Disabled pleasure maximalism looks a million ways. I loved food when I was flat on my ass with CFIDS/ME and had negative million spoons and dollars, loved it when I started to be able to zip around more, and everything in between. My library book recipes, dollar value meals, careful menu planning to make $20 stretch, and stolen cups of coffee in the all-night diner, all mattered. They were all ways I cripped pleasure and all ways I fought for and claimed my life.

Our disabled food pleasure maximalism carries us through so many forms of crip grief and hard times. This was true before the pandemic, it continues to be true as food prices ever rise and pandemics continue, as genocides unfurl and the vibe is perma-grievous. Most cookbooks never even think about disabled or depressed foodways, but we know that straws, pre cut veggies, mission critical shelf stable milk and foods and recipes that take zero executive function are the stuff of life.

Let this be one of so many books throwing out lifelines of recipes and crip food hacks to each other and shouting: our lives are real, and we deserve to live.

ORDER YOUR COPY OF MISERY MEALS HERE 𐂐◯𓇋

*international postage costs are currently high. we do intend to distribute to bookshops internationally and will let you know when we do.

misery @ Scope Makers’ Market

“Join us for an afternoon of creativity, conversation and community, featuring disabled-led businesses, inclusive employment discussions, and opportunities to connect with like-minded people across London.””

^^ we’ll be slingin misery meals here later this month~

if you’re in london, you can also pick the book up at The Common Press bookshop. all profits from book sales go towards the continued running of misery CIC x

🥒misery meals press & feedback🍯

it has brought us great joy to see and hear proof of misery meals out in the world. here are some highlights (send yours through!):

⌲

⌲

to hear more about the process of making the book, you can listen to this interview on The Sick Times ^, and for a cheeky excerpt of the book’s Introduction, check Polyester Mag xox

Subscribe now

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 the misery community to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks among us & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits; QTIBPOC arts, nature, news, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out etc to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion <3

Workshop, Meal & Party (June 6, Sheffield)

I’m throwing a party / workshop / event in collaboration with queer space Gut Level in Sheffield this weekend! Zine-making / book talk / communal meal / cute DJs will be lush, come!

Decolonise Choir (June 14, LDN)

Decolonise Choir is a space where POC can come together and experience the joy and the resistance of collective song...we are back and ready to come together again for our first 2026 summer session of joy, strength, healing, and resistance in singing together. So come, bring your voice, share in the collective experience of harmonising, tap into the power of oral tradition, and have a good time!

HER OWN WORDS performance incubator (23 & 24 June, LDN)

HER OWN WORDS is an incubator for transfemme solo-performance. Join us for four pieces of new work spread across two nights at Hackney Showroom.

braiding sweetgrass sharing circle (June 28, LDN)

We continue our slow reading of this beautiful book at Stave Hill ecological park. BPOC only.

Petition 4 Trans Rights

Hi all, if you haven’t done so already can I ask you to sign this petition and write to your MP about the upcoming anti-trans EHRC code?

If this is passed without scrutiny by parliament it will effectively bar trans people from single-sex spaces aligned with who they are. It strips trans women out of the legal definition of "lesbian".

There is a one click link to send an email to your MP to ask them to take action and a petition you can sign on the Parliamentary website.

NEUROMANCERS: Jobs, Helpchat & Asylum Mag Takeover!

NEUROMANCERS is a peer-led organisation providing autonomous, abolitionist, and accessible mental health care for and by the neurodivergent+ community.

💸 We are currently recruiting for Finance Coordinator & Operations Assistant.

☎️ We have recently launched Peer Helpchat: an online, anonymous, and confidential rapid response resource for neurodivergent+ people in need of mental health support.

🪄And we are doing a takeover of radical mental health magazine ASYLUM, and are still accepting submissions!

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what’s been keeping the misery team alive recently…

maymana: been telling everyone I know about how much I loved watching the latest series of Race Across the World. lovely wholesome watch for anyone else struggling to do a lot in these times. the contestants are v sweet and it makes it feel like you’re travelling to all these remote beaut places in the world, all from the safe cocoon of bed

gayathiri: I've been making lots of no-cook, cold salads to keep the body temp cool. And turns out a simple tomato lettuce cucumber lemon juice olive oil combo is my favourite! And I've just tasted my first radish! So that's nice.

anjali: I read Michelle Tea’s Valencia and enjoyed! (pic of my friend Anna's copy of Valencia where I read it on some ancient inca stones at the Templo de la Luna in Cusco, Peru). Tea’s words are so alive, capturing a heady, messy queer existence across lesbian bars, and in the streets - a snapshot of Tea’s life at 25 <3

⟲misery memories…⟲

sharing some of the recipes dreamt up during our february misery medicine gathering 🍰

no feeling is final,

༺♥༻misery ༺♥༻

hello and happy spring to those who celebrate.

misery meals has been out in the world for just over a month, and we’ve posted nearly 200 books from our little studio in east london and into your loving arms <3 (people outside the UK waiting to order a copy, you’re gonna wanna keep a close eye on next month’s newsletter ;)

i first saw a finished copy of the book, only a couple of hours before the book launch (classic). i had never seen the book bound before, only loose prototype pages, and i was taken aback by how good it felt to hold a unified chunk.

a secret thing that you may not know about this book, is that the spiral bind glows in the dark. (i know). while this was mostly a whimsical choice by a kooky book team with decision fatigue, it took on a more profound meaning as i finally saw it weaving through the pages of this book.

because who glows harder than us? big-hearted queerdos and sensitive sickos glow! in the quiet, the unexpected, the dark. yes, it may be the glow of love island on the laptop screen in bed at night, or the glow of whatever-the-fuck cocktail of medication we’re on. the glow of rage, the glow of loneliness, the glow of gratitude. we come, we go, we grow, we keep on glowing. even when there’s no-one around to see it.

thank you so much to everyone who has bought a copy of misery meals. keep letting us know what you think! if you want one, they’re here.

🌟,

aisha

Subscribe now

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 the misery community to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks among us & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits; QTIBPOC arts, nature, news, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out etc to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion <3

Language is a Queer Thing: Open Call! (Deadline: 17th May, global)

This project is seeking queer spoken word and sound artists from South Asia, Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom to develop new work that combines spoken word, sound, and live performance.

FLARE-UP ~ exhibition (21 May–16 August, LDN)

Flare-Up will bring together UK-based and international visual artists whose work engages with the poetics and aesthetics of illness, disability, neurodivergence and Deafness. Opening Event: Wed 20 May, 6-9pm. (Quiet opening 5-6pm)

Eid Mubarak Cyanoprint Cards 4 sale! (until May 22nd)

A5 cards printed on 300gsm watercolour paper. A Joy to make. Each one is handmade to order, so no two cards are the same.

£6 each, feel free to Email or DM me for any questions or to purchase. You can also purchase on Vinted. If you’d like to see how they look in person, you can find them at The People’s Letter in Bethnal Green & LGBTQ+ Centre in Bankside/Southwark, LDN.

Warmth & Solidarity, Tarrine [They/She]

Enemies of Liberation: Gulf States, Zionism and Imperialism teach in (24th May, LDN)

In light of the Gaza genocide expanding to a regional war with the assault on Iran, this teach in will connect how the Gulf monarchies underpin Israeli militarism and US imperialism in the region, are themselves built on the brutal exploitation of South Asian (and other) migrant labour, and have used their position as partners of imperialism to export violence to places like Sudan, Yemen and beyond.

Queer Herbal Medicine: Tea Tasting (31st May, LDN)

Join us for an evening exploring the many ways medicinal plants can support our health. Through blind tea tasting and an introduction to different herbal preparations such as balms and tinctures. You’ll learn how herbal medicine can support us in our own healing and how herbs can become part of our everyday lives. Pay what you can.

Skin Deep Communes on Faith (July 4-5, LDN)

Commune with us this summer as we explore a simple but loaded question: what does it mean to have faith right now? 🤲🌀🌙 More info & tickets here!

mutual aid request <3

“I am asking that we rally around this amazing human to ensure that they have funds to cover the next few months as they work to rebuild their life after this catastrophic disruption. More than anything else, our goal is to secure a period of relief for them. They suffer from very intense depression, and this time has been extraordinarily difficult for them.“

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what’s been keeping the misery team alive recently…

maymana: I kept stumbling upon moments of SPRING at its finest this month, esp signs of new life in the plant/animal worlds. a highlight was a sunny walk along the canal and seeing these dinosaur-like super fluffy chicks whose parents, coots, were busy adding to their nest next to someone's moored boat. I looked it up afterward and apparently they're literally called "cootlings"! so cute.

gayathiri: I saw Second Trimester by Krishna Istha this month. For me, the heart of the show was about Krishna getting to know his mum and who she was before him. The way the show allowed for moments of checking-in and pausing (for both performers and audiences) was beautiful to see. A real lesson in what theatre can look like with rest and care at the heart of it <3

anjali: I am adoring reading Self-Romancing by L Scully. Short bursts of poetry, read like queer affirmations that are heartfelt, horny and kind of hilarious. Especially because me and a friend have been reading them aloud in the mornings and sending each other voicenotes of the poems, which turns out is a great way to start a day.

aisha: i saw ostriches make love in morocco and now you can too

⟲misery memories…⟲

here are some photos from the book launch for misery meals back in march!!! made by talented friend of misery, Sai 🌸

go where the love is,

༺♥༻misery ༺♥༻

it’s misery meals publication month!!!

here’s a excerpt from the intro of our anti-cookbook, where i (aisha) share some bts of what went into building this book…

We received a total of 225 submissions from 75 QTBPOC, which became the 65 recipes and 16 art pieces that make up the beautiful bulk of this book. We made selections intuitively, using work that spoke directly to the themes of the book, and that spoke to each other too, a gorgeous crip chorus. The most profound part of sorting through submissions for me, was reading the stories people shared with their recipes. The flavours and textures that might ground someone after a panic attack, the ingredient that unexpectedly saved a life. I was moved by how thoughtful and generous they were, and I hope you can find the validation in them that I was able to.

Among the submissions, you’ll find recipes spanning health conditions and continents; one-pot tin can curries, drag pasta and 100 ways to eat yoghurt, broken down for the ears, hearts and bellies of fellow crip kin. There are poems about washing up, foraging for sunshine, and making tea with a broken heart; love letters to homeland cuisine, a crip food influencer moment and drawings made from hospital beds.

Through these submissions, we explore cultural reflections on what a misery meal can mean, the role of class in access to and internalised beliefs about disabled foodways, the variations in what feels doable to people at different spoon levels, and the understanding that for many of us, it’s not helpful or possible to hold moralistic ideas about what we or other people should and should not be eating, because for many of us, it’s just about getting food in, nourishing ourselves however we can, and celebrating our attempts at it.

