Becoming Leonardo da Vinci, Francesco Salviati and Lorenzo de’ Medici: Florenzer: Members' online book club

Event information

• Type: Talks & conversations: In conversation
• Date: Thursday, 24 September 2026
• Tickets: Free
• Location: Online
• Official page: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/in-conversation-becoming-leonardo-da-vinci-francesco-salviati-and-lorenzo-de-medici-florenzer-24-09-2026

Details

About

Join our latest book club session on the historical drama ‘Florenzer’.

Author Phil Melanson sits down in conversation with art historian Jon Sleigh to discuss his debut queer historical novel. Together, they will explore the vivid world of Renaissance Florence, tracing the intertwined lives of Leonardo da Vinci, Francesco Salviati and Lorenzo de’ Medici, figures driven by ambition, identity and survival.

This lively discussion will delve into art, history, politics and the perils of ambition at a time when ‘florenzers’, gay men like Leonardo, often faced persecution. Audience participation is at the heart of this event, with plenty of time for your questions.

Florenzer is now available in the UK.

The title 'Florenzer' reclaims a historical slur once used to describe homosexual men, reflecting the novel's wider mission to uncover, reclaim and humanise the lives of those too often erased from history.

Speakers

Phil Melanson is the author of the queer historical novel ‘Florenzer’. He is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and the University of Warwick. Prior to writing ‘Florenzer’, he was a digital marketer for Hollywood film studios, working on campaigns for movies such as ‘Little Women’, ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ and ‘Once Upon on a Time… in Hollywood’. He teaches with Boston University in London, where he lives with his husband.

Jon Sleigh (he/him) is a freelance Learning Curator, arts educator and art history writer. He works nationally as a specialist in fine art engagement with a diverse portfolio of arts institutions, museum, and heritage sites across the UK. Clients include the National Gallery, The Courtauld, Tate, The National Archives, Historic Royal Palaces, Art Fund, The Government Art Collection DCMS and the Arts Council Collection. Prior to this Jon worked for Birmingham Museums Trust in round one of the acclaimed ACE National Partners Program.