These 20 books are set in countries as far away from each other as Greenland and Argentina, Uruguay and Cameroon. Some of them are written in English; others are translated from a variety of languages. I’ve tried to include books from as many countries as possible, but you’ll notice that some countries are more represented than others. Many of the African books are set in Nigeria and many of the South American books are set in Argentina. Publishing still has a long way to go when it comes to translating (and straight-up publishing) queer books from certain countries and regions of the world. That said, this list contains queer books set in 15 different countries — and it’s only the beginning! There are so many more queer books from all over the world that I didn’t have space for. These stories, for me, have been a gateway of exploration into so many world literatures. I hope they’ll be a gateway for you, too.

Asia

South America, Central America, & The Caribbean

Africa

Europe

Australia & New Zealand

Looking for more queer books set outside the U.S.? Check out this fabulous list of must-read queer books in translation!

20 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 3020 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 5720 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 2120 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 3820 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 6420 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 1920 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 3520 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 2920 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 9720 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 9820 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 620 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 9320 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 7720 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 4820 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 6320 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 2220 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 8220 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 6120 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 1020 Must Read Queer Novels Set Outside the U S UK and Canada - 53