Transcending the bounds of a skincare brand, sensory aesthetes Aesop are catering to the mind as well, with the opening of the Aesop Queer Library. Coinciding with the two of Australia’s major Pride festivities – Midsumma Festival and the Sydney Mardi Gras – two Aesop stores in Melbourne and Sydney will be dedicated to amplifying queer voices.
You’ll also enjoy:
The New Aesop Sensorium In Sydney Takes Olfactory Pleasure To The Next Level
Hello Former Bookworm, Here’s How To Fall Back In Love With Reading
These Interesting Coffee Table Books Combine Style With Substance
Both the Aesop Paddington store in Sydney and Fitzroy store in Melbourne will be cleared of product, with the apothecary-style bottles making way for thousands of volumes by 60 LGBTQIA+ authors and allies. Spanning fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, the volumes were chosen for their ability to raise awareness and empathy, with visitors entering the Aesop Queer Library Sydney and Melbourne able to take home a book of their choice free of charge.
Among the five thousand plus works on the shelves, you can expect to find volumes from the likes of writer Benjamin Law; Indigenous author Gary Lonesborough; and Jazz Money, a poet and filmmaker of Wiradjuri heritage. Transgender writer and historian Dr Yves Rees and author Ellen van Neerven, of Mununjali and Dutch heritage, will also be showcased as part of the initiative, which aims to demonstrate the ability of literature to unite, liberate and empower.
To bring the Aesop Queer Library to fruition, retain and office teams across the country were invited to recommend their most beloved Queer authors and titles. In the spirit of supporting independent businesses, the volumes were purchased from Queer bookstores Hares & Hyenas in Melbourne and The Bookshop in Sydney, with Penguin Random House and Allen & Unwin also assisting Aesop in the provision of books.
The Queer Library is in line with the Australian luxury skincare brand’s long fixation with literature, including through a partnership with The Paris Review and the establishment of the Aesop Foundation, a philanthropic platform to help underrepresented communities tell their stories. The Aesop Queer Library works to continue this tradition, placing a particular emphasis on spotlighting the diverse and varied experiences of the Queer community in Australia.
The Melbourne activation took place from 2nd February to 8th February, while the Sydney iteration will run from 23rd February to 1st March.
Words by AR Staff
