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Breakout Session 6 (UK): Beyond Echo Chambers: Diversifying Reading Reduces Polarisation & Strengthens Empathy

Rachel Coventry

24 أكتوبر 2025

Session summary

My session will begin with an overview of the rise of far right in the UK and how social media echo chambers are affecting LGBTQ+ futures and infiltrating politics. It will then discuss the trends in the uprise of LGBTQ+ literature and the psychological support of how fiction enhances empathy and discuss how countries, like Hungary, are banning queer literature and how publishing can be a political act while we still can. Then ends with tips about actively diversifying your reading and media diet, and a free book swap at the end.

Biography

Rachel Coventry (she/her) is a change maker specialising in youth voice, class inequality, and LGBTQ+ human rights. Rachel is also the podcast host and creator of the Booked & Busy Podcast where she combines her passion for reading and amplifying voices to review and interview LGBTQ+ authors/stories.

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