The Log Books: Voices of Queer Britain and the Helpline that Listened

An intimate history of LGBTQ+ life over four decades, discovered in a stash of forgotten, handwritten notes.

'A fantastic journey through an overlooked archive bursting with humanity and real life on every page.'
DAN SNOW

'Among the most vivid social histories I've read about contemporary queer life in Britain.'
OISÍN MCKENNA, author of Evenings and Weekends

'Illuminating.' FINANCIAL TIMES
'Timely and moving.' HISTORY TODAY
'Profound.' AnOTHER MAGAZINE

In a crawlspace at the offices of Switchboard, a queer helpline in operation since 1974, lies dozens of log books kept by volunteers describing the phone calls they had taken: a teenager whose parents had kicked them out of home for dressing as the wrong gender; a lesbian terrified of having her baby taken away from her; a man arrested for chatting up another man in a public toilet; a young person wanting to know how to come out.

These logs were traces of tens of thousands of queer lives, a bridge to a past hidden from people like Tash Walker and Adam Zmith in their youth, captured by people who lent an ear to those in need. Walker and Zmith came of age in the time of Section 28, a law which banned councils and schools 'promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship'. In recovering these logs, they encountered people grappling with feelings, questions and problems both familiar and different, and set out to learn from - and sometimes speak to - those on both sides of the calls.

Charged with joy, gossip, sensuality, humour and sometimes fear, and with a potent relevancy to the world today, these stories are brought together in The Log Books. Walker and Zmith capture queer lives in stunning detail, embarking on a journey of both collective history and self-discovery and propelling it into the very foreground of our national history.

'In opening the Switchboard archive, and all the vulnerability and thrill contained within its pages, this book manages to capture something of the essence of what it means to be alive.'
AMELIA ABRAHAM, author of Queer Intentions

Tash Walker is a writer, poet, audio producer and community organiser who has worked with institutions such as the Barbican, The National Archives, BBC, The Charles Causley Trust and Queer Britain; they were a member of Switchboard's board for eight years. In 2021 they were named one of the top 101 LGBTQ+ Trailblazers by Attitude Magazine, and in 2022 were included in Stonewall and DIVA's Pride Power List.

With Adam Zmith, they produced and hosted The Log Books podcast charting LGBTQ+ life in Britain as noted by volunteers at the helpline Switchboard. It won praise from the Observer, DIVA, BBC Podcast Radio Hour and Attitude; it was named Best New Podcast (Gold) at the British Podcast Awards 2020. They now run Aunt Nell, a company making cultural works from podcasts to events.

Adam Zmith is a writer and multi-format producer; his book Deep Sniff: A History of Poppers and Queer Futures won the Polari First Book Prize. He writes theatre shows, talks and podcasts, including Press Play Turn On which won Podcast of the Year at the British Podcast Awards 2024.

With Tash Walker, they produced and hosted The Log Books podcast charting LGBTQ+ life in Britain as noted by volunteers at the helpline Switchboard. It won praise from the Observer, DIVA, BBC Podcast Radio Hour and Attitude; it was named Best New Podcast (Gold) at the British Podcast Awards 2020. They now run Aunt Nell, a company making cultural works from podcasts to events.