Building a home for queer words in Cardiff

Gosia Buzzanca

On the third Wednesday of every month, as evening settles over Cardiff, a small group gathers inside The Queer Emporium. The lights are dimmed, the music is low, hot chocolates are close at hand, and notebooks are opened without pressure.

This is Lez Write Cardiff — a writing group that has quietly become a vital creative and communal space for queer writers across the city.

Lez Write grew out of another much-loved Cardiff initiative. In 2022, Kat joined Lez Read, a sapphic book group that had quickly built a loyal following. What struck her wasn’t just the discussions about books, but the sense of community that queer people created by regularly getting together and sharing a passion for reading.

A year later, after a few glasses of wine at one of the sessions, Kat floated the idea of a writing group. Encouragement followed, conversations began, and Lez Write was born.

Kat tells me: “At first, it was just a loose idea, but after the first few sessions I realised how much I appreciated the company.”

Not long after, Vero joined as co-facilitator, and the group settled into its rhythm of monthly sessions.

I’ve asked Kat what the typical session looks like: “It’s very chilled – typically, there’s between 8 and 12 attendees and it’s a real mix of regular and new faces each time.

“Vero and I and a lot of our attendees are neurodivergent, and so there’s a gentle, patient
feel to the group,

“There’s no forced sharing and there’s no expectation to have written War and Peace before you walk through the doors. Also, in The Queer Emporium, we are surrounded by queer-made art, jewellery, books, clothes etc which certainly makes you feel inspired and welcomed too!”

Every person attending is at a different stage of their writing journey. There are academics working on PhDs in queer theory as well as parents returning to poetry after years away. Some are writing fanfiction, some prefer fantasy.

Some are published, many are beginners, and most sit somewhere in between. What keeps surprising Kat is not the variety of work, but the way people treat one another.

“Everyone takes care of and celebrates each other, even when they’ve only met once or twice,

“In today’s world, that feels like a real glimmer of hope.”

Lez Write exists within a broader flourishing of queer arts in Cardiff. Over the past few years, the city has become a hub of creative and collaborative activity.

In 2025, Lez Write partnered with Pride and Pen to host a poetry slam, and has since run workshops with writers and artists including Rachel Dawson, Priya Hall, Kaja Brown, Tia-zakura Camilleri and Durre Shahwar.

For Kat, collaboration is central to the group’s future. She imagines projects that bring writers together with dancers, printers, musicians, and visual artists, creativity feeding creativity, without rigid boundaries.

She says “I am putting it out there so please DM us on Insta if you’re queer and interested.”

I was curious if there was anything tied to running the group in Wales specifically, if there is a particular connection to Welsh identity and language that comes out of the sessions.

Culturally diverse

Kat said: “there are very often themes of Welsh mythology, life in the valleys and Cardiff and
beyond, Welsh language and Welsh food running through our attendees’ writing.

“The group is quite culturally diverse, and Welsh culture has either been in us from birth or has welcomed us with open arms later in life.

“In terms of Welsh language writers, we have some amazing contributors, including a fantasy lover blending Welsh and English in their writing, and the fantastic Eluned Smith who was recently published by Arachne Press in a Welsh language collection called Afonydd.

“Her poem is titled Tywi and is about her home county, Sir Gar. Hearing the poem read
aloud in Lez Write was a really touching moment for us all.”

Kat has watched attendees change over time. People who once doubted whether they were “real” writers begin to claim the word for themselves. Some have gone on to seek publication or submit work publicly for the first time.

For many neurodivergent attendees, simply finding others who share both queerness and the love for writing has been transformative.

“It’s impacted confidence and self-acceptance in a really meaningful way,” she says.

Sustaining Lez Write hasn’t been without challenges. It was tricky to find a model that worked for both attendees and facilitators. However, showing up with patience and consistency, despite the dips in motivation, had paid off.

Kat reflects “Being part of other queer groups taught me that if you keep going, you’re almost always glad you did.

“We’ve managed to keep plodding along through difficulties and the trying-new-things stages and, luckily, we now find ourselves in a comfortable and connected place with Lez Write.”

For both Kat and Vero, Lez Write has become a cornerstone of their own creative lives. It provided them with structure, accountability, and, perhaps most importantly, permission.

“It helped me to grow in confidence around just trying things and not worrying about them being
perfect or ‘ready’ to share, Kat said.

“This is a lot of creatives’ Achilles heel and so any help in this area is very welcomed!”

Hope and confidence

Kat is open about how difficult the connection can be. A lot of people feel isolated, either in their writing, their queerness or both. Sometimes showing up requires bravery and support beyond community places alone.

However, she’s full of hope and confidence.

“Lez Write has proven multiple times, to me and others, to be a soft landing-place in which you can be accepted while learning, changing and building community with others.

“So, I think the biggest advice I could give to those wanting to feel connected in their queerness and writing is this: you must be brave and step out of your comfort zone.

“The process and outcome of doing so will be so worth it.”

Follow Lez Write on Instagram to find out more.