I extend deep and earnest thanks to all who heard our call and shared parts of themselves with us. And all those who wanted to but didn’t have the spoons, too.

~~~

I feel compelled to let you know, that for the 18 month period of working on this project, I have been experiencing the worst depressive episode of my life. Trying to pull this book into reality while personally existing in the minus spoon to 2 spoon range throughout had… pros and cons. The obvious and main downside was that a project I had been quietly planning and shepherding into existence for years, became, on many days, an ordeal to work on.

But there are the unexpected blessings. Being in that state meant that I lived and breathed the book in a different way. The crisis was not abstracted, it was here, in the making of it, and I believe the book is richer for it... Curating the Depression Canapé spread felt somewhat revolutionary. I found myself less avoidant of what was festering in the fridge, and more empowered to approach food, to make a meal of it.

Making this book gave me something to reach for. Through this process and supported by my spectacular misery comrades, Maymana, Gayathiri, Anjali and Sana, I was forced to learn about advocating for myself under the immense pressure of institutional deadlines, and part of that involved accepting help in a new way, notably with the hiring of geniuses Wan Yee on illustration and design and Mayya on production and food smarts.

Eating and cooking was very, very hard for me for the duration of this project. And while I would say that the last couple years have been nothing short of harrowing, I would also say that people fed the fuck out of me, because they wanted this book (and me) to see the goddamn light of day. And if that isn’t riches, I don’t know what is.

Shout out Mariam’s unending resolve to keep me alive via platefuls of cute katsu curry and tiktok pasta; being literally resuscitated by Noah’s spiritual Guyanese Dhal on a freezing morning; spoonfuls of Nkenna’s mum’s jollof rice between processing sessions (all featured in this book!); Mayya’s stews, heated up for us both in the misery studio microwave during long days working on this book, topped with the perfect pickles she made using the cherry tomatoes harvested from the misery raised bed at Bethnal Green Nature Reserve; Janna offering to cook something every time we hang out; the creamy chickpea pasta Jacqui made in my boat-kitchen even though they had just got off a flight; the food delivery voucher from Leala when I sent an SOS to the group chat; Sana volunteering to cater a grief gathering for someone they never met; the man at my local fish and chip shop who doesn’t make it weird that I’m there 5 times a week and is always really nice to my dog; my mum letting me eat all the chocolates she keeps by the door to give to delivery drivers (sorry guys); Claudia’s emphatic speech about the importance of sardines when we ate them on toast in her living room all those months ago, while she drew out the first misery meals mindmap; and the salty slut’s spaghetti Charlie is making me right now in their parent’s countryside kitchen as I eek this intro out, the final push.

💌💌💌

pre-order misery meals 📒

thank you so much to everyone who ordered a book already. they will be sent out to you at the end of this month! if you haven’t pre-ordered yet, you can do via the link below ↓

✮✮✮ AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER IN THE UK NOW!!! (click this) ✮✮✮

(international release will be later this year :p)

misery meals book launch this friday! 🥄

come thru on friday 20 march from 6.30-9.30pm at the common press bookshop in bethnal green to pick up a copy of the book, listen to some readings, or shimmy to our food-themed soundtrack. heck, maybe all of them if you’re feeling it.

come early for a taste of our very own depression canapés brought to life by mayya papaya!

on le menu:

🐥 pani puri filled with garam masala+tamarind+mango+mint chutney dressed chickpeas topped with bombay mix (eat in one bite!) VEGAN

🌶️ Paprika plantain chips with kidney bean chilli mash topped with chive sour cream and sriracha VEGGIE

🇵🇸 pali mejdool date filled with:

🍫 milk choc hazelnut spread + topped with desiccated coconut VEGGIE

🥜 peanut butter + dipped in dark choc with edible gold dust (coz I’m extra like that lol) VEGAN

TICKETS HERE!

team spotlight 🔦

it took a huge amount of tenacity, talent and love to create this book while balancing budgets, funder timelines, hundreds of submissions, sickness, and, you know, life. mayya husseini & wan yee sin joined the project last year as producer and designer and gave their everything to birth this delicious gem. here’s some more about what they get up to and where you can find them:

Wan Yee Sin

pronouns: she/her

my offerings: I do accessible publications like zines and small-scale books. I believe zines are inherently political, radical and critical; it is a combination of artistic expression and care. I try to use my collective Silly Dogs Brunch Club to disseminate art. I want to make sure that art can exist beyond elitist white cubes but is celebrated and loved by all.

when i am sad this makes me feel better:

• I call my aunt and grandma— even when I’m 4000 miles away from them, just hearing their inclinations makes me feel like I’m a child in mother’s arms again.

• Look at sea animals videos / documentaries

• Look at smut

find me @: www.wan-yee-sin.com / @froggy_popcorn.mp3

mayya husseini

pronouns: she/they

my offerings: i am all about making [good] shit happen - community events, projects and programmes through my roles as an organiser, network weaver and coordinator in food + land justice spaces. I now also produce cookbooks (already got your copy of misery meals?!) and so up for producing more publications (hmu on work.with.mayya@gmail.com). i’m a trusty pair of hands+head and a soft spirit when moving through the painful process of creation (and life) as it transforms us every time. through it all, mixing food + art + connection is my love letter to the world, big and small.

a misery memory: my very first time stepping into a misery-held space was with maymana and rasheeqa taking us on a plant walk in Jubilee Park on a dreary winter day. idk how i would have landed in that place if it weren’t for them. what felt like a harsh public place quickly shape-shifted into a soft space where i felt more free and at ease exploring the natural world in the middle of this concrete jungle with people i’d never met before. that day, misery made me feel like i could stop and melt slowly into the miserable river that runs through without trying to fight it so much and that has stayed true to this day even while working with the crew <3

when i am sad this makes me feel better: taking it to the sea (or any nearby body of water), gently wrapping my arms around a beautiful tree trunk and planting a kiss against it, calling a friend to find our mutual lols and laugh at ourselves while at our worst, d a n c i n g my p a n t s OFF, bursting into song making up lyrics to let out all the feels percolating inside (only when solo tho coz it’s rly cringe), finding a slow way to savour a beloved piece of fruit.

find me @: foodisms.co // bidchenkichen

and for anyone wondering wot on earth we’re talking about… you can read more about misery meals here ↓ :)

misery <3

misery meals is ready for pre-order now!!!!!

it feels totally bonkers and also very good to be able to let you know that…

Read more

4 months ago · 23 likes · 13 comments · misery

see you friday, or soon!

love,

༺♥༻misery ༺♥༻

pre-order misery meals

it feels totally bonkers and also very good to be able to let you know that…

misery meals: a crip community anti-cookbook for when eating and cooking is hard

is…

✮✮✮ AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER IN THE UK NOW!!! (click this) ✮✮✮

international saddies, please stay tuned for further release dates.

How do we feed ourselves when we can’t get out of bed? When we aren’t even sure we want to be alive? When every time we try to make rice, it feels like the first time?

misery meals is a 260 page choose-your-own-adventure collection of recipes, art and resources by mad and disabled, queer and trans, global majority people world-over, to be used always, but especially when we’re feeling miserable. This is an intuitive guide for when we need to eat but aren’t sure exactly when or what or fucking how. Think of it as an anti-cookbook.

The wisdoms of disabled, queer and colonised people were never the purview of those communities alone. Everyone needs to know how to nourish ourselves when we can’t move, when we have limited ingredients, when we’ve lost all hope. We could all do with the space to listen to and work with our bodies just a little bit more. We deserve it!

This book explores no-cook cooking, no-chew eating and no-appetite nutrition, to reimagine the cookbook as a place where access needs around nourishment are centred through an artistic, radical, mental health, crip justice lens.

We’ve designed this book as a journey from 0-5 spoons, with the different spoon levels indicating how much energy / focus / will to live, i.e. - “spoons” - the reader (you) has available for making a meal. Each spoon level has its own mascot who will guide you through their chapter. Each chapter has a title page, introducing the mascot, and providing more information about what the bodymind may be experiencing at that spoon level, and what kind of recipes and resources to expect in that chapter.

As well as recipes, we’ve crowd-sourced crip cooking hacks, developed a food safety plan and written trauma-informed guides to food shopping, batch cooking and appetite regulation. The book also features a fold-out Y2K-esque flow chart, which helps guide you to the part of the book that may be most supportive to you!

misery meals is a love letter to the sad stomach, the bloated brain, the soupy soul. This is for all of us! This has been all of us! And there’s no shame in any of it.

pre-order misery meals

misery meals online cook-along <3

to celebrate misery meals coming to life, we wanna get us all in the same room, whether near or far, for an online cook-along where we’ll make (and eat) a recipe from the cookbook together!

join us on wednesday 25 feb from 6.30-8.30pm in the misery zoom room for a special collective dinner date to cook, chat n chill.

we’ll be coming to you live from the kitchen to guide you through the cooking process in real time. for those wanting to cook along with us, we’ll be sending you an ingredient list the week ahead so you can stock up in time.

don’t think you’ll have the spoons to cook along? no stress, come thru to chat n chill, we’d love to see you, hear you, and give you a sneak peek of the cookbook :)

pls note, this is a safe(r) space exclusively for queer, trans, intersex and non-binary, black people and people of colour.

RSVP here!

misery meals cookbook launch!!

you, dear one, are oh-so-cordially invited to the launch of this community anti-cookbook <3 putting together this cookbook with brilliant recipe and artwork submissions from lived-experience qtibpoc folk around the globe has been a real labour of love. we’re talking, blood (well… ketchup maybe), sweat n actual tears.

come thru on friday 20 march from 6.30-9.30pm at the common press bookshop in bethnal green to pick up a copy of the book, try out some of our fave depression canapes from the book, brought to life by mayya papaya or shimmy to our food-themed playlist. heck, maybe even all three if you’re feeling it.

we’d really love to see you there and share some warmth over this book coming out into the world on a spring eve <3

TICKETS HERE!

we have poured our absolute everythings into this book and we hope you love it.

any profits from the sale of this book will go directly towards the continued running of misery CIC, so please do spread the word to those who may benefit from some misery meals magic <3

we’ll be sharing more soon but for now, get your first edition copy and come celebrate with us at one of our events!

now… time for a cup of tea :)

༺♥༻misery ༺♥༻

take a min to loosen your jaw

do a lil stretch

feel the bottoms of your feet on the ground or your back along the mattress

let yourself sink in

be held

it’s still january and we’re too sleepy to write a big intro so please instead accept this visual teaser of our cookbook, coming out this spring :)

なつのひ (natsu no hi, summer day), by Zoë Nazume Ito, was chosen as one of the 16 artworks to be included within the pages of misery meals. thank you for this beautiful submission, Zoë <3 excited to share more sooon (｡ᴖ ⤙ ᴖ)‎𐂐◯𓇋

𓇢february misery medicine 𓇢𓆸

‧₊˚ ⋅ 𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅‧₊˚ ⋅ 𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅‧₊˚ ⋅ 𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅‧₊˚ ⋅ 𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅‧₊˚ ⋅ 𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅

february’s misery meds is gonna be delicious!

how do we nourish our hearts, bodies, guts, minds under enduring bs in a world that keeps on worlding? what recipes can we dream up in community?

join maki and aisha for a communal culinary delight. we’ll warm up with tea and share previews from misery meals our very own community cookbook (coming really bloody soon!!), before moving onto creative recipe creation + exchange.

as always beloveds, please wrap up warm and bring a mug for tea. if you’d like to bring some food to share, please try to avoid allergens and label in detail. don’t worry if you can’t bring anything! your presence alone is so appreciated <3

TICKETS HERE LUV

if you need a free ticket, please email: gayathiri@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

if you have a question or need, specifically relating to access, please email: gayathiri@miseryparty.org.

this is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

JFYI this is our last misery medicine session before a spiritual and financial recalibration pause. hoping we’ll be back around summertime, but see you in the bushes and marshes before then :)

•⩊•𓎩 (｡ᴖ ⤙ ᴖ)‎𐂐◯𓇋 •⩊•𓎩 (｡ᴖ ⤙ ᴖ)‎𐂐◯𓇋

Subscribe now

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 the misery community to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks among us & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits; QTIBPOC arts, nature, news, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out etc to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion <3

Grief & Somatics: self paced, online course by Camille Barton

Dear misery kin, Can you please share my upcoming Grief & Somatics course in your newsletter?

Grief & Somatics is a 12 week, self paced, online course that will support participants to develop a personal grief tending practice, alongside somatic tools that support stress reduction. This approach to grief tending is rooted in creating support and ease for the body, moving gently to build capacity to be with bigger sensations over time. It also takes into account the pain and loss that Black & LGBTQ+ folks experience due to systemic oppression, as well as those who have recent ancestral histories of colonisation, migration and displacement.

For more information & tickets, click here.

dance floor somatics, feb 1st, LDN

hiya, hope you’re doing good :) i would love for my upcoming event to be included in the misery newsletter if poss?

dance:music is an experiment in somatics and movement, soundtracked to (dance) music of all flavours, transmitted through the ormside soundsystem… where the dancefloor is a space for embodiment, discovery and exploration. come move with us! it is organised by a queer POC but the space is not queer or POC exclusive, and ormside sadly does not have step free access.

info + tix here!

Monthly Art Therapy Circle, LDN & discount code :O

Hello, I hope you’re well. We wanted to be in touch to see if you might be able to support us to spread our monthly art therapy circle and practice.

We are kinoko which means mushroom or child of the tree in Japanese. Our mission is to support mental wellbeing through a creative community rooted in nature. At kinoko, we offer one-to-one and group art psychotherapy using seven art forms, including sand tray, painting, sculpture, music, movement, poetry and drama. We facilitate non-judgemental, confidential support to people of the Global majority, LGBTQIA+ members and neurodivergent individuals.

DETAILS & TIX HERE! (discount code: kinoko26)

JOB: Freelance Event Producer @ Skin Deep

We are seeking an experienced, community oriented Freelance Event Producer to plan, manage and deliver a two day public festival in Summer 2026. Details here!

Palestine Solidarity Flea Market, LDN

All deets on flyer ^^

MAD 4 GAZA, online

We want to gather again for a sharing circle of Mutual Support and Solidarity and Networking For Action to bring the mad movement and Palestine solidarity together. Please join us online Thursday Feb 5 at 2pm pacific time!

THIS IS A SURVIVOR ONLY MEETING, PLEASE NO ALLIES OR SUPPORTERS. THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING.

Feel free to invite people using our application link - https://bit.ly/mad4palestine

FREE PALESTINE

ABOLISH FORCED PSYCHIATRY

ABOLISH EMPIRE

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what some of the misery team have been into recently… (content warning: everyone’s written books)

gayathiri: I had a beautiful time with some new friends in Kerala this month. Swimming in warm ocean, eating coconut flesh and reading poems together. It renewed my love of meeting new people - something I’ve been anxious about the last couple of years. Also, my book, Bad Queer, a romantic novel-in-verse is coming out and I have a launch for it at Common Press on 26th March :p

anjali: Club Commons, the book I wrote and shared an excerpt of in one of our recent newsletters, is coming out into the world! You’re invited to celebrate the launch! On February 12 we are throwing a party to celebrate the release of my new book about queer nightlife (which misery features in) but for this evening no words just dancing. Join us for tunes from dear friends, incredible DJ’s and special folk who feature in the book (including misery & aisha!) Free entry, see you on the floor.

⟲misery memories…⟲

Why not revisit the Club Commons excerpt from our November newsletter…?

gorgeous stuff, more soon,

༺♥༻misery ༺♥༻

i was in a similar situation when i began dreaming up misery fresh out of hospital 7 years ago and so this has been a year of remembering. remembering that time is not linear, especially queer time, decolonial time, crip time. that we exist within a holy spiral. spiral time. remembering why i was moved to start a mental health collective, why i named it misery. remembering that this project was not theoretical, but deeply felt and lived and experienced. remembering the gifts that we broken, depressed, medicated, disabled, addicted, crybaby survivors can hold for each other. the ways we use our sensitivities to try to keep each other alive out of love and spite. remembering that what feels like the end can forge a beginning. remembering how good coldplay actually are.

this has been another year of big things for misery. every month we have gathered at bethnal green nature reserve, the tiny slice of heaven in east london where we host misery medicine, our outdoor community nature discovery art hang. we went back to our roots with ~together in awe~ a big beautiful sober rave and communal healing space in the late summer. and we began work (with the help of your submissions!) on our upcoming publication ~misery meals~ a community cookbook catered specifically to those of us trying to nourish ourselves at times when that just feels really really hard (due in the spring!)

it was a year of small things too. or things that are big but less seen. team meetings in the courtyard of our studio space to catch the last rays of summer, team meetings over zoom from our various sick beds, hours decoding budgets, colour-coding spreadsheets, writing and re-writing policies to reflect the changing needs of the team and the community, communicating and growing to understand what those needs are, writing and re-writing funding applications, interviews and hiring processes, feedback sessions and minute-taking and folder organizing and harvesting an abundance of tangy cherry tomatoes from our lovingly tended misery raised bed to be made into the most delicious pickles ever!! (ty mayya)…

misery is run by people with a range of chronic disabilities. as with other small, radical, under-funded organizations, we are doing precarious work for which there is very little in the way of accessible, defined blueprints or safety nets. this has been a year of much sickness and grieving internally and has been a real test and education in how lived experience practitioners such as us can balance doing this work, while also safeguarding our health - how disability justice can be central to the offerings we put into the world, and also the expectations we place on ourselves. next year will bring important contemplation and building time around how this wonderful work can be sustainable for us and the wider community. so tune in next time for: how does the peer2peer qtbpoc mental health org survive under capitalism!

ending this message with deep gratitude for you and everyone who is part of this journey with us. the beautiful people who come to events irl and online, the creative geniuses who took time to submit to our cookbook, the people who wanted to but didn’t or couldn’t, the avid readers of this newsletter, the many words of love and thanks and encouragement we receive as well as the gentle guidance on how we can be better, the people who have donated to us or pointed us in the direction of potential funding, our beloved wider network of collaborators and our friends, families and support systems who show up in the dark.

a xox

𓇢misery medicine 𓇢𓆸

the next misery medicine event will be on Saturday 7th February 2026. tickets will be released in January and in the meantime please stay cozy :)

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 the misery community to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks among us & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits; QTIBPOC arts, nature, news, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out etc to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion <3

Touch Grass CIC ‘Wild Creatives’ Day-Tripper event, January 17th 2026 IRL

Hi there, Hope you’re well! Just wanted to share some info from Touch Grass CIC for the misery message board :)

How do our memories of wild places live in the body? How do they shape the way we move through the world, even when we’re back in the city, on the bus, in front of a screen?

This gentle, creative workshop explores the relationship between nature and memory through visual journalling, guided sensory exercises and a little bit of speculative imagination.

mutual aid request <3

Hello lovely humans, I’ve not met with any of you in person because sadly i’m too far away as I live in the north. I have however longingly read your newsletter over the last year to see all the lovely, heartwarming, comforting shared joy + gief events you’ve been organising and have wanted achingly to join those. I’ve set up a mutual aid fundraiser to support my rent + living costs while I do my masters. Could I please request you to share it with your community?

restorative justice mediator training

Hi <3 Wanted to share the new restorative justice mediator training that cooperative just launched :) it’s a 6 month cohort with payment plans and scholarships available.

GRIEF IS THE MEDICINE (BPOC CIRCLE) January 30th 2026 IRL

Hey could you please share this event in your Jan newsletter?
An introduction to grief tending in community. Please join us on Friday 30th January at 18:30 at The Twelfth House in Walthamstow, where we will practice the medicine of grief tending in an intimate circle. This event is for Black and People of Colour.

Eat Good Food, Meet Great People and Dump Big Tech for Palestine - Feb 1st IRL

Hello lovely people, how are you all doing? Hopefully warm. I’m organising a gathering in February, and I wonder if you might immediately know people in your circles - including you! - who’d love it and wanna come.

It’s called Eat Good Food, Meet Great People and Dump Big Tech for Palestine. Please check it out, I think it could be up your streets, and you’d be very very welcome if you wanted to join!

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

the team share their 2025 highlights…

maymana: one memory that’s stayed with me from this year is our rose-filled misery medicine session at the end of summer. we gathered as the season bowed out, centring folklore and storytelling, letting rose guide us back to the heart. we tasted rose water, shared stories and drew and wrote rose monographs together - the session was soft and scented, full of tenderness and collective care, a reminder that community is its own kind of medicine.

anjali: doing a little session with a university group from America with Maymana in Bethnal Green Nature reserve. It was beautiful to introduce a slice of the misery world to a totally new group - and see the awe and beauty of all that this ecosystem has created reflected back at us. It was a soft day and we did breathwork, drawing, some herbalism, and sharing circles - the students were so engaged and we all had so much to learn from each other

mayya: This year has been another relentless ride through a deepening worldwide shit show. I don't know anyone who is "ok". hbu? Am feeling really grateful to the whole misery crew for not masking through it all, tapping into the sharpest senses of humour as a most necessary coping mechanism, heartfelt convos about all things qtibpoc and studio days working on misery meals with the one n only, Jiji. That 4-yr-old floof had me book-ending my days searching for a fellow curly-haired poodle to adopt myself for months. Alas, that system is unsurprisingly rigged too so have let that fantasy go... for now. It all rests on Jiji till then lol. Here's my fave selfie with her and yes, we twins, tyyyyyyy.

gayathiri: the last mis meds of the year was intimate and firey. Someone brought a purply rosey soup which really made my day. I'm such a wintery soup person and I've been looking for new recipes, so this was an unexpected & generous gift. I remember Aisha saying that a lot of the time, even in colder, greyer months, the sun has come out for mis meds and this was true for Dec too! *Touch wood* I'm also grateful for the supportive pool of ppl around misery who weave in and out, for example - Maz - who facilitated alongside Maki x

aisha: when i think about the highlight of this year, it is undoubtably the people i am fortunate enough to work alongside and learn from, both within the core team and our wider ecosystem. so generous! so brilliant! so patient! ty 4 ur care! this is the core team last month at gayathiri’s amazing play :)

⟲misery memories…⟲

we developed our roaming camera from the beautiful together in awe party earlier this year…

so i guess we’ll be seeing you round the bend? and remember, time spent healing is never a waste

lurve,

༺♥༻misery ༺♥༻

p.s. if this project inspires you and you are able, please consider making a donation to support us to keep it going. fundraising continues to be an enormous uphill challenge </3, and is actively threatening the future of our organisation. if you have leads on fundraising opportunities, or can connect us with finance/fundraising experts or private donors/investors, please send them our way :)

Time this year is doing strange things - stretching, compressing, days that last forever are couched inside weeks that disappeared. Now winter is here and for the first time in months I can feel a slowdown coming. My body is still catching up, still learning that slowness is available again. Learning again to be disciplined in rest, and not only in work.

I started out as a misery fan girl. Years ago, I used to work at a club where some early misery parties were held. A misery party was the first time in all my years working in that damp warehouse that I had a steaming cup of chai… But more than that, people were inspired. There was something in the room that night. I remember wading through a packed venue to see a ring form in the crowd and someone doing backflips in the middle of the dancefloor. On a THURSDAY night. At a SOBER RAVE. It was a moment and people needed it.

That was 5 years ago. It also feels like yesterday. It also feels like another life.

Fast forward to last year and I joined misery’s team as operations lead. A little journey from orbiting misery to being part of its core… time collapsing, things circling back.

This past year, I have been GLUED to my desk. Discipline. Unintentional sobriety. Focus. Fear. Anticipation, Inspiration. Time is funny. Queer time is funnier, non-linear, stretching and compressing, days rolled into one, as I stared and played with and went a little crazy with words, the same words over and over again, and my own thoughts (uh oh)... I wrote a book!

The book is called Club Commons: Moving Bodies to Grow Movements in Queer Nightlife and Beyond and it’s now out with my publisher Velocity Press.

misery, is of course, in the book, because misery is tactical in how it uses the club as a space for collective care rather than just consumption. misery continues a long lineage of community care in the queer club.

I’m sharing a short extract of the book, here, for the first time. If it resonates with you, a pre-order would mean the world. If not for yourself, get it for your favourite club nerd.

with love, warmth and a steaming hot cup of chai, Anjali <3

Miserable on the Dancefloor

As club photographer Michele Baron put it: “I think about nightlife as a place of collective survival, especially for queer bodies – we go there not just to dance, but to exist in ways we can’t elsewhere. It’s joy, but it’s also memory. Grief. Sometimes even anger.” How we tend to that grief matters. While the act of partying is joyful, the queer dancefloor also holds grief. “When we bring our full selves as queer people,” say Dani and Yannis of the queer, peer-led harm reduction agency Safe Only, “that includes a lot of stuff that can be difficult to process, or needs community support to regulate.” This is core to misery’s approach.

I remember one misery party at the club in East London, where I used to work… Despite being a Thursday night, the dancefloor was popping off… The space was brimming with queer people of colour, some in cultural wear, others bare-chested or draped in luscious fabrics and glittering jewellery. Some were in cosy trackpants.

Outside the club, in an industrial warehouse yard, a self-defence workshop was taking place, teaching people how to keep themselves and their community safe. Nearby, zine tables were scattered with handmade publications, people leafing through them, reading, connecting. Someone was getting their nails painted over a steaming cup of chai. The merch table displayed handmade T-shirts with a portmanteau printed across them: “deprecious” – a collapsing of depressed and precious.

You could spend hours here and never know, by atmosphere alone, that this was a sober space. London, with its chaotic, high-pressure character, had a way of reflecting itself in spaces like this. The club became a mirror of the city, rife with contradictions, frenetic energy, and the way it could suddenly flip-flop between harshness and something raw and tender. misery carved out a response to this nature, something that pulled back against the natural chaos of a night out. It offered other ways of being in the club.

misery was imagined as something different to a typical night out; as a place to dance and feel your sadness in community, without having to mask it. They do so by designing a party that recognises the full emotional landscape of queer life. misery is both a sober rave and a mental health intervention. It’s where you can be unapologetically sad.

In your typical club, you’ll be lucky to find a wobbly barstool or a sticky wall to lean against. These venues are built around consumption, with the emphasis squarely on dancing, drinking, and maximising alcohol sales; rarely on resting, connecting, or simply being. Seating and food are almost always absent. Conversation is drowned out by ear-splitting sound systems, and there’s no break space save the sardine-packed smoking area. This is inaccessible for many people. misery challenges all of that.

𓇢misery medicine december 𓇢𓆸

we’ll be back together at bethnal green nature reserve on saturday december 6th, from 12-3pm !

