Norena Shopland is an author and historian, specialising in diversity in Welsh history. Forbidden Lives: LGBT stories from Wales is the first work on Welsh sexual orientation and gender identity history and A History of Women in Men's Clothes: from cross-dressing to empowerment explores how women throughout history escaped the confines of social expectations by cross-dressing.
Due to the difficulties of researching hidden lives, she has become an expert in research methodologies, co-authoring Queering Glamorgan and A Practical Guide to Searching LGBTQIA Historical Records, both internationally popular toolkits.
She is commissioned by the Welsh Government to provide training for local libraries, museums and archives across Wales. These methodologies have been expanded to search other diversities such as A Research Guide to Sources for the Study of Minority Ethnic History. Norena also writes a monthly column for Nation Cymru on Welsh history and more details can be found on her Wikipedia page. Norena is on the Pinc List 2023: Wales' most influential LGBT+ people, 2019-2023.
- NorenaShopland
