Criminally Queer: The Bolton 7
In 1998 Seven men from Bolton have their lives changed forever. Criminally Queer: The Bolton 7 looks back at one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in recent British LGBTQ+ history, and examines how this scarcely-known legal case played a significant role in the fight for gay rights.
Over the course of the series, Hugh Sheehan speaks to: Booker Prize-winning author Douglas Stuart; author Shon Faye; former Home Secretary Jack Straw; LGBTQ+ and human rights activist Peter Tatchell; LGBTQ+ and Black communities activist and commissioner of the London HIV prevention programme Marc Thompson; author and host of the podcast Bad Gays Huw Lemmey; former Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris; author and queer scholar Jack Parlett; founder and former chair of Greater Manchester Lesbian and Gay Policing Initiative Ian Wilmott; writer Robin Craig; Bolton 7 solicitor Nicola Hall; and gay activist and Bolton 7 barrister Terry Munyard; queer historian Justin Bengry; and founder of Bolton LGBT+ group Steve Sherry.
Producer and Presenter: Hugh Sheehan
Music and Sound Design: Hugh Sheehan
Executive Producer: Anishka Sharma
Mix Engineer: Arlie Addlington
Artwork: Tom Cunningham
Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab.
Archive material courtesy of Roger Bolton Productions.
Lost Time
Commissioned by BBC Arts and Arts Council England, Lost Time explores the time lost and experiences gained by LGBTQ+ people in getting to truly be themselves. Click here to listen now on BBC Sounds. I wrote about the work, and my practice as a whole, for the British Music Collection. To read the article, click here.