~~~

₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊ Winter is finally upon us! ₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊

To get us all warmed up, we’re rounding out the year with a session all about fire – as suggested by beloved misery medicine regular, Jennifer.

We’ll be doing a low-key fire ritual, tuning into how fire has been used to purge, cleanse, communicate, and collaborate with both earthly and divine realms.

<3 ˚ˋঌ˖ this session will be led by maki ₊ ⊹ ݁·ꕤ

if you need a free ticket, please email: gayathiri@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

if you have a question or need, specifically relating to access, please email: gayathiri@miseryparty.org.

this is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

✽ click HERE to register ✽

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 us to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks in our lil community & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits ~ QTIBPOC arts, nature, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out etc to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion <3

REMNANTS ZINE Flavour Erotica Workshop! (nov 30)

In this workshop, you’ll be led through exercises in creative writing and sensory exploration to discover the flavour of your erotic fantasies (or memories 💦)…

QUEER CAR BOOT & CLOTHING SWAP! (dec 13)

A carboot sale and free clothing swap for and by queer and trans people! Do you have 6 bags of clothes that you’ve been meaning to donate all year? Do you want new treasure to share and enjoy over the holidays? Does swapping & socialising with gorgeous queer + trans folks fill your heart with joy?!! Come along!

TRANS BOOK FEST 2025 (dec 6th)

Join us for the second annual Trans Book Fest - a joyful celebration of trans voices, stories, and creativity!

Hosted by Lewis Hancox, Fox Fisher, and Ben Pechey, this one-day event brings together some of the UK’s most inspiring trans and non-binary authors for live readings, intimate discussions, and community connection.

WOOD & METAL DIVINATION WORKSHOPS (online: dec 6 & 13)

IRL in NYC & online too: I am back with my friend KL Mays doing shaman activities on the streets (and online). Last year, KL and I did workshops about fire and water. We wrote letters to ancestors, burned bones, shared hot tea and snacks, and generally talked with folks about how weather is a fiercer reality than capital. We will be doing two workshops this winter solstice, one about wood and one about metal. Wood is the spirit of growth and metal is the spirit of grief.

Braiding Sweetgrass sharing circle (dec 7th)

Legacies of capitalist, extractivist colonialism have made connection to the land difficult in so many ways. In this bi-monthly sharing circle, we hope to co-create a supportive space for us to explore and heal our relationships to “nature” together. We’ll do this through slow practices, such as sharing our reflections and savouring words from visionary writers.

Chaos Care: creativity, meditation and somatic writing (1st, 8th, 15th dec)

A tender, fortifying and expansive online space to come together through meditation, community and body-mind connection.

During this one-hour online session, we will explore the loving concepts of sanctuary/homecoming/belonging as radical acts of care amidst chaos.
Led by artist-facilitator, writer and somatic practitioner Lateisha Davine Lovelace-Hanson.

This project raises funds for Hurricane Melisa relief. All proceeds go to Jamaican mutual aid and grassroots initiatives.

South Asian Listening Circle Volunteers needed in Manchester

We’re launching a new year of South Asian Listening Circles in Manchester, funded by the National Lottery. These circles give people space to talk about identity, belonging, and lived experience — and we need your help to make them happen.

You don’t need formal experience. We’ll train and support you.

If you live in Manchester and want to help build this project, we’d love to hear from you.

Free Plants and equipment available at Kew Gardens!

At Kew we have some plants to give away - primulas and some violas. Also who wants some tools? Have a great selection, all need a bit of TLC. We have: 12 soil rakes (smaller head), 6 soil rakes (bigger head and teeth), 4 landscape rakes, 1 landscape rake head (no handle), 10 Spring rakes, 15 hoes, 1 very small hoe, 17 edging shears in need of tlc, 6 spades, 1 small spade.

If you’d like any of these first come first serve on collection days: Monday 8th December 11am-2pm, Wednesday 10th December 11am – 2pm. Spread the word to any community spaces, school gardens, green projects who might benefit. Email Jane communityhorticulture@kew.org if you have any questions.

Subscribe now

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what’s moving the misery team this month…

gayathiri: I’ve enjoyed this ^ Dean Atta’s Two Black Boys in Paradise. It’s a short film based on a poem. It can be watched now on 4od. And Dean talks about the journey of writing it on the Apples and Snakes podcast here.

anjali: I was gifted Kae Tempest’s ‘on connection’ for my birthday and I finally read it. It is a gorgeous little meditation on creativity, connection, and presence that I thoroughly enjoyed. There’s a passage about the act of writing, the reaching, the risk of it, that felt like it was written for this moment, as my own book heads out into the world. sometimes words just hit different. I folded over those pages so I can come back to them when I need them!

mayya: I made a crow friend in Richmond Park earlier this month. We had a moment. It was cold af but a sunny day and I needed to get out into nature on my own. It’s easy to forget that you’re never alone. I leaned into what the crow had to say and gonna do my best to hold the wisdom they shared through these shitty times. I also finally learnt how to tell the difference between a crow and a raven thanks to that encounter. They are both some seriously smart birds...

