Hot Summer Reads at Sh!

Date: Thursday 23 August
Time: 7pm
Venue: Sh! Hoxton
Tickets: £3
Reading: Paul Burston, Rebecca Chance and Stella Duffy

"Oh My"

Greeted with a typical Sh! welcome that instantly makes you feel at home, coupled with a glass of pink bubbly and chocolate cupcakes was a glorious way to start off the fun and filth entertainment that awaited us.

The intimate basement, on a dusky, humid evening, surrounding by things of play, was the ideal setting for the moist-making readings to come. With the upstairs of Sh! decorated in 50 shades of grey, and Paul Burston dressed in 50 shades of grey, the recent popularity of S&M fiction - and play - ensured a full audience keen to be titillated.


The three writers were clearly at ease with each other, and bantered comfortably with the audience. I can imagine that it isn't the easiest of tasks to read your self-penned sex scenes to a group of strangers, but the writers managed the story telling with plenty of ease and confidence, and good humour.

There were some obvious key themes across the readings chosen by the writers. - the sensuality (or anti-sensuality) of physical contact between two (or more!) people. The peripheral detail that writers use to enhance the mood and readers' experience - describing furniture, the role of food, all to heighten the physicality.

All three readers performed their pieces well, drawing the audience into the scenes they had created. Paul Burston's use of humour to challenge a stereotypical gay male drug fueled orgy; and Stella Duffy's convincing orgasmic portrayal of Rebecca Chances's Victoria (from Killer Heels) - "Its in the text" she explained as Rebecca fanned herself in excitement. 

We had a good discussion afterwards about the role of women in fiction sex scenes and how these writers try and write away from the stereotyped passive 'victim' and instead include strong, assertive women in control of their sexuality. They shared feedback on the challenges and joys of writing sex outside of personal experience - whether that be straight, girl on girl or boy on boy. The role of porn as an example of fictitious sex and the damage the porn industry has done to some individuals as well as a representation of sex came up - and hence the responsibility these writers take in writing realistic but not victimising sex scenes.

All in all a wonderful way to spend a few hours on a hot summer London eve, look out for Sh! reads and other events taking place in the stores.