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Reconnecting Rainbows is publishing Dancing in Heaven, a moving and lyrical collection of monologues, on 1 December 2025 – World AIDS Day. The collection, inspired by the female characters in Russell T Davies’ series It’s A Sin, tells the stories of women from all walks of life who played often unrecognised roles in the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s. In 1981, the medical journal The Lancet reported the first case of AIDS in the UK. By the end of the decade, hundreds were dead: mostly young, mostly gay, mostly men. Across the country, women were there. Mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, lovers, professionals. They cared, cleaned, cooked, coped, cried and campaigned. They lost people they loved. And they went to endless funerals. Dancing in Heaven celebrates the voices of these women – the loud ones and the unheard ones. Together, they represent strength, grief, anger, and an awful lot of love. While the monologues are fiction, the stories are real, drawn from conversations, press coverage, articles and the archives of Switchboard, the national LGBTQIA+ support line. A donation will be made to Switchboard for each copy sold. “Dancing in Heaven reclaims a vital part of queer history, centring women’s roles in a narrative too often dominated by men. Each monologue stands alone in intimacy and strength, yet together they form a chorus that is tender, fierce, and unflinchingly honest,” said Ash Brockwell, Founder, Reconnecting Rainbows Press. “Suzanne’s background in both science and storytelling lends the collection a rare clarity of voice, balancing emotional resonance with historical depth. These stories speak not only to readers interested in LGBTQ+ history, but to anyone who understands the ache of absence, the power of remembrance, and the need to make space for voices that were never meant to be forgotten.” “World AIDS Day, marked on 1 December every year since 1988, unites people worldwide in the fight against HIV and AIDS, stands against stigma and remembers lives lost. It seems like a fitting day to release this book that highlights and celebrates the women who were there during the crisis and will help to ensure that their voices are not forgotten,” said Suzanne Elvidge, who researched and wrote the pieces. Launches for Dancing in Heaven will take place in London and Scarborough:
Contact Author: Suzanne Elvidge (she/her) Email: [email protected] Website: www.thehouseofcorrection.com BlueSky: @suzannewriter.bsky.social Publisher, Reconnecting Rainbows Press: Ash Brockwell (he/they) Email: [email protected] Website: reconnectingrainbows.co.uk Bluesky: @reconnectingrainbo.ws About Suzanne Elvidge (http://www.thehouseofcorrection.com) Suzanne Elvidge is a writer and performer whose work crosses science and the arts, covering fact, fiction and the blurry spaces in between. She writes monologues about lost and forgotten women’s voices based on interviews, news stories, historical events and the overheard. She performs her monologues, most recently at York Theatre Royal, The Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and at the Whitby Literature Festival. She lives on the North Yorkshire coast with her illustrator wife and sundry dogs and cats, and seems to think swimming in the North Sea in winter is A Good Thing. About Reconnecting Rainbows Press (https://reconnectingrainbows.co.uk) Reconnecting Rainbows Press is a queer publisher that believes in the power of storytelling to bring LGBTQIA+ people together, smash stereotypes, and save lives. It is a UK-wide independent publisher of adult and young adult fiction, poetry, children’s books and non-fiction titles. Its author agreements put wellbeing and fairness above all else, and the company continues to fight proudly against the established corporate norms of an outdated publishing industry. Reconnecting Rainbows, founded in 2017, is a community interest company (14570208) registered in the United Kingdom. All of its profits go back into helping marginalised communities publish their works and tell their stories. 
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 Monday 1 December (World AIDS Day) at the Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN, 7-9 pm (doors open at 6.30).
Free tickets here In 1981, the medical journal The Lancet reported the first case of AIDS in the UK. By the end of the decade, hundreds were dead: mostly young, mostly gay, mostly men. Across the country, women were there. Mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, lovers, professionals. They cared, cleaned, cooked, coped, cried and campaigned. They lost people they loved. And they went to endless funerals. Dancing in Heaven celebrates the voices of these women – the loud ones and the unheard ones. Together, they represent strength, grief, anger, and an awful lot of love. Join us on World AIDS Day to celebrate the launch of this groundbreaking book.  Saturday 6 December at the Shakespeare Gallery and Studios, St Helen's Square, Scarborough YO11 1EU at 4-6 pm (part of the Scarborough Fringe Winter Edition) Free tickets here or here. Meet the author Suzanne and publishers Reconnecting Rainbows Press to celebrate the launch of Suzanne’s latest book, Dancing in Heaven. Stories celebrating the women of the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis.