⟲misery memories…⟲

remember this is just a moment

misery xox

p.s. if this project inspires you and you are able, please consider making a donation to support us to keep it going. fundraising continues to be an enormous uphill challenge </3, and is actively threatening the future of our organisation. if you have leads on fundraising opportunities, or can connect us with finance/fundraising experts or private donors/investors, please send them our way :)

misery here reporting live from autumn’s bittersweet embrace. may you be grieving and horny in equal measure amen.

the great season of endings has not spared the misery team, as this month we said a loving goodbye to sana barclay, our events producer, who after a year with us is moving onto their next adventure(s).

sana joined us this time last year during our first major hiring round, which saw us expand from two to five core team members! sana locked in hard with misery at a time of deep building and transformation, and has been pivotal in guiding what it is and whatever it will be. they’ve been planning incredible events and parties with a unique eye for care and mischief in equal measure; cooking up a storm in support of our internal grief spaces; contributing to our collective learnings around what makes a radical workspace, and making us laugh in meetings. sana is infused within the mechanics and heart of misery and will remain part of our cherished collaborator ecosystem forever <3

some words from sana:

I wish I had 3-5 business months under a weeping willow to properly reflect on my year at misery. It has been a time of steadfast love, struggle, and the most care I’ve ever been shown in a working environment. My deepest thank yous to the team for being so gracious and warm as we moved through new and deep layers of grief. Thank you to the misery community for reminding me to always savour fresh air and sunshine.

𓇢misery medicine november 𓇢𓆸

we’ll be back together at bethnal green nature reserve on saturday november 1st, from 12-3pm !

~~~

*ੈ❀ November’s session will be a cosy autumnal reclamation of our beloved warming allies ~ spices. Inspired by Amitav Ghosh’s ‘The Nutmeg’s Curse,’ we’ll be discussing the importance of storytelling in resisting climate colonialism, then remembering and reenvisioning spices beyond “chai teas” and “pumpkin spice lattes.” Through offerings of seasonal, spice-themed art and writing prompts, we’ll make a cosy container to prepare for winter together and to celebrate spices. *ੈ❀

Please bring a mug for a warm beverage. We invite you to bring blankets if you like, songs, stories, or personal spice myths, plus any foods or drinks (labelled with allergens) that you’d like to share, but don’t worry if not – your presence alone is a gift ^_^ ݁ this session will be led by maki ₊ ⊹ ݁·ꕤ

if you need a free ticket, please email: aisha@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

if you have a question or need, specifically relating to access, please email: aisha@miseryparty.org.

this is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

✽ click HERE to register ✽

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 us to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks in our lil community & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits (QTIBPOC arts, nature, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out, offering etc to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion. UK: IRL & URL, global: URL <3

The Word for World exhibition is free to visit in the AA Gallery (10 Oct – 6 Dec)

When Ursula K Le Guin was writing a new story, she would begin by drawing a map. The Word for World presents a selection of these images by the celebrated author. v cool!

Join Nightlife Solidarity Network!

Recently we hosted the second Nightlife Solidarity Network event at Ormside, focussed on nightlife worker organising for Palestine. In light of all the recent KKR-superstruct aka violent corporate ownership of festivals and club platforms we are bringing together workers to discuss and strategise our ways forwards. It was heartening to be offline, IRL with people from welfare workers, label managers, door staff, DJs and artists. We heard from a participant in the No Music for Genocide campaign about geo-blocking music in Israel, and from Workers in Palestine about organising your workplace. We will be running future sessions and organising meetings - email anji.jelly@hotmail.com if you would like to be added to the mailing list, or follow here for updates.

Second Tuesday Monologues - Legacy (nov 11)

This month, our monologuists take the stage to reflect on what we inherit, what we pass on, and the marks we leave behind. From personal stories of lineage and community to the legacies we’re building in queer culture today - join us for an evening of powerful storytelling that honours the past while imagining the future.

fundraiser in support of families in Gaza

I am Muhammad Abualqumboz, currently living outside Gaza, organizing this fundraiser to directly support my siblings (6) and their affected families back home. Thank you for helping these families start again.

Decarcerating Care: Lessons in Transforming Crisis Response - online panel (nov 5)

Online panel by NYC-based IDHA, exploring the trajectory of efforts to remove police from mental health crisis response since 2020 & how to advance non-carceral care today. Pay what you can tix here.

Community Coordinator Job @ Hajar Press

Hajar is currently seeking to hire a part-time Community Coordinator, who will lead our events programming and partnerships. The job is a part-time, London-based hybrid position, working 10–14 hours/week, paid at the company flat rate of £17.10/hr (£33,345 pro rata). Applications are open till 7 November.

t-fags photobook kickstarter

t-fags is a series of photographs and interviews with trans men, transmasculine and non-binary people who identify with the term ‘fag’. By reclaiming the historically loaded slur, the project’s contributors embody masculinities that embrace femininity and gender expansiveness; deconstructing expectations of heteronormativity for those who transition gender.

We are beyond excited to share that we are compiling this body of work into a self-published hardback book, which we hope to launch in February 2026. Please support our kickstarter to make this book a reality!

Offerings from SOULWORK & co

We’re seeing (and feeling!) the deep sense of overwhelm, despair, rage, grief etc at the state of the world right now. We know there’s a temptation to harden, but that’s not going to help us drive change, so these spaces are about supporting folks to connect with what they are feeling and try to engage that into something meaningful, in community, rather than burying it down in isolation.

So we are offering:

Common Ground: What moves us in times of despair? A two-hour workshop on 29th October 6-8pm and 8th November 11am-1pm, as an introduction to practices that connect us to what we care about, and a community of fellow caring souls.

Caring in Common: A communal journey for resourcing hope in times of despair. An 8-week programme to explore a deeper connection to ourselves, to each other and to our shared dreams for a better world.

This Body Keeps Me Up At Night: 30 Years of Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (till oct 31!)

this body keeps me up at night is a mid-career retrospective of disability justice writer, cultural worker and renowned hot bitch Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. honoring a life’s work born from Toronto’s late 90s abolitionist, queer of color and psychiatric survivor underground.

The exhibition is in Canada, but an audio tour is available here!

Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies - Accessible Events @ somerset house (till feb ‘26)

I just wanted to share the access events we’ve been programming for the upcoming Wayne McGregor exhibition at Somerset House. It would be great if you could share them with the misery community. I think the relaxed movement session may be of interest to them.

We are also doing subsidised tickets again so if anyone wants to attend the public programme please email visitor@somersethouse.org.uk

Subscribe now

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what’s moving the misery team this month…

mayya: Nothing makes sense these days. Autumn really does tho, thank fuck. Making a most colourful canvas of themes like shedding and decay - yet still giving. This year it’s giving a b u n d a n t l y given that we’re in a mast year (look that magic up!). Here are the sweet chestnuts I foraged from my local park (in heavy competition with the squirrels sheesh) and roasted fresh to share :)

aisha: at the top of this year, i received a hot pink envelope in the post with not one, but TEN stamps depicting bonsai trees. it was a present from my dear friend paradise who lives in LA and had decided to surprise me with a copy of their latest publication, a sci-fi novelette called DRAGONIA. of course, i was too depressed to register this gift, to open the book, to even let them know i received it. so i tucked it away under something heavy and forgot about it. recently, i found it again, and have read only a page a day to savour the incredible magic of this world and the multi-species lesbian girl-gang within it, but also, to luxuriate in the promise and the effort and the love of a gift like this.

gayathiri: my play has just opened at soho theatre and I can’t think about anything else!!!

⟲misery memories…⟲

sharing some more cute moments with sana over the last year to mark their final month as part of misery core team!

we got this we got to we got u

misery xox

p.s. if this project inspires you and you are able, please consider making a donation to support us to keep it going. fundraising continues to be an enormous uphill challenge </3, and is actively threatening the future of our organisation. if you have leads on fundraising opportunities, or can connect us with finance/fundraising experts or private donors/investors, please send them our way :)

i’m writing this in mid-September, which means i’ve been working with misery now for 10 months. tbh i was nervous about starting my role as ‘access worker’ – we prefer ‘access guy’ – as it’s not so much a role where you come in already knowing ‘the right answers’.

for those who might not be familiar, having a role dedicated to access means there’s someone consistently available to talk through/think about how work can be made more accessible for each team member, and for those who engage with misery.

every week has been different as ppl’s needs have changed depending on the task and over time. sometimes an access worker will be working face to face with ppl – note-taking during meetings, building access riders with team members, or being an extra pair of hands at events to support participants and/or to give facilitators more space to focus + take breaks.

other times it’s remote – i might be scheduling meetings, writing up copy, researching new venue partners, or sense-checking a fundraising bid with an eye on access. whatever the task, it’s about increasing the team’s capacity and bit by bit, making the work more sustainable, more possible to do and more accessible for the wider misery community.

💌

we know as a team that our conversations around access will be iterative. that we’re learning everyday. when needs conflict, we’ll talk, we’ll try a new thing and if that doesn’t quite work, we’ll try something else. over the last 10 months, it’s been so important to make time to listen to each other and give each other the time to listen to ourselves. especially when it feels like ‘there is no time’.

earlier this year, during a pain flare-up and when i was worried about work piling up, a friend told me: ‘we don’t have much time, so we must go slow’. i’ve got this stuck on my wall and it truly is a life force for me. whenever the decision has been made to pause or postpone something within misery (+ my personal life), it’s been a decision to resource ourselves. these decisions have looked like pausing a meeting when we’ve been too tired to continue, introducing misery ‘fallow months’ (where the aim is to stop or decrease misery work, to take time to fortify ourselves personally) and negotiating with funders to extend the ‘misery meals’ cookbook project timeline to allow for sustainable pacing.

💌

this intentional slowing down reminds me of this poem:

Wait

do not leave yet.

Let me rearrange the world

for you.

- Faraj Bou al-Isha, translated by Khaled Mattawa

…which is also stuck on my wall, as a reminder that pausing is part of the work of trying and retrying to rearrange the world.

much love, gayathiri x

𓇢misery medicine october 𓇢𓆸

we’ll be back together at bethnal green nature reserve on saturday october 4th, from 12-3pm <3

~~~

as october begins, we gather for a gentle poetry and bulb planting session <3

this misery medicine will be held with care and intention, given almost 2 years of livestreamed genocide in Palestine. whilst this will not be a grief-tending space, we will focus on the future, imagining alternative worlds rooted in justice, rest our nervous systems, breathe together and remember that healing is always collective <3

if you need a free ticket, please email: maymana@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

if you have a question or need, specifically relating to access, please email: gayathiri@miseryparty.org.

this is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

✽ click HERE to register ✽

misery x daytimers x representasian present “A Thousand Ways to Speak” ~ oct 18 in bristol!

Join us for an afternoon of collective storytelling, reflection, and care centred on mental health within Bristol’s South Asian community.

Together we’ll ask:
- What goes unsaid in our families and communities?
- What support do you wish you had access to?
- What are the ways you’ve been cared for?

The session will open with a short somatic grounding exercise and group agreements, facilitated by creator of misery, Aisha Mirza — writer, DJ, artist, and community organiser. We’ll then move into an open floor of storytelling with Representasian — a chance to share experiences in a supportive, held environment.

We’ll collectively share chai, memories, hold grief and dream together. In the words of Rumi, “Where the lips are silent, the heart knows a thousand ways to speak”

+free tix here+

(tell ur bristol besties!)

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 us to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks in our lil community & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits (QTIBPOC arts, nature, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out, offering etc to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion. UK: IRL & URL, global: URL <3

UPRISING: In A New Light ~ performance / discussion with skin deep mag (oct 2)

Inspired by the Anthology reprint of @nkenna_akunna’s 2018 article on the revival of Winsome Pinnock’s ‘Leave Taking’, In A New Light explores theatre written and produced by Black British women in the 1980s.

WWWADING ~ river ecologies photography exhibition (oct 9-15)

misery founder aisha has a solo exhibition coming up and it’s on a boat :) come through for the opening or one of the workshops <3

GRIEF IS THE MEDICINE: Introduction to Grief Tending in Community for BPOC (oct 9)

With herbal tea for the heart, Thursday 9th October, 6.30-9.30pm, The Twelfth House, E17 4PW. See link for information and please share with anyone you feel could benefit from this offering.

yoga, breathwork and meditation sessions at the Bishopsgate (from oct 13)

from misery’s operations king Anjali: I’m starting new Yoga, Breathwork and meditation sessions at the Bishopsgate in October!

collective tending w/ LION (oct 14)

LION’s 8th Fallow session on Tue 14 Oct at 6.30pm at Poplar Union is focused on sowing solidarity inviting our community to come together for a Collective Tending in the light of the past month. Pay what you can tix here!

walthamstow wellbeing event (oct 19)

An afternoon of sharing healing practices with yoga, reflexology and Ayurvedic health & herbs, if anyone is interested to join, it will be lovely I think - £66 for the event (£60 early bird til 30th Sept), 1:30-5.30pm, Sunday 19th Oct at Yonder Studios in Walthamstow, with different sessions, learning and sharing, teas and goodies - info here!

new disabled artists directory

This is a disabled artists directory that’s new on Disability Arts Online, and an opportunity to join it!

autumnal embodied writing workshop

This autumn, dia of Everyday Writes is hosting ‘Beginning to Remember’: a 3-part series to introduce you to 3 embodiment practices, within a supportive community setting rooted in collective transformation. Bring your curiosity... we’ll practice noticing, resourcing, sensing, and centering together. Online on Zoom + recordings. QTBIPOC-led.

thirst ~ freshwater exhibition @ wellcome collection (now - feb)

this exhibition about all things water, which includes textiles from Mesopotamia and photographs of Palestine.

global majority housing coop?

Hi everyone, my name’s Cat, and I’m a 29 year old South Asian woman living in Haringey. I’m putting feelers out to either join or start a global majority led coop in London or beyond. If interested please email tangerineadmins@protonmail.com and perhaps we can get together to discuss!

i’m finally selling my art, prints, and stickers!

