The first comprehensive mapping of Cornwall’s queer past, revealing hidden coves, moors and harbours as creative refuges.

Cornwall Uncharted reveals the county's vibrant queer histories for the first time, tracing a hidden tapestry of creativity and community from the eighteenth century to today. Through an original synthesis of art and literary analysis – examining studio paintings, poetry, novels and private manuscripts – as well as meticulous archival research in coaching-inn records, market ledgers, architectural surveys and wartime reminiscences, this rigorous study reconstructs the social and cultural worlds where nonconforming lives were forged.

Six thematic chapters – from urban concealments and coastal artist retreats to lighthouses, rural hinterlands, du Maurier’s literary landscapes and contemporary grassroots networks – demonstrate how Cornwall’s unique geography shaped queer expression and solidarity.

Challenging metropolitan-centric narratives, this book offers a compelling model of peripheral resistance and belonging, inviting scholars and general readers alike to rediscover Cornwall as a crucial site of queer innovation.

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‘Paul’s guide through the past few centuries of Queer Cornwall in the arts is evocative, well-researched and timely.’