Montez Press July News

July Interjection: The Knights Templar – Ethan O’Connor 

Ethan O’Connor (b. 1991, Manchester) is a writer of fiction and personal essays. In 2024, he performed his short story Dungeness at Factory International, Manchester, which focused on the cosmic nature of ageing, creative legacy, and collective cultural trauma inherited by gay men.

He collaborated with his sister, artist Evie O’Connor, on a publication for her show The Gulf at Taymour Grahne Projects, London, in 2023. He also provided a piece of flash science fiction for Armando D. Cosmos’ SHTF works at Nest gallery, The Hague, that same year. He is a graduate of The University of Glasgow’s Creative Writing MLitt and Central Saint Martins’ BA Fashion Communication program.

→ Read Ethan’s work here

From the WR archive: Studio Visit – Mercy Moktar

Mercy Moktar works with image and text. Starting with the anecdote or the snapshot-seeming image, she uses portraiture and observational humour to reflect queer and trans experience in London with a disarming intimacy.

During her residency, she researched representations of narrative time, image and memory in literature, and thought deeply about the relationship between gay and transfeminine cultures – where and how they meet. Inspired by Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa’s writing on a ‘portraiture of slippage,’ the following excerpt comes from a novella started on the residency, where she started writing fiction for the first time.

Moktar was a recipient of the Studio Voltaire/LOEWE Foundation award. Her writing has been published by gal-dem and her photography features in publications by oestrogeneration and Pilot Press. She lives in London.

→ Read Mercy’s Studio Visit 

London, join us this weekend at the Stems Book Fair 

Hosted by Helen Marten Studio on the 19th and 20th of July, from 11am to 6pm, the fair is free and open to all. Come browse our catalogue IRL and snag the last of our limited edition tees. An after fair celebration and evening of talks curated by Eve Esfandiari-Denney and Thea McLachlan will take place on Sunday 20th July from [removed];

Visit us at 55 Laburnum Street, London, E2 8BD, browse our catalogue IRL and snag the last of our limited edition tees.

Please join us for the first ever Penarth Centre Community BBQ an open and free event for our local LGBTQ+ community and friends.

Taking place on our terrace at the Penarth Centre in South Bermondsey, we will have a BBQ with meat, veggie and vegan options, a bar, art, raffles, DJ sets and more. Expect a relaxed and welcoming space to meet our partners and the local community – everyone is welcome!

The BBQ is hosted by London Performance Studios, Montez Press, Ormside Projects and The Pen Theatre, and is supported by the Southwark Pride Fund. There will be an afterparty at Ormside Projects, timings tbc.

The terrace does not have step-free access. For accessibility requirements or any other information, please contact → RSVP

MPR July Schedule: 

MPR will be broadcasting throughout the month from 46 Canal Street and Sugar Hill Supper Club in New York, live from La Americana in CDMX, and in London from the ICA. Check out our full schedule for more details at Montez Press Radio.

→ Listen at [removed]
→ Keep an eye on this month’s schedule
→ Sign up as a Supporter and unlock the archive
→ Donate

With love,
MPR & Montez Press