Hi, I’m Tarrine (they/she), a Queer, Disabled Bengali Muslim artist in London. My work spans photography, visual art, and art direction, exploring identity, intersectionality, and community.

I create handpicked cyanotype prints using leaves and flowers. Each one personal, shaped by nature, language, and my lived experience. If you’d like something different from what I’m offering, feel free to message me. I’d love to create something just for you. I also make vibrant, emotionally raw stickers led by impulse and feeling, rooted in protest, softness, and strength. I also have QUEER MUZZIES ARE HERE available, a Risograph self-portrait print celebrating queer Muslim identity, defiance, and belonging.

No website yet, DM me on Instagram or email to buy or ask questions! [Here’s a post with more info on my art.] Prices in posts. UK shipping only.

Disabled, brown, and making art with love. Thanks for the support!

fundraiser for misery collaborator, assia

Hello friends, As many of you know, I am a sound artist, vocalist, and somatic practitioner. My work as a somatic practitioner involves a lot of care, caring for people and showing up to do often unpaid labour. I believe in being of service and I don’t ever want that to stop. I have never created a work that has been funded, and until today I do not own one piece of recording equipment. After many difficult conversations with friends, I have made the decision to come to you — my people — to propose a new model for making and sustaining life and practice.

Subscribe now

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what’s moving the misery team this month…

anjali: One unexpected joy this month was getting lost inside the Bishopsgate Institute archives. I rocked up and ended up swallowing almost an entire day looking through Come Together which is the Gay Liberation Front’s radical newspaper from the 70s- so much good stuff about radical street theatre groups, discussions and tensions, commune living, drag in activism... and diving into the Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive, which houses over 300,000 (!!!) newspaper clippings on queer life in the mainstream press, dating back to the 1800s. I also requested a glorious stack of On Our Backs, a lesbian erotica mag from the 90s (truly blessed content). It’s all totally free, open to the public, and so accessible, no advance booking or anything like that. I highly recommend a visit solo or with a friend/lover/pal/loved one. deffo going in my future date spots :)

mayya: I swam in the bri’ish sea for the first time in folkestone earlier this month (i know, wtaf). With pebbles jingle-jangling in my bag, the day then took us to the rad folkestone book shop (shout out to them) and I picked up this pocket book I’ve started diving into. Finding palpable joy in the precious prose.

maymana: enjoying weaving slowly whilst in bed, because it’s meditative and allows me to do sth even on days which are otherwise a write-off!

gayathiri: Something I enjoyed was the club kali exhibition at Islington Museum - it’s their 30th birthday this year! If anyone wanted to engage with the exhibition but couldn’t come in-person, then I’m running a writing workshop online, where we look at pieces from the exhibition and write into/from them. Sept 30th, free tix.

⟲misery memories…⟲

this month we developed a roll of film that had been waiting patiently since spring, to find these black&white beauties, made at our 🌸blossom walk🌸 earlier this year in collaboration with the national trust. the event was led by maymana & maki, curated by ali & photographed by aisha. hope they bring a little spring-time whimsy to your heart, as we cozy into autumn <3

leaving you with unstoppable assata energy,

“I believe in sunshine, wind, rain, and all the things which rest our hands and strengthen our spirits. I believe in freedom, I believe in justice, I believe in equality, and I believe in love.”

misery xox

p.s. if this project inspires you and you are able, please consider making a donation to support us to keep it going. fundraising continues to be an enormous uphill challenge </3, and is actively threatening the future of our organisation. if you have leads on fundraising opportunities, please also send them our way :)

I first learned about misery on Balamii Radio in 2019. After seeing Aisha DJ at The Chateau earlier in the week (I had just moved to London and was gassed to hear someone playing old school reggaeton) I was keen to learn what they were about. Towards the end of their radio show Aisha gave a loving shout out to misery, the sober mental health collective and party they run, and I knew I had to go.

Thus began the sweetest and softest landing into a community that I'd needed for far too long. For the next few months, I attended misery parties and workshops; fostering friendships that would nurture me for years to come.

When my siblings came to visit from D.C. that December, I made sure to bring them to the misery christmas office party so they too could experience the magic. Many dances later, I now have the pleasure of organising a misery party and I hold that responsibility with pride.

I really am so excited for our summer party! Curated in collaboration with queer ecology researcher Santo Tripodi and hosted at Studio 12, a bar and event space headed by Palestinian and Colombian artists Tamara Al-Mashouk and Patricia Doors, organising this party feels like an embodiment of its theme: together in awe.

Holding a space to reconnect, create, and move in awe of each other feels like a privilege in these times of heavy dread. If you're able to join us next month please know we appreciate you for coming as you are, and the space is better with you in it.

With love,

Sana

misery party presents… ✨TOGETHER IN AWE ✨

hello, how are you? we've missed ya, and are extremely pleased to invite you to our super special sober misery party next month… together in awe!! details and tickets below :)

we'll be taking over @thestudiotwelve_ on saturday september 13th for a sexy return of misery parties (!!!) because we all need a space to celebrate the wonder of you sweeties while enjoying music in the sunshine with some queer ecology play.

we'll dance together, grieve together, create together and rest in the mystery of awe together: dissolving the membranes between us and the more than human world.

we're honoured to be joined by some greats:

sounds

TRYB @tryb_official

SEKSU @sxksu 

LEALA-RAIN @leala.rain

ANJALI @fossafossa

⊹

learning

terrariums with @growwslow

queer ecology with @uncloudmind

⊹

play

light installation by @tech__crone

flash tattoos by @poke.zero

+ more

⊹⊹⊹

this event is SOBER and for QTIBPOC only. all ages welcome. cornerstone studios is entirely wheelchair accessible and there will be a low stimulation room upstairs (with lift access) for chill hunnies.

there will be food available for purchase and Studio 12 will have a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail menu designed by @sanafromcamp. c u there :)

GET UR TICKETS HERE <333

𓇢misery medicine september 𓇢𓆸

we’ll be back together at bethnal green nature reserve on saturday september 6th, from 12-3pm <3

as summer bows out, we invite you to our rose-scented, heart-centered gathering. this session will be a gentle celebration of the sweetness of endings, the magic of flowers and the medicine of rose for our hearts. together, we’ll create a space to honour our collective healing, to bloom fully where we are and to remember the tender power of community. come as you are, beloveds - you are always just right, you are always enough.

if you need a free ticket, please email: maymana@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

if you have a question or need, specifically relating to access, please email: gayathiri@miseryparty.org.

this is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

✽ click HERE to register ✽

landbodyminds meeting ft. misery!

Land-Body-Minds Meeting brings together three London-based grassroots collectives run by Black and People of Colour, LION (Land In Our Names), Earth Tenders and misery, with an aim to share learnings and grow solidarity between three distinct but allied contributions to the land, health and racial justice movement.

Find more info and a link to reserve your place here.

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 us to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks in our lil community & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits (QTIBPOC arts, nature, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out, offering etc to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion <3

Choose Your Own Adventure, Fridays or Saturdays, 22 Aug - 6 Sep, online

Get step-by-step help to build a nourishing life you enjoy with your values, support network & time, for folks navigating multiple responsibilities, and seeking support & spaciousness, facilitated by LiLi K. Bright.

exhibition & games night! aug 29th irl

I’m holding an exhibition for my paintings at the chapel at St Margaret’s house in Bethnal Green with a games night during the private view on the 29th August 6:30pm-8:30pm :-) Would love it if you could share! Games will include Mahjong, banana grams, mapominoes, uno, anything I can source really! And I’ll be making some snacks, like home made banana bread too! Thanks! Chinda Smith

Black Growth Farm Community Events irl

Black Growth's Farm Community Day at Roots Allotment in Meadow Hill is coming up on Sat 30 Aug as is their Harvest Wellness Festival in Myatt's Fields Park on Sun 21 Sept. More deets here -> https://blackgrowth.co.uk/event/

Anti-Caste Sci-Fi Fest - aug 30 irl

Join ROT Collective and Blaft Publications for a whole day of creative workshops, talks, networking, and celebration as we explore sci-fi and speculative fiction as a methodology for anti-caste speculative imagination!

word benders workshop! aug 30 irl

Join guest facilitator Rhian Parker (@passiveworship) for a Word-Benders poetry workshop, exploring the work of trans and queer poets of colour.

Date: Saturday August 30th
Time: 2.30-4pm.
Address: Newham Poetry House, Stratford Park, Densham Rd, London E15 4DA.

sound bath & exhibition @ museum of the home - aug 31 irl

Join us for a grounding and restorative community gathering in response to the work of artist Uzo Egonu. This session is guided by Jaha Browne, a Sekhem energy healer, sound meditation teacher, and Reiki Master who invites us into a shared space of reflection, healing, and deep listening.

shadow work 4 social justice course - starts sept 2 online

Shadow Work for Social Justice is a 5-part course that explores how somatic shadow integration can support transformative leadership, deeper relationships, and values-aligned action.

POC RETREAT - sept 4-7 irl

I'm looking to host a retreat, here is the poster for it, all the information is on the flyer. It's come about because me and the co-facilitator were meeting monthly to explore social justice and somatics. There is an opportunity to co-create and facilitate with offerings should participants wish to.

Those that are organising for palestine on lower incomes/feeling burnout can speak to me and I can part fund their place - Prabhjit

fermenting futures w Green Lions - sept 20 irl

Join us for a participatory fermentation workshop with writer and facilitator Arianne Maki, focusing on intentionally connecting with ingredients and food systems as a response to intensifying climate colonialism.

facilitator’s circle: sept - nov online

The Liberatory Facilitator Circle is now open for sign ups!

We’re thrilled to share that our first three gatherings will take place on Wednesday 24 September, Wednesday 22 October and Thursday 27 November 2025, 2–4pm UK time, Zoom.

Secure your spots here!

Subscribe now

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what the misery team are into this month…

mayya: Looking forward to seeing Not Your Superwoman soon at Bush Theatre. You can check out the latest line-up here.

Hot tip -> if you get there before 6pm, Mon-Sat, you can grab a delicious wrap for 5.50 quid at Pali-owned Mr. Falafel at Shepherds Bush Market next door too.

maymana: shoutout to my houseplants for pulling through and sprouting new leaves without much watering during the third heatwave in ldn. proud of them and proud of myself for keeping them and me alive iykyk. a reminder that life and hope emerges from even the darkest of places.

gayathiri: I've enjoyed boating here in Epping Forest, making swan and geese friends.

⟲from the vaults…⟲

here’s a photo of sana rollin up to that christmas-office-party-themed-party in december 2019 <3

really hope to see you at the next one in less than a month!!

with lurve,

misery xox

p.s. if this project inspires you and you are able, please consider making a donation to support us to keep it going. fundraising continues to be an enormous uphill challenge </3, and is actively threatening the future of our organisation. if you have leads on fundraising opportunities, please also send them our way :)

Whenever I whispered to the sea 'where am I?'

The waves replied

You are not here,

But do not be afraid.

The homeland dwells in poetry,

And poetry is never defeated.

- an excerpt from When The Sea Became A Wall by Saleh, a 17-year-old poet from Gaza. You can read the rest of it and buy a print of the poem here. Proceeds will support Saleh’s family, and others in Gaza.

𓇢misery medicine august 𓇢𓆸

we’ll be back together at bethnal green nature reserve on saturday, august 2nd, from 12-3pm <3

for this month’s misery meds, resident leo moon maki will be opening a gentle, sun-soaked, solar jubilation! we’ll be co-creating a space to reflect on the place of pleasure in our collective healing, and to revere the gorgeous, gorgeous Sun and all of the many blessings that they generously bestow upon us. come as you are, beloved - you are never too much and you are always enough :)

if you need a free ticket, please email: maymana@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

if you have a question or need, specifically relating to access, please email: gayathiri@miseryparty.org.

this is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

✽ click HERE to register ✽

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 us to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks in our lil community & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits (QTBPOC arts, nature, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out, offering etc to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion </3

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

zine making with Mad Youth Organise - ONLINE, TONIGHT!

“s/o this online zine making and campaign call for disabled ppl by Mad Youth Organise”

After forcing a major climbdown from the government on disability cuts, and calling out the corporations profiting from our distress, we’re celebrating our progress — and gearing up for what’s next. We’ll be reflecting on months of collective action against the cruel welfare reform bill, and introducing the next steps for the Mad Youth Organise campaign and how you can get involved. We’ll close the call with a 45-minute, hands-on zine-making session — a chance to bring our creativity into our resistance, and make space for reflection, rage, and imagination. Bring art materials, pens, old magazines, scissors and glue!

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

river walk w/ Writing Our Legacy - 27th july

This will be a calm and gently paced walk with breaks. Along the way, we will allow the elements, our senses and shared poetic reflections, to reveal the connections between ourselves, the coast and even marine life.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Skin Deep is hiring!

Skin Deep Cultural Platform & Magazine is looking for a new Strategic Lead to help shape their next chapter. Skin Deep makes culture in service of racial justice and liberation.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

queer migrations festival

“Really looking forward to this migration festival in Greenwich. The programming looks gorgeous and it’s on until 09 August.”

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

on Pratibha Parmar @ ica

“two events left in this amazing series on the work of iconic queer desi filmmaker pratibha parmar!“

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Arpita Singh @ serpentine

“STRONGLY recommend this exhibition which closes 27th July”

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what the misery team are into this month…

sana: I went to a Kokedama (Japanese moss ball) Workshop led by superstar gardener Ikaay @growwslow last weekend and it was so calming and informative. I’d highly recommend :)

maymana: I visited Stepney City Farm this month, with a Tower-Hamlets based food justice collective that I'm part of - such a balm for mental health to meet the fluffiest ever duckling who looked like he was from a picturebook!

gayathiri: I love this painting by Sajan Rana @artisticlife460, which was part of the Made in Exhile exhibition at Rich Mix earlier this month, by F. Zeeshan Choudhury. The movement and heat of the painting made me want to join the dance. I also loved the questions that accompanied the exhibition:

Have you ever been left behind?
How did you remake yourself?
What worlds did you have to reimagine?

