Wilde About Sappho: Oral History Interview 07 — John Barton
Literature, Community, and the Lasting Impact of Wilde About Sappho
The final interview in Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada’s 40th-anniversary oral history series returns to one of the organization’s most enduring cultural contributions: Wilde About Sappho.
Across four decades, Lambda’s history has been shaped not only by scholarships and governance, but by the public celebration of queer voices—and this conversation reflects on how literature helped define both community and visibility.
The seventh interview features John Barton, a central figure in shaping the identity and impact of Wilde About Sappho, Lambda’s long-running literary fundraiser. Beginning in 1991, the event brought together emerging and established LGBTQ writers from Canada and abroad at a time when queer literature was gaining broader recognition but still faced limited mainstream platforms.
Barton reflects on how Wilde About Sappho created a supportive and affirming space for writers, fostered meaningful connections between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ audiences, and helped bridge cultural gaps through storytelling. He discusses memorable readings, influential authors, and the collaborative efforts—led in part by Gary Sealey—that allowed the event to grow into a defining feature of Lambda’s public presence.
As the series concludes, Barton’s reflections point forward as well as back. He considers how LGBTQ literature continues to evolve, how diversity within queer writing has expanded, and why Lambda’s commitment to supporting cultural and educational initiatives remains relevant for future generations. Together, his insights offer a fitting conclusion to a project dedicated to preserving the voices that built—and continue to shape—Lambda’s legacy.
This interview concludes our seven-part oral history series marking 40 years of Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada. Together, these conversations document the people, ideas, and community efforts that continue to shape Lambda’s mission.
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About the Interviewer: Christopher DiRaddo
Christopher DiRaddo is the author of the novels The Family Way (2021), shortlisted for the F.G. Bressani Literary Prize, and The Geography of Pluto (2014). His essays and short stories have appeared in First Person Queer: Who We Are (So Far), Here & Now: An Anthology of Queer Italian-Canadian Writing, and The Globe and Mail. He has also written for several publications, including Elle Canada, XTRA magazine, and enRoute magazine, for which he won a National Magazine Award. In 2014, he created the Violet Hour Reading Series & Book Club, which has to date provided a platform for more than 300 LGBTQ writers in Canada to connect with new audiences. He lives in Montreal. Check out his website and subscribe to The Violet Letter: Your guide to LGBTQ+ lit in Montreal (and beyond).
