Exploring ‘The Log Books’

In a crawlspace at the offices of Switchboard a queer helpline, in operation since 1974, Tash Walker and Adam Zmith discover dozens of log books kept by volunteers describing the phone calls they had taken; stories of a teenager kicked out of their 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.

Tash and Adam came of age during Section 28, a law banning councils and schools from ‘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 to their own.

These logs were traces of tens of thousands of queer lives, across over four decades, captured by people who lent an ear to those in need. They set out to learn from, and sometimes speak to, people on both sides of the calls.

This in conversation event will present the interweaving of queer lives past and present, propelling them into the foreground of our national history. With a potent relevancy to today’s world, we’ll explore an intimate history of LGBTQ+ life across four decades, discovered in a stash of forgotten, handwritten notes.

About the authors:

Tash Walker is a writer, podcast producer and community organiser who has worked with institutions such as the Barbican, BBC, and Queer Britain; they were a member of Switchboard's board for eight years.

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.

The podcast of the same name which inspired this book was awarded Best New Podcast at the British Podcast Awards in 2020.

Praise for The Log Books:

‘I was so moved and charmed by this polyphonic, gossipy, and politically potent book, which is among the most vivid social histories I've read about contemporary queer life in Britain.’
-OISÍN MCKENNA, author of Evenings and Weekends

‘Eloquently and imaginatively presented, The Log Books a fresh retelling of queer history teeming with curiosity, complexity and humanity. 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

‘Essential reading, grounded in the past while also explaining the urgency of LGBTQ+ politics today.’
-TOM RASMUSSEN, author of Diary of a Drag Queen

‘Hauntingly beautiful, this is a testament to the ongoing courage and care so profound in our community. I was enchanted at every page. Completely life-changing.’
-DAN GLASS, author of Queer Footprints