World Book Night (held annually on 23rd April) is a celebration of books and reading. Thanks to support from The Reading Agency, Swansea MAD will be distributing free copies of This Monk Wears Heels for World Book Night 2023. 

This Monk Wears Heels is written by Kodo Nishimura, a Buddhist Monk and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The book’s core message is learning to accept yourself for who you are despite outside pressure from tradition or society. 

Nishimura communicates their worldview as one of empathy and greater understanding using their own lived experiences and Buddhist teachings. Their journey is an important one that is summed up beautifully by the following: 

I have gone from living a timid life in colorless alleyways to walking true and proud in an ever-expanding technicolor world!

This book is an intimate meditation on self-acceptance that many will be able to identify with in some way.

Please pop into the Swansea MAD office at 216 High Street, Swansea and pick up a copy to learn about Nishimura’s journey for yourself.

Sam Hobby is the Project Support Officer at Swansea MAD.