There will be an opportunity to browse through a range of publications by the Reconnecting Rainbows Press and hear from Suzanne about the reasons behind the development of the book and her writing process. In 1981, the medical journal The Lancet reported the first case of AIDS in the UK. By the end of the decade, hundreds were dead: mostly young, mostly gay, mostly men. Across the country, women were there. Mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, lovers, professionals. They cared, cleaned, cooked, coped, cried and campaigned. They lost people they loved. And they went to endless funerals. Dancing in Heaven celebrates the voices of these women – the loud ones and the unheard ones. Together, they represent strength, grief, anger, and an awful lot of love. While the monologues are fiction, the stories are real, drawn from conversations, press coverage, articles and the archives of Switchboard, the national LGBTQIA+ support line. A donation will be made to Switchboard for each copy sold. A Big Queer Fringe Scarborough Production Supported by Scarborough Community Box Office Limited Part of The Scarborough Fair Winter Fringe.  A quick update:
I'll be hosting a writing workshop, First Person Singular – Writing Monologues That Speak to an Audience, at the first Whitby Literature Festival on 6 Nov 2025 about the craft of writing monologues, from first idea to final draft.
https://whitbylitfest.org #WhitbyLitFest #LiteraryFestival #Whitby Just signed my first ever book contract - Dancing in Heaven has a target publication date of 1 December 2025 with the wonderful LGBTQ+ publisher Reconnecting Rainbows.
Announcement from Reconnecting Rainbows Press:
We’re honoured to welcome writer and editor Suzanne Elvidge (She/Her) to Reconnecting Rainbows Press with her powerful new work, Dancing in Heaven, launching 1st December 2025. This moving and lyrical monologue collection gives voice to women whose stories were so often left untold during the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Drawn from archival materials from Switchboard LGBT+ as well as interviews and news stories, these fictional pieces offer glimpses into the lives of carers, lovers, mothers, and friends, women who held communities together, grieved in silence, and resisted invisibility. Inspired by Switchboard, one of the UK’s longest-running LGBTQ+ helplines, Dancing in Heaven reclaims a vital part of queer history, centring women’s roles in a narrative too often dominated by men. Each monologue stands alone in intimacy and strength, yet together they form a chorus that is tender, fierce, and unflinchingly honest. A portion of proceeds from each book sold will be donated to Switchboard, helping to support their ongoing work for the LGBTQ+ community. Suzanne’s background in both science and storytelling lends the collection a rare clarity of voice, balancing emotional resonance with historical depth. These stories speak not only to readers interested in LGBTQ+ history, but to anyone who understands the ache of absence, the power of remembrance, and the need to make space for voices that were never meant to be forgotten. We’re incredibly proud to bring Dancing in Heaven to life this winter. A tribute, a testimony, and a testament to the women who danced through fire and found ways to shine. The Robin Hood’s Bay Folk weekend has been a highlight of the Robin Hood’s Bay year for decades, and this year is going to be no exception – from The Bay Hotel to Boggle Hole, the area will be full of music and creativity.