⟲from the vaults…⟲

just popping back to last month’s misery medicine tbh. we did sun-printing with foraged plants from the nature reserve, combined with our messages and prayers for liberation… AND LOOK HOW THEY CAME OUT

& that’s all folks!

with righteous rage & rolling release,

misery xox

p.s. if this project inspires you and you are able, please consider making a donation to support us to keep it going. fundraising continues to be an enormous uphill challenge </3, and is actively threatening the future of our organisation. if you have leads on fundraising opportunities, please also send them our way :)

aisha, with a hint of cheeky curiosity (as they often have), suggested that we don't ticket the first event, and "just see who rocks up". besides, it was almost snowing, how many mentally ill QTIBPOC were gonna brave it outside to hear about the herbs right…?

that day, i will never forget witnessing over 100 queer and trans black / people of colour march into tower hamlets cemetery park like it was their second home. and what a sight for sore eyes that scene was <3

myself and rasheeqa ahmad, co-facilitating with bewildered, slightly-panicked expressions, held up the sweet violets and wild garlic that day, tiny herbs to literal masses of stunning faces huddled in the cold all to be in community with us, each other, the land and all their magical kin. see ella frost’s short film capturing some of the magic of that glorious day here.

after the session, rasheeqa and i, both with voices hoarse and physical bodies sore, belly-laughed back through the cemetery together in a sort of exhaustion-fueled delirium. i remember one of us whispering with disbelief: "wow. we really just did that".

and so ‘misery medicine’, (more affectionately known as ‘mis meds’ iykyk) began! three years later, that dream has grown legs, arms, mycelium networks, sticky-weed tendrils, and is now a full-blown ecosystem of care. we’ve held 32x heart-centred gatherings, in 12x green spaces across london (before softly landing in bethnal green nature reserve), guided by 14x QTIBPOC community facilitators, meeting countless plants/fungi/animals/friends and most importantly, blessed by hundreds of YOU ALL. it's been my honour to dream with you since 2022, and to lead this project through its many iterations.

misery medicine is THREE (and a bit)!!! three years of gathering in cold, rainy parks and the warmer sheltered canopy (alhamdullillah) of bethnal green nature reserve, of violet syrups and elderberry vinegars, calendula balms and lemonbalm teas, of anti-colonial healing, of rest as resistance, of grief and also of immeasurable queer/trans joy, of crying into the earth, of laughing by the pond, and of well and truly holding one another through it all.

we created this space because we were never meant to heal alone. because the oppressive systems trying to break us can’t reach us when we’re held like this. because we don’t want “normal”, we demand better. slower. queerer. weirder. freer.

so here’s to every hand that’s picked a leaf in ceremony, or pointed out a baby newt with awe, every heart that’s softened in our circles, every person who has shown up despite the rain and snow, every one of us who has come through as they are, with all the grief, the trauma, the chronic pain, the fatigue and the brain fog. this newsletter is for you. this birthday is for all of us. remember, misery is proud of ya :)

cya at july mis meds (tickets below)? or until next time friends. we’ll be here with a pot of tea on the go, gentle hugs at the ready, and the invitation for us all to slow down and listen carefully… even the nettles are singing…

- Maymana x

🍳 submit 2 misery meals community cookbook 🥫

we are still accepting submissions from lived-experience QTBIPOC peers GLOBALLY for our crip community cookbook, misery meals!!!

successful applicants get 175 bri ish pounds! deadline is in 2 weeks! don’t sleep on this! (unless you want to sleep in which case you should definitely sleep)

***read the information pack for more details and before submitting!***

𓇢misery medicine july 𓇢𓆸

we’ll be back together at bethnal green nature reserve on saturday, july 5th, from 12-3pm, for a sssummer ssspecial led by mis meds magicians maymana & maki <3

if you need a free ticket, please email: maymana@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

if you have a question or need, specifically relating to access, please email: gayathiri@miseryparty.org.

this is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

✽ click HERE to register ✽

elderflowers in june

Aaliyah

(at your best you are love)

Energised

Connected

Fairy

Rice

Lilac-y

Move with the seasons

Tomatoes

Smells like Maymana’s love for the community

Image of collecting flower heads and the tiny petals and pollen dispersing all over you

Tastes floral, woody

Gentle

Glimmering connected

Strong and soft at the same time

Reams of purple silk

Childhood summers

Flowers raining down

Tins of tomatoes and soups

Memories

People dancing

Low humming sound

Sweat

Levitate

Very natural

From a body to another body

Squiggles

Coming to earth

Subscribe now

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 us to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks in our lil community & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits (QTBPOC arts, nature, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out etc! UK-based IRL or URL - global, online only) to hello@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion </3

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

queer / trans makeup workshop 4 gaza (july 19, online)

Learn the foundational techniques for masculinising or feminising your face as well as how to create more bold looks. We will explore archives of images of our community and take inspiration from our heritage as Queer and Trans people of all backgrounds.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

fundraiser 4 YAYA!

dear friend, cherished anti-capitalist community organiser & multidisciplinary artist Yaya needs to urgently raise funds for their visa by July so that they can stay in the UK. the violence of borders is real & felt most acutely by QTIBPOC. if you are someone with material privilege / resources / access to savings / salaried, please consider donating to their fundraiser. so many folks in our communities, would see it as a personal gift.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

much needed support for queer elders

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

hackneypride365 grant (closes 28th july - £2000)

more info!

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

seeking queer experiences of parent loss

contact Miriam @ queerly bereaved to take part.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

braiding sweetgrass sharing circle (aug 31 irl)

On Sunday 31st August we'll be continuing our slow reading of Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass. This month we'll be reading chapter 7 'Maple Sugar Moon' together at Stave Hill Ecological Park. *free tickets here*

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

period parrrty play tickets out now!

our very own gayathiri only has a play on at soho theatre!!

A Tamil teenager is preparing for their period party – a traditional ritual meant to mark womanhood. But Krish isn’t a girl. And this ‘celebration’ feels more like the opening act of a never-ending performance. tickets here!

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what the misery team are into this month…

gayathiri: Something I've enjoyed is Nature Matters - an anthology of poems from the Global Majority. I sat under a tree and read one poem a few times. I like giving myself the time to meet a poem like this, and not need to 'understand' every word, but to feel its presence and energy.

maymana: I attended Our Diaspora Futures' Gathering 2025 this month - it was a care-fully curated space by friends Samia, Farah and Sen. Lillie's collaging session and Lauriem's voice, as always, got me in the feels (in the best way).

anjali: I’ve just started reading Dispersals: On Plants, Borders and Belonging by Jessica J. Lee. It's a a beautiful collection of essays that trace the quiet journeys of plants - slipping past walls, trees grounding on contested borders, stolen shrubs - away from their home lands. Her words unpack entanglements between plants and people and considers what it means to be invasive, or out of place- whether for humans or plants. It's been a balm for me lately!!!

⟲from the vaults…⟲

that’s about it lads. you’re not alone okay. submit to our cookbook. send this to someone who needs it. luv u.

</3,

misery xo

p.s. if this project inspires you and you are not QTIBPOC, please consider making a donation to support us to keep it going. fundraising continues to be an enormous uphill challenge </3, and demand for our programmes is always much higher than our capacity. we commit to keeping our offerings free / low-cost for our communities who access them. thank you for your help.

if you’re anything like me - which you probably aren’t because life is very lonely and it turns out we’re all built quite different - but if you’re anything like me, food is a bit of a tricky one. but not necessarily the food itself, because i love chips and everything my nani touches, but like, it’s a bit of an ordeal isn’t it? the cooking and the eating bit… the food shopping bit and the remembering what you have behind the different cupboards bit… the “healthy” bit… the skill bit, the decisions bit, the effort bit, the shame bit.

if you’re anything like me, when you walk into a kitchen it is often as though you have just toddled there, straight out of your mother’s vagina, without a goddamn clue what’s going on other than… put… something… in… mouth…?

well the good news is, you don’t have to be anything like me to hopefully find some solace and excitement in misery’s new project, misery meals !!!

this one is (clearly) close to my heart (and stomach) and is over a decade in the making, so please accept this invitation to tuck straight in with us :)

more info on what this is all about and how you can get involved below, and also in this information pack <3

- aisha xox

what is misery meals?

on the menu today is misery meals, a choose your own adventure collection of recipes and art by depressed, neurodiverse, traumatised and disabled queer and trans global majority people world-over, designed to be used always, but especially when we’re feeling shit. 

we’re reimagining the cookbook and traditional ideas about wellness, as a place we are centered, and access needs around nutrition are considered through an artistic radical mental health crip justice lens.

misery meals is a love letter to the sad stomach, the bloated brain, the soupy soul. we’re celebrating our crip kin and the wonky, resourceful hacks we’ve found to feed ourselves, from pre-chopped everything and two-minute sauces to recycled pickle juice and no-cook cooking <3 

this is for our siblings recovering from surgery or eating disorders, for the manic and chronically fatigued, the pain-brained and the anti-foodie.

we eat what we want, we eat what we can, and that is what makes us well!!!

this is for all of us! this has been all of us! and there’s no shame in any of it.

how will the book work?

eating and the ability to cook for one’s self is a pertinent accessibility issue that no-one knows better than disabled people. we wanna create an interactive cookbook and website by and for the Mad and disabled community and centering QTIBPOC world over, because food unfortunately also needs to be a site of reclamation and decolonization…

this book will not borrow from traditional cookbooks in form, instead rethinking what an eating guide could be if we approached it from the lens of disability, emergency, or disinterest. we’ll be thinking about no-cook cooking, no chew eating, no-appetite nourishment and lost ancestral wisdom and legacy around cooking and eating from our homelands.

the misery meals cookbook draws from spoon theory in both its concept and layout.

the recipes in the book will be categorised by the number of spoons required to make the meal.

how do i submit?

we want to make space for eating and cooking to be considered an accomplishment and for those struggling to do it to feel supported. in the making of this book, we will be accepting submissions from lived-experience QTBIPOC peers from within our community, world-over!

***read the information pack for more details and before submitting!***

there are two submission forms, depending on what you’d like to submit:

one for people who want to submit recipes, kitchen hacks and supporting multimedia material (videos, voice notes) for inclusion in the book. (approximately 40 accepted)

and another for those who would like to submit art, illustration, painting, comic, tapestry, photography, poetry, prose, diary, sound work or something else responding to the theme of this book. (approximately 15 accepted)

everyone who submits will be sent a copy of the book!

all published submissions will be paid ￡175, sent a copy of the book & credited.

submissions will be open between june 11 - july 11 and everyone will be notified after the closing date.

with huge thanks to our generous funders, unlimited.

hiring!

a reminder that we are hiring for a number of positions to support with this project. the deadline is tomorrow at midnight. last minute hunnies welcome :)

please share this with anyone who might be into any of this, or want to submit to our cookbook project. we’re also on the lookout for publishers who may be interested in working with us.

remember, this is open to QTIBPOC from anywhere in the world.

any questions, thoughts, love letters, access requests, email hello@miseryparty.org.

(hope this wasn’t too much to munch on)

with so much excitement, a rumbling tummy and endless admiration for the knowledges we hold… 

misery 𓇢𓆸

misery is hiring!

misery is hiring for a number of roles to support with an exciting project to be completed in the second half of this year (june-december 2025). the jobs are short-term, working as misery collaborators on one project, but with potential for more work with misery in the future.

please see the application pack for more info and to apply!

deadline: June 11th *spread the word*

𓇢misery medicine june 𓇢𓆸

you know how this goes :)

Subscribe now

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 us to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks in our lil community & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits (QTBPOC arts, nature, organising, action, grief, party, question, call-out etc! UK-based IRL or URL / global, online only) to aisha@miseryparty.org with short blurb, link & image for inclusion </3

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Gaza Fundraiser

My name is Muskaan, and I am organising a small, community-led fundraiser in London - to support the urgent and ongoing work of Ajyal Foundation with displaced children in Gaza.

The event will take place on Saturday, May 31st 2025, on my 25th birthday.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Sexy Flavour Workshop with CAMP!

Have a taste of the erotic... would you like that?

In this workshop, you’ll be led through exercises in creative writing and sensory exploration to discover the flavour of your erotic fantasies (or memories 💦). After identifying your desires, you’ll create an edible tasting pack that you can savour and share.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Cool Job with QUEERCIRCLE

We are looking for a freelance researcher to take on a six month commission to help identify and map initiatives that fall under the scope of ‘queer creative health’ in Greater London. Deadline: June 1!

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Made in Exile Exhibition

I want to share Made In Exile, a one-off collaborative art exhibition in Rich Mix from 20-25 June 2025. Sign up now for workshops and events - spaces are limited!

The event is part of the Forming New Folklores project, which explores folklore from a queer and disability justice lens across Bangladesh and the UK. In Made in Exile, Rich Mix's space is made into a temporary ‘home’ for a series of workshops. We will paint, stitch, build, and learn together, using our individual stories to imagine new ways of resistance.

On Friday evening, 20 June, F. Zeeshan Choudhury will run a Bangladeshi chappa woodblock printing workshop that asks us: What tools do we have to resist injustice? Entry comes free or with a donation to Trans Legal Clinic. Follow @formingnewfolklores for more workshops.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Quantum Archives Poetry Workshop with andriniki gabriel mattis

Open Portal: Deep Craft June 2

A deep step-by-step how-to. concise, poetic, emotive, poetic techniques, to last for any genre. Bring new writing or bring yourself, no experience necessary. Visit quantumarchives.org for sign up and more info.

Also, I am featured in a short film about me and the meaning of my tattoos at New Fest Pride on May 30 in New York.

A SYNONYM FOR ART: ANDRINIKI
Dir. Kasey L. Martin, 5 min, USA
A visual poetry on Blackness and trans identity, where tattoos serve as markers of self-expression, transformation, and the quiet revolution of being.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Word-Benders June Offerings

Join our guest facilitator, Prerana Kumar for a Word-Benders poetry workshop on Saturday June 28th, 2.30-4pm at Newham Poetry House. We'll read and reflect together on work by trans & queer poets of colour

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

LESE MAJESTE XXIII & EFF-ABLE Queer Crip Book Launch

Expect a night of queer crip spiciness as we bring you an erotic extravaganza of cabaret, poetry, and spoken word. Join us to welcome eff-able – an anthology of sweat, sex, and self-love by disabled and queer poets – to the world, bookshelves… and your bed!

