Wieden+Kennedy London Unveils One-off LGBTQIA+ Christmas Tree Topper to Raise Money for Queer Bookshop

Wieden+Kennedy London and artist Bora today unveil The Fairy Christmas Tree Topper, a one-off resin piece to celebrate queer positivity during the festive season and raise money for The Common Press, a queer bookshop facing imminent closure.

The pro-bono project, developed by creatives at Wieden+Kennedy London, centres on challenging the dual meaning of the word ‘fairy’; commonly used as derogatory slang whilst also being a symbol of peace on top of Christmas trees. Many LGBTQIA+ people have to alter themselves when visiting home for Christmas - or face such derogatory insults - but the new piece reclaims the fairy as a queer icon, as a symbol of inclusiveness and joy.

Based on this idea, Wieden+Kennedy London commissioned Bora, an interdisciplinary queer artist known for works of imaginative activism, to design their vision of a queer fairy christmas tree topper in resin.

The piece will be exhibited at Wieden+Kennedy London’s outdoor gallery space from December 5th - 24th, free to view outside 16 Hanbury St, whilst its auction on Indy.Auction runs concurrently to raise money for The Common Press. London’s first consciously queer bookshop provides a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community during day and night, but is facing closure due to a lack of investment. The auction will run until 13th December and can be accessed here.

Interdisciplinary artist Bora commented, “We have the power as humans and artists to reinvent, morph and recreate narratives that are more inclusive, and more aligned with the times that we live in. I often work with big symbols that have already been invented, and I like to reinvent them. This Fairy is really about creating a sentient magic object that can spread magic around people.”

Holly Attrill, creative, Wieden+Kennedy London, commented, “The fairy on top of the tree is such a recognised, angelic symbol of innocence that sits at the heart of homes over the festive season. Whilst at the same time many LGBTQIA+ people face exclusion, have to alter themselves, or tolerate derogatory insults such as ‘You’re such a Fairy’ to be welcome in their family homes over the holidays. This topper reclaims the fairy as a queer icon that reminds us all to accept each other as who we are, fairy or not.”

Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir, co-founder and director, The Common Press, commented, "We’re fundraising so we can keep doing all the incredible work that we do at The Common Press. There aren’t many third spaces for the community and I think it’s absolutely crucial and essential to have spaces that represent all of who we are, being able to see yourself in the books, but also in the people is so important.”