New Narratives – Aesop Queer Library in Sydney
From 23rd February to 1st March 2022 over 5,000 literary works materialise in the Aesop store in Sydney. Aesop Queer Library sees the iconic skincare brand embrace the Pride festivities, gladly clearing its shelves to make way for the works of 60 LGBTQIA+ authors.
Since its inception, the self-care brand has evidenced a quietly philanthropic heart, making a genuine effort to create a positive impact. The latest initiative, coinciding with Australia’s Pride festivities, has seen Aesop clear the shelves of the usual products in two of its stores and ask retail and office teams to recommend their favourite queer authors and titles. The resulting array of fiction, non-fiction and poetry were displayed in the Aesop Fitzroy store between the 2nd and the 8th of February and have now taken up their place the Aesop Sydney store. Visitors to the library are invited to select a work of their choice to take home for free, regardless of purchase.
With a long-standing appreciation of the written word – evidenced by the mindful quotes that adorn the company website – Aesop has married its inclusive culture with literary inspiratio in the Aesop Queer Library. The library emerges in time for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, enabling avid readers to engage with the experiences of the Australian queer community, at a time when it is most united.
Lively and ephemeral, the Aesop Queer Library follows on from similar projects in Melbourne, the US, UK, and Taiwan. Through the project, queer voices are given a platform in light of their talent and ability to movingly articulate the human experience, adding new and significant narratives to the Sydney retail scene.