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Transformative Justice Under Authoritarianism: Part 2

Please join us for the second installment in our Transformative Justice Under Authoritarianism series on Wednesday, May 28th.

This time we'll be learning from organizers, advocates, artists, and practitioners in India who are challenging criminalization constructed by caste, and operating at the intersections of religion, gender, and class while advancing transformative justice practices over the past decade.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

An Introduction to Grief Tending (BPOC circle)

(includes herbal tea for the heart)

*Thursday 12th June* 6.30-9.30pm @Lees Spiritual Healing E17 7LD

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

BLMUK Festival of Liberation (volunteers needed!)

*BLMUK FESTIVAL 2025 VOLUNTEER APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!*

BLMUK Festival of Liberation 2025 are looking for volunteers to support this one day festival on July 19th. (We welcome applications from allies) *PLEASE SHARE*!

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

For the Love <3 Community Day Event

Join artists Tamara Al-Mashouk and Patricia Doors for a full day of programming at Studio 12. For the Love is a promise; to always remember where we come from, to be brave and move forward together, to make new friends and believe in our power to shape through art, food, drink, music, poetry and solidarity.

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what the misery team are into this month…

Sana: I love this podcast about historical Black figures and their messy lives. Especially love this two-part series on Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes’ frenemieship.

Aisha: Nkenna kept asking me if i’ve seen Stath Lets Flats and I was like wtf is bae talking about IS SHE OK but then I realised it’s a tv show and I watched it at the same time as I came off my anti-depressants and i’ve never felt better jamie demetriou call me I just wanna talk

Maymana: This month I LOVED making cyanotypes with artist Tasnim Mahdy at ’s Spring gathering.

⟲from the vaults…⟲

thanks as always for rockin with us. we got this.

misery xox

hiya :) we thought it was time to introduce ourselves as we are now, but first, a bit about where we came from and who we’ve been.

misery was first conceived by me, aisha, in late 2018, fresh out of a visit to the local psych ward. our first event was in june 2019, and we’ve pretty much been bumpin and grindin since then, with over 70 events and thousands of people reached, one way or another <3

so so many wise, good, loving hands have built this life raft over the years. too many to name. so much love in a hopeless place!

special shouts to genius hearts aakash bharania, misery co-director from 2019-2023, and soha salem, misery co-director from 2022-2024, without whom, misery would not exist. your brilliance, care and laughter is infused within forever.

big bellowy shouts to our rich network of long-time critical friends and co-conspirators; camille barton, sonji shah, maki arianne ramaditya, lateisha davine lovelace-hanson, leala-rain shonaiya, rasheeqa ahmed, bones tan jones, sarah khan, assia gendir, lili kathleen bright, adil mian, ella frost, jeng au, samirah siddiqui, taz rasul, kiran nihalani, dzifa afonu, piper piper - friends at nsun, healing justice london, earth tenders, crip rave theory, spring up, pieces to pathways, idha-nyc, bethnal green nature reserve, lumos transforms, sistren, radhr - and all facilitators of our verdant misery medicine programme, including claudia manchanda. may we continue to uphold the fierce legacy of our dearest departed cherished friend, radical herbalist + lifelong freedom fighter. missing you everyday. always with us.

loudest shouts yet to you. you who make us, us. whether you’re a regular at our events and offerings, have shared a kind word at a difficult moment or have been smiling on us from afar, we feel you, we thank you and we love you!

in 2024, after a long flirtation with misery, including being a lead facilitator for misery medicine, maymana arefin joined me as co-director. together we launched a strategy for the growth and sustainability of the organisation that involved our first official recruitment process, which brought us the incredible people who are introducing themselves today.

this has signalled an important new chapter for misery. a move from the beautifully chaotic grassroots collective space, to something a little more formal, a little more protected, a little more implementing the tools of wide scale structural organising without replicating the non-profit industrial complex, and hopefully resulting in us being a lot more resourced within the work and within our lives in general. we bloody deserve it.

while everyone has always been paid for their work with misery, starting with small amounts from my disability cheque (shh), as of 2024 we implemented a flat pay structure of £25 an hour for everyone involved - directors, team, and collaborators. rest assured though, that this is still a grind, and securing enough funds to support our work continues to be a continual stress and challenge. anyone out there who can support us with this through donations, connections or grant writing expertise, don’t be shy.

the last 6 months has seen the team show up with incredible patience and care, humour and diligence, all hands on deck, nourishing the misery mycelium, strengthening the foundations, sanctifying the holy mess of community work at the end of the world. we’ve done a lot and there’s a lot to come. it feels good.

there’s so much more that could be said, but with immense awe and gratitude and just a little bit of an achey breaky heart, i’ll leave it here for now.

- aisha xox

name: anjali prashar-savoie

pronouns: she/they

@ misery: operations lead

I work collectively with the team to dream up and implement radical HR systems, build future governance and keep operations flowing with care. From contracts, banking, policies or calendar chaos, I try to bring communal order to the everyday fluctuations of organisational life.

It feels great to do this work. I've followed misery’s work since its early days. I even wrote my graduate dissertation about misery, so it’s safe to say I’m a fan.

Lately, I’ve been focused on internal mechanisms and infrastructures of collective work as a site of liberation. This means thinking about how to create people - and worker - led alternatives in organisations. misery has been the perfect place to try out some of these learnings. From collective decision-making to policies rooted in abolition and care-based work, misery’s team and practice are wide open to dreaming new worlds from the inside out, one boring spreadsheet at a time.

also into: i like peering into my cat’s eyes and wondering if he can actually see me. i like saunas. i like remembering i have body so I practice and sometimes teach yoga. I dj and throw parties with friends. At the moment I am obsessively researching queer nightlife and writing about what I learn online, and in a book to be published next year.

my happy place: watching the sun reflect off the water and dapple across the ceiling of my boat-home on a sunny weekend morning. coffee in hand.

contact: anjali@miseryparty.org

name: Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

pronouns: they/them

@ misery: access worker

I support misery in thinking about our team's / community's access needs & how we can meet them. It feels like we're building long-term infrastructure so the work can be sustainable and also slower when needed.

also into: I am a poet and a theatermaker. I'm currently writing a play about a trans Tamil teenager plotting to ditch their period party. I also run Word-Benders which is a poetry workshop centering trans and queer poets of colour.

my happy place: my bed, a bowl of noodle soup & listening to an audio book.

contact: gayathiri@miseryparty.org

name: maymana arefin (sounds like: my-muh-na just ask if you don't know!)

pronouns: she/they

@ misery: co-director + misery medicine lead

i've been involved in misery in so many iterations & what feels like previous lives lol... first as a resident fangirl from 2019, then in 2022, aisha trusted me to dream up 'misery medicine' with them and Rasheeqa (that beloved project is now our 3-year old child - wild!)... and as a co-director since 2024. hard to capture how it all feels:

life-affirming, community-rooting, heart-sustaining, deeeply excavating, grief-y, but most of all, so inspiring. what an honour to work alongside my cherished teammates + to exist within our wider misery ecosystem. thank you all for being on this journey with us!!

also into: did I mention mushrooms? @fungi.futures

my happy place: being non-verbal in the forest / hiding under my duvet / snuggling my cat Alfie / submerged in a candle-lit hot bath

contact: maymana@miseryparty.org

name: aisha mirza

pronouns: they/them or whatever is gender neutral in o/ur language ;-)

@ misery: founding director

i love misery. everything it has been and everything it will be. the work is exhausting and transcendental and i’m grateful for it all. it is an overwhelmingly beautiful thing.

also into: bursting banks, parathas, and being filthy in the dance.

my happy place: water

contact: aisha@miseryparty.org

Subscribe now

tempted to touch

little friends need each other so much

tempted to touch

tempted to touch

world’s on fire but misery is clutch

(*sung to the tune of…)

🌱may misery medicine🌱

hiya! we’ll be back together at bethnal green nature reserve on saturday, may 3rd, from 12-3pm, for a chilled session involving some mindful nature-inspired colouring… <3

if you need a free ticket, please email: maymana@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

this is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

✽ click HERE to register ✽

🌸national trust blossom festival ft. misery🌸

Grey to Green Walk with misery (an extra outdoor offering this month in collaboration with National Trust for those who can’t make misery medicine &/or are blossom stans)

Friday 9th May 2025 from 10am - 12.30pm QTIBPOC only

Join us for an immersive guided walk through Regent’s Park, celebrating the beauty and significance of blossom trees in urban spaces. Led by nature facilitators from misery, these walks will explore blossoms' ecological and cultural importance, their role in urban biodiversity and their impact on our well-being. Enhancing the experience, we’ll integrate an interactive AI/AR element through Glitch, a platform created by Nowadays on Earth, blending digital innovation with real-world exploration.

To book onto the morning walk (for misery folks, QTIBPOC only): please sign up via this link. Spaces allocated on a first-come, first serve basis.

📌misery message board📌

misery message board is a space 4 us to share our offerings with each other. there are so many generous & creative freaks in our lil community & we want to know what you’re up to! without going on instagram! send your bits (QTBPOC arts, nature, grief, party, question, call-out etc! UK-based 4 IRL or global online) to aisha@miseryparty.org with short blurb & image for inclusion </3

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

QTIBIPOC Poetry Workshops (IRL & URL)

Hey there

Thank you for being awesome

I'm tara & I hold space along with PJ Samuels for QTIBPOC to read poetry by QTIBPOC & write together. It is free to attend, we have 3 poetry sessions a month (2nd Saturday/1st & 3rd Sunday) One of the events in accessible in person if people can get to E5 London, but all sessions are accessible on zoom too.

I would love & be forever in gratitude if you could please include us in the next misery newsletter. thank youuuuu

Here's all the bits & bobs & stuff

IG: instagram.com/shadedwriters/

eventbrite: eventbrite.co.uk/o/shaded-writers

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

An introduction to Grief Tending (BPOC circle)

I’m holding this grief circle in a couple of weeks if it’s ok to share?

Wednesday 7th May 6.30-9.30pm @ The Hornbeam Centre

See link for information & tickets and please share with anyone you feel could benefit from this offering 🙏🏾☀️

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

community qi gong with bones

Spring term is Sunday 20th April - Sunday 15th June

classes are pay-wot-u-can and some free spots are available each session

✰ ✰ ✰✰ ✰ ✰✰ ✰ ✰✰ ✰ ✰✰ ✰ ✰

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

‘The Werkroom’: Dope Black Queers Writing Workshop

Dope Black Queers is a space for and by the Black LGBTQIA+ community, to provide grounding, connection, and to feel seen & heard.

The Werkroom is a series of workshops in collaboration with a guest facilitator who will lead us in the exploration of our skills and talents. Come meet new people, build a community, and dedicate yourself to nurturing you.

We are incredibly excited to welcome Nkenna Akunna to lead us in a Creative Writing workshop, exploring Grief and Mourning Tradition ❤️🤎 Sunday 11th May.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

🌾🌾Braiding Sweetgrass reading group🌾🌾

We're so excited to continue our slow reading of Robin Wall Kimmerer's beautiful text 'Braiding Sweetgass'. On June 22th, we'll be reading chapter 6 'Learning the grammar of animacy' together.

Legacies of capitalist, extractivist colonialism have made connection to the land difficult in so many ways. In this bi-monthly sharing circle, we hope to co-create a supportive space for us to explore and heal our relationships to “nature” together. We’ll do this through slow practices, such as sharing our reflections and savouring words from visionary writers.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

DRAG DOWN THE BORDERS FUNDRAISER

On May 17th, join the Palestinian call to boycott Eurovision for the second year! Stand with Palestine and don’t allow Eurovision to pinkwash a genocide!

Get ready for a night of incredible queer drag and cabaret performances and DJs from some of London’s cabaret and club finest, raising money for causes on the ground in Palestine and groups leading the resistance in the UK. We’ll also be joined by stalls and speakers from groups leading the organising in the UK.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Karaoke Kabaret with Temi Wilkey

Hello gorgeous misery newsletter subscribers! I’m running & hosting a Karaoke event called Karaoke Kabaret at Peckham Levels on Thursday 8th of May.

As people of colour, our parents have often raised to strive for no less than perfection and so it can be hard to be publicly perceived as anything less. But Karaoke’s not about being perfection or even about being a good singer. It’s about commitment, sharing a song you love & having others joyfully sing it back to you. Karaoke is about enjoying your voice, whatever it sounds like. To sing is to be free.

In these dark & facist times I genuinely believe we need to come together as a community in joy to give us the energy & motivation that powers us to resist.

༺♥༻༺♥༻༺♥༻

Limbs of the Lunar Disc Exhibition

Hey! I have a show opening on the 22nd May, (ancestry/ecology/deep time/liberation) we have a bunch of events we’re rolling out with it:

Limbs of the Lunar Disc is an exhibition opening at Mimosa House on the 23rd May - 8th June (Preview 22nd May 6-9pm) exploring ecology, deep time and ancestry by Sarah Al-Sarraj, curated by Jessica El Mal. Featuring a series of large scale paintings on wood panels commissioned by the Arab British Centre and Shubbak, alongside a new immersive work commissioned by the Mechatronic Library.

🗣️miserable mentions🗣️

what the misery team are into this month…

we are loving Healing Justice London’s in practice archive. three beautiful collections of work about psych abolition & mad liberation, trans community healthcare & disability justice // assistance to live. inspirational & lovely with a cup of tea.

