network for Cultural Diversity, READ.

Explore the database here.