* LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE 2025 * A highly readable cultural history of
queer women's lives in the second half of the twentieth century 'An inspiring celebration of
lesbian camaraderie activism and fun' SARAH WATERS 'A cracking read and a reminder of what
shaped where we are now' VAL MCDERMID 'Riveting indispensable and suffused with a humane
warmth' ALISON BECHDEL For as long as queer women have existed they've created gathering
grounds where they can be themselves. In A Place of Our Own journalist June Thomas invites
readers into six iconic lesbian spaces over the course of the last sixty years including the
rural commune the sex toy boutique and the feminist bookstore. She also illuminates what is
gained and lost in the shift from the exclusive tight-knit women's spaces of the '70s toward
today's more inclusive yet more diffuse LGBTQ+ communities. 'Thomas's ability to resurrect
the past is a testament to her meticulous research. But it's her voice - charming irreverent
tender - that makes the journey through lesbian history so worthwhile' NEW YORK TIMES 'A
must-have for any queer bookshelf' TEGAN QUIN 'Pulses with delicious dykes and the spaces we
have made for ourselves over the years' STELLA DUFFY