⟲from the vaults…⟲

we can’t wait to dance/crawl with you again…

maybe we should do a little stretch in preparation.

or not.

u know…

either way

</3,

𖦹misery꩜

Claudia began working with misery in 2022, shortly after we launched our monthly outdoor gathering, misery medicine: plant magic. Claudia joined first as a participant - a very assertive participant, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of not just herbal medicine, but the anti-colonial story and the queer dream held within each petal, leaf and root. they quickly joined the team as a misery medicine facilitator, then became part of the core team, using their decades of community organizing experience to hear and steer us. they worked alongside many misery collaborators, and very closely with the misery directors, as colleague, comrade and friend, until november 2024, when they physically couldn’t anymore. they also forged deep caring connections with so many of the beautiful people who attend our offerings, and wider misery community. we are thinking of you all.

over the years, Claudia facilitated many misery medicine gatherings, featured in our short films about the programme, offered herbal foot baths at our summer misery party, danced with us at others, represented misery on radio shows, in journals and through delivering workshops with other organisations, spoke at our misery movies film screening, helped think through the difficult internal questions of running an organization like this and sowed seeds for projects we’ll be sharing with you in the future.

they brought so much comfort, curiosity, wisdom, generosity and play to every marsh, restaurant and meeting room we found ourselves in. they were one of the best things to ever happen to misery. in them lay the answers to why we do this work. they showed us in so many ways that they loved the project, and to be chosen by them is an honour we will carry forever. 

this is our collective loss, and what an immense loss it is. Claudia is irreplaceable. they lived life by example. their presence filled up the room. Claudia called out all forms of oppression, not for props but because they couldn’t stand injustice, hypocrisy and global suffering. whether in Palestine to Sudan, Kurdistan to Congo, Haiti to Kanaky, they taught us all how to show up better in a world that so often hardens us. 

given the private hell of their illness, Claudia could so easily have withdrawn, but instead they offered everything to their community with an open heart that knew no bounds. whether through misery or other radical projects they were part of (and there were many), holding space for organisers to reflect or lean on them, harvesting incredible herbal remedies, posting them for free to anyone who needed it, being the first in the group chat to offer support, jokes and solutions, cooking delicious dishes even if they couldn’t eat them themself, glowing always, despite everything, the list goes on. Claudia’s love radiated through all that they did.

we, like so many of you, are devastated. there will be no misery medicine in april, as we take time to pause, grieve, mourn and process this loss. later, we’ll be back in touch with some offerings and will keep you posted on any memorial events.

in the meantime, here you can find some grief resources that we hope can offer some respite. 

if you have the capacity to share or donate to Claudia’s funeral fundraiser, please do.

we’re resharing this tiktok of Claudia schooling us about the environmental nakba in november 2023, their voice hoarse from a recent round of chemo:

more of claudia’s teaching moments are included in our misery medicine short films that can be seen here:

in 2023, Claudia spoke on Foundation FM about their work with misery, which you can hear here.

Claudia’s writing, Radical Herbalism During Genocide, can be seen here, read by Claudia and friends:

Claudia co-wrote the book, Wild Apothecary: Reclaiming Plant Medicine for All.

their wisdom and adventures were also often uploaded to their youtube & insta accounts. 

we leave you with some words from misery facilitator Maki. the beautiful full post Roses in Spring can be read here:

My last conversation with Claudia was about the rose-cardamom medicines she’d made last year. She was THE radical herbalist, holistically healing in the truest sense, considering the impact of every layer and form of illness - from the physical and personal, to the collective and emotional. Of course, she would probably say that these are not separable, but intertwined and mutually informing. Claudia saw it all. She was a visionary. To me, she was roses. A heart-healing nervine, an opener, a friend to all. 

Claudia taught me that rosehips are packed with vitamin C, great for boosting immunity, and totally delicious. I never got to send her my rosehip sambal, which she inspired me to make after sharing her rosehip ketchup recipe. She was the fiercest, funniest badass I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing – a beacon of integrity, passion, and humility, always learning, always inspiring. Claudia was that rare type of person that left deep impressions on everyone and anyone she met, whether you knew her for five minutes or five years. Truly profound. I’ve never met another person with so much power – true power. A power that couldn’t be contained or suppressed, even in a world that tried its hardest to silence her. From just her existence, as someone who defiantly, consistently refused to stop caring, Claudia showed us that strength and power can be forces for good - that real strength is compassion and community.  

I never got the chance to tell Claudia this, but she gave me permission to be myself. Part of me didn’t believe it was possible to exist outside of the bullshit, or to care so deeply and unapologetically. What a joy it was to witness her. What an honour. Claudia gave me the gift of hope and she never even tried. I know, right down to the root, that she did this for many. She was generous like that. I don’t know if she ever knew just how much she really gave to people - how much she’ll continue to give, even now that she’s changing into stories, medicines, the colours of spring, the light returning to the days, the warmth returning to the nights.

our lifelong friend, revolutionary collaborator, radical herbalist, anti-capitalist teacher, nature-loving inspiration, gentle badass & forever misery icon, 

this one goes out to you Claud. thank you for everything. we love you always.

misery xox

*whispers into a toilet roll as a mic*

hello friends have you sniffed a crocus yet? if not, it’s time to find a crocus. it’s the find and sniff a crocus challenge.

jam packed email for you this month, with some special stuff in it! pay attention ok! sniffing crocuses has actually been found to greatly improve ADHD symptoms so you have no excuse! okay we made that up but it is definitely good for something. most of them don’t even smell but some of them do so maybe that makes it even more important an endeavour.

let’s get right into it then shall we? more time for crocus sniffing that way.

꧁ tix 4 march misery medicine ꧂

we’ve got the misery and we’ve got the medicine!!!

we’ll be back together at bethnal green nature reserve in a few days! on saturday, march 1st, from 12-3pm.

if you need a free ticket, please email: maymana@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

this event is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

there will be crocuses!!!

click here or the button below to register your place on eventbrite!

✽ click this button to register on eventbrite ✽

… miserable mentions (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

some offerings from friends of misery…

Earth Tenders are hiring a community grower & facilitator!

🌀join us 2 days p/w from april - december

🌱must be available on fridays

💸 £175 per day / £25 per hour

you can download the full job brief on our site - applications close by midnight Sunday 16 March ✨

MYXELIA queer healing collective community event

Fruiting Bodies #2 - 16th March at Good Shepherd Studios, Leytonstone ✨
Offerings will include sound bath, music&movement, community visioning, mushrooms & healing, herbal medicine making, face painting, drag story time, craft space, wellbeing support, bodywork.
Food by @pulseandpickle 🧡🧡🧡

🍃TICKETS! 🍃

Hackney Herbal BPOC growing course accepting applications now…

HARD GRAFT workshop with F. Zeeshan Choudhury

Join a creative workshop inspired by objects, artworks and archival material in the ‘Hard Graft’ exhibition. You will explore themes of desire, resistance and work through talking, writing and collage making.

Together we will craft a satirical handbook for work-related illnesses, whether that’s in the context of office work, sex work or domestic work.

BPOC Film screening of ‘Farming While Black’

When? Saturday 5th April 6-9pm (includes open discussion)

Where? The Hornbeam, E17 9AH

👨🏿‍🌾 More info and tickets!

👩🏾‍🌾 Trailer!

WORD BENDERS POETRY WORKSHOPS!

WORD-BENDERS is a monthly poetry workshop centering the work of trans and queer poets of colour. Workshops are both online and in-person.

Produced by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ newsletter… news ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

we are leaving mailchimp!

we are moving to the imperfect but free to use substack platform.

this is the last email you will get from us on this platform because it is too expensive!

your privacy is important so when we make the switch, we’ll securely bring our subscribers over to substack, but only if you’re cool with that.

if you’d rather not join us for this move, no hard feelings (though we’ll miss you!) just unsubscribe from this mailchimp newsletter to opt out before march 15th, and we won’t move your email over.

if you want to keep getting our emails, you do not have to do anything! your subscription will move automatically to substack and you’ll keep receiving our updates, now in their new substack format.

if you have any questions or concerns about this move, feel free to reach out.

you will be hearing from us for our next dispatch, using substack, in the last week of march. if you don’t, check your spam!

if you’d like us to share any of your bits or bobs in next month’s newsletter, send us a blurb and a picture to hello@miseryparty.org. orrr just say hi!

hope you’re cozy out there

</3,

༺♥༻ misery ༺♥༻

*sticks one eye out from under the duvet*

ughhh

hi.

hello. hope this is finding you cozy wherever you are. reporting live from the land of the living dead (england) as we approach january’s finish line, a month that’s altogether too long or not long enough, depending on which kind of mental illness(s) you’re juggling at the time.

here at misery hq we took january off for a lil r&r and subsequently everyone is very well rested and not at all depressed which is awesome. and as the hellscape we’ve come to understand as “life” continues to unfold, and we try to hold each other down against all odds, we’ve been thinking about how much of community is about making effort to commune… and how that requires communication. all to say, hermit mode is cool, but ask for help when you need it, and if you can, answer other people when you hear them call. or something.

also, the first day of february is a saturday which means that misery medicine is on the first day of february!!! so we’ll be communing with some of you soon :) and despite everything, and not to evil eye ourselves at all, we actually have a pretty spectacular year coming up at misery.

so come find us when you’re done hibernating?

okay!

over & out.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 tix 4 february misery medicine 𓆝 𓆟𓆝

we’ve got the misery and we’ve got the medicine!!!

we’ll be back at bethnal green nature reserve (under their brand new canopy!) on saturday, february 1st, from 12-3pm.

if you need a free ticket, please email: maymana@miseryparty.org - and you’ll be added to the list!

this event is a sober space, for all ages, qtibpoc only.

please check the weather & come prepped to stay cozy & comfy! bring lunch, water, a mug for tea & a notebook.

click here or the button below to register your place on eventbrite!

✽ click this button to register on eventbrite ✽

… miserable mentions (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

some offerings from friends of misery…

yarn & fibre club 🧶

“I’m doing a yarn/fibre club to try and counteract the fuckery afoot everywhere”

- charmaine

This yarn/spinning fibre club celebrates Songs of Solidarity, Resistance and Rebellion to remind us of how music, art and creativity can see us through troubled times. Each month you will receive a colour way based on a song with a reference image, information about the song and a link so you can experience it for yourself.

BFF#5 that I speak tenderness (for ordinary mawnings)

The fifth Black Feminist Friends write-with session will take place online on Thursday 27^th February 2025 from 7-9pm with artist, eco-feminist, and cultural-community organiser, and misery facilitator Lateisha Davine Lovelace-Hanson.

Writing to Uncover the Self (QTBPOC discount!)

The popular series ‘Writing to Uncover the Self’ is returning to St. Margaret’s House for four winter sessions. These workshops are for writers and all people seeking solace and community and to write in response to life's complications and mysteries.

The facilitator, F. Zeeshan Choudhury @fzeeshanchoudhury, is a professional teacher and writer. “Discounted/free tiks for QBIPOC for my winter workshop series if they message/DM me”

Temi on stage ***** - misery

Hey gorgeous people of misery, my name’s Temi and I wrote & am starring in the show Main Character Energy transferring to London at the end of Feb. It’s about an extremely talented black actress who puts on a one woman show. A stagey coming-of-age story that charts the journey of a self-indulgent black starlet as she learns how to truly take up space. She starts to reclaim her body, heart and mind from colonial structures and steps into her Main Character Energy. It’s an incredibly fun & flamboyant show, influenced by clowning and cabaret, and it runs at Soho Theatre from 25th of Feb-15th of March.

Thursday 27th of February - Karaoke Kabaret, Post show Karaoke! Prioritising POC

Tuesday 4th of March - BlackOut night, For Black-identifying audiences

Monday 10th of March - BSL interpreted performance

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ this time last year ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

thought we’d end this newsletter by sharing some special roaming disposable camera photos from our very first event of 2024, an enchanted forest themed sober party ✩°｡⋆𖦹｡˚⋆✮꧁ ALCHEMISE ꧂✮⋆˚｡𖦹⋆｡°✩ in collaboration with the Rhubaba lassies up in beautiful edinburgh…

if you’d like us to share any of your bits or bobs in next month’s newsletter, send us deets to hello@miseryparty.org. orrr just say hi!

</3,

༺♥༻ misery ༺♥༻

꩜𖦹꩜

dear misery people

it’s another day

the rains come down

to wash our tears away

we link our arms

we stamp and sway

we thank the heavens

that misery is here to stay

dearest community

far and wide

nothing lasts forever

but the turning tide

it’s giving resilience

laughter and pride

it’s giving our best thanks

that misery doesn’t have to hide

darling friends and lovers

future and past

what is the flipside

of a broken heart

if to love is to grieve

and that grief is to last

maybe misery can be cherished

maybe joy can be grasped

꩜𖦹꩜

~~~

ello loves.

we’re coming to you hot and bovvered with our last newsletter of the year, and indeed our final gatherings!

for those who missed it, this month’s misery medicine was rescheduled to THIS SATURDAY the 14th December due to gale force winds!! this is sold out now but for those who are going, wrap up warm and bring a mug for some tea :)

the next day, on SUNDAY 15th, we’ll have our last online grief space of the year (registration below), facilitated by long-time collaborator and love, Camille Sapara Barton, with support from the misery gremlins.

this will be our last grief space for the forseeable future, as we shift our energy to fundraising, bringing back our sober parties, integrating new team members and other exciting things we can’t tell you about just yet!

we love our grief space though, and having a regular online offering feels important, so we’ll be back with another iteration of it at some point. we want to know what’s been working, or working less, with the grief space and our other outputs at misery, so please do reply to this email with some end of year feedback if you feel moved to.

✾ misery meets: grief ✾

✾ sunday december 15th ✾

✾ 6.30 - 9pm uk time ✾

✽ click this button to REGISTER 4 grief space ✽

register for the event using the button above & then put it in ur cal!

FORT X MISERY

TRANS COMMUNITY CALENDAR 2025

we are collabing with FORT, a non-profit, sober, trans-run queer creative studio in north london, on their 2025 community calendar which will feature a different community organisation each month, with art representing their ethos, created by trans artists.

each month, prints will be sold and the proceeds will be donated to the featured organisation. we are miss december… so something to look forward to!

✽PRE-ORDER THE CALENDAR HERE✽

FORT are also looking for testimonies from the communities served by each org. if any misery stans would like to share their feels, you can email roberto at garciamtz00@gmail.com ༄

❁ fotos in this newsletter are by aisha mirza, made at misery medicine events across this year ❁

see you this weekend?

༺♥༻ misery ༺♥༻