The 2025 Bay Folk Weekend will be held between Friday 6 June and Sunday 8 June at venues all around the village. This year’s amazing event will feature old faces and new, including the Café Dash, a concert by the Fylingdales Folk Choir, open mic sessions, singarounds, acoustic sessions and a writing workshop. The Bay Folk Weekend began in the 1970s, attracting folk music, dance and song from across Yorkshire and further afield. In the past, the weekend has included ceilidhs, ‘Survivor’s Sessions’, and dancers on the Dock. The Café Dash started in 2016 and has raised much money for the RNLI. The Bay Folk Club, or Bayfolk, will be hosting open mic and singaround sessions at Wainwright’s Bar, Bay Hotel on the Friday and Saturday night. Bayfolk was born out of the 1960s folk revival, with Brian Krengel, the warden of Boggle Hole Youth Hostel, as one of its founders. Bayfolk has inhabited almost all the pubs in Robin Hood’s Bay at various times in its history, including the Bay Hotel, Ye Dolphin, the Laurel and the Victoria Hotel, with appearances from The Young ‘Uns, Flossie Malavialle, Reg Meuross, Briege Murphy, John Connolly, Liz Law and Terry Conway, Bernie Parry, Duncan McFarlane, and our local legend Martin Carthy. It is now in Wainwright’s Bay every Friday night at 7 pm hosted by guitarist Garry Burnett, a club regular for over 20 years. Friday 6 June – Robin Hood’s Bay Wainright’s Bar, The Bay Hotel – live music 7 pm – The Smuggler’s Inn (upstairs) – singaround, open mic, all welcome Saturday 7 June – Robin Hood’s Bay and Boggle Hole 10.30-1.30 pm – Boggle Hole Youth Hostel - A Way with Words, a fun and creative writing workshop inspired by Robin Hood’s Bay history and environment. Everybody welcome, from beginners to experienced wordsmiths, hosted by Suzanne Elvidge & Steve Hoey at the beautiful Boggle Hole Youth Hostel, walking distance (at low-tide or on the Cleveland Way) from Bay. Free to attend but bring some money for coffee and cake. Any questions email [email protected] 11 am to 4 pm – RNLI Café Dash (various venues around Bay) featuring Colin & Pip Whiddett, Ian Tyzack, Debra Simpson, Chris Denley, Derek Waudby, Anya Wiltschinsky &James Nicholson, Steve & Mary-Anne Hindley, Phil Friend & Lynne, and John Windle. The Smugglers band will be performing and collecting for the RNLI midday onwards in the Laurel PM – Wainright’s Bar – informal singaround and open mic 12ish onwards – The Dock – dance display with Thieving Magpie Morris 2-5 pm – Boggle Hole Youth Hostel – acoustic open mic led by Garry Burnett & Rob Parker 7 pm – Wainright’s Bar, Bay Hotel – informal open mic session – all welcome – hosted by Garry Burnett 7 pm – Tea, Toast and Post – Guthrie & Friends, a themed session hosted by John Tunaley, Steve Foster & Ken McCall 7 pm – Fylingdales Village Hall – Fylingdales Folk Choir, with special guests Glaisdale Clog, who will be performing traditional dances. Everyone welcome to join in a feast of folk music and song. Entry is free, with a voluntary donation in aid of the RNLI Sunday 8 June – Robin Hood’s Bay 10.30 am – Folk Service at St Stephens Church, Robin Hood’s Bay led by Steve Foster & Rob Parker 11 am to 4 pm – RNLI Café Dash (various venues around Bay) featuring Edwina Hayes, Eddie Marrion, Suzy Bradley, Ian Walker, Mathew Stringer, Dave Hume & Lucia White, Wolf Housman, and George and Jane Smith 12ish onwards – The Dock – dance display with Thieving Magpie Morris A Way with Words: Robin Hoods Bay Folk Weekend writing workshop at Boggle Hole Youth Hostel 7 June7/5/2025 A Way with Words: Boggle Hole Youth Hostel 10.30 am to 1.30 pm on Saturday 7 June A fun and creative writing workshop inspired by Robin Hoods Bay history and environment, as part of the Robin Hood's Bay Folk Weekend. Everybody welcome from beginners to wordsmiths, hosted by Suzanne Elvidge and Steve Hoey at the beautiful Boggle Hole Youth Hostel, walking distance from Robin Hood's Bay (along the beach at low tide, or along the Cleveland Way). Free to attend - but bring some money for cake and coffee. Any questions, email: [email protected]  My alter ego, The Widow's Handbook, has a piece called My loss in Catherine MacKenzie's anthology Such a Loss.
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