Located on Lexington Street, Aesop’s Soho store has cleared its shelves of most of its beauty products and swapped them for books instead. The annual Queer Library pop-up (until 6 July 2025) offers visitors to the store an array of titles by LGBTQIA+ authors and allies, no purchase required.
The diverse array of books on offer spotlights authors from around the globe and provides a platform for underrepresented voices. This year, the library celebrates the liberating possibilities of LGBTQIA+ self-expression, with a particular focus on elevating trans and non-binary voices.
Aesop worked with independent bookstore and queer institution Gay’s The Word, to curate a diverse reading list (also detailed online). Books were sourced from the bookshop, while others were purchased at a generous discount from Penguin and a variety of other publishers.
Featured authors include: Chukwuebuka Ibeh, Audre Lorde, Dean Atta, Juno Roche, Kate Davies, Shon Faye, and Charlie Porter, to name a few. This year, the Queer Library shines a particular spotlight on the title Marsha, by activist, artist and writer Tourmaline. The book focuses on Marsha P Johnson (1945-92), a central figure in the fight for trans rights. Writes Tourmaline: ‘Marsha’s life reminds us that the work of liberation isn’t just about protest; it’s also about sparkle, about softness, about staying alive and helping others stay alive, too.’ In addition to hardcover copies of Marsha available in the store, Aesop has teamed with HarperCollins and audiobook app Xigxag, to offer a complimentary audiobook (see instructions at aesop.com).
While browsing the pop-up’s colour-coordinated shelves, visitors also have the opportunity to take part in a playful literary card game. You draw a selection of cards, each imprinted with a word from the Aesop fable ‘The North Wind and the Sun’ – a tale about ‘the value of gentle persuasion over force’. The words are intended as a creative prompt to help you craft your own story.
Aesop Queer Library is located at 41 Lexington Street, London W1F 9AJ, 3-6 July 2025
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