Explore the program

Curate Your Festival | Queer's the Word

We know that the Festival has a lot of events to choose from so we’ve curated a selection of events to help you decide what to see based on your interests.

We also have multipack discounting available for when you book 4 events, 5 events or 6 or more events. Book all or some of the events in this event selection to receive your discount.

In the Queer’s the Word curated events, we gather together some of the brightest queer events across literary fiction, Festival favourites and queer performance.

Queer Love and Longing | Wednesday 21 May, 7pm

In 2024, Queer Love and Longing was a beautiful conversation between queer novelists Christos Tsiolkas and K Patrick. This year will prove to be a similarly heart-warming panel discussion between local favourite Dylin Hardcastle and big international writers Alan Hollinghurst and Yael van der Wouden.

Rumaan Alam’s American Dream | Thursday 22 May, 5pm

Entitlement is New York Times–bestselling author Rumaan Alam’s latest novel set in the world of billionaire philanthropists. This tense story probes complex boundaries of race, class and gender when a young, ambitious Black woman gets in too deep and is seduced by new-found power.

Alan Hollinghurst: Our Evenings | Friday 23 May, 2pm

The latest novel from prolific British writer Alan Hollinghurst tells the life story of a man from childhood into adulthood. It spans his tumultuous youth, his young adult years on the theatre stage and his middle-age reflecting on identity, sexuality and everything he’s learnt.

Drag Queens Down Under | Friday 23 May, 6.30pm

Grab your lipstick and your heels for this special adult drag story time featuring drag queens from Art Simone’s compendium of Australian royalty, Drag Queens Down Under. Special guests include Etcetera Etcetera, Space Horse and Maxi Shield.

Queerstories | Friday 23 May, 8pm

The Festival favourite returns for another year! Every year this event is a hoot, bringing together writers, comedians and performers for a night of queer-ly good fun. Hear hilarious and heart-felt true stories from Festival guests including Rumaan Alam, Daniel Nour, Torrey Peters and more.

Yael van der Wouden: The Safekeep | Saturday 24 May, 11am

After being shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize, Yael van der Wouden’s debut novel has swept the world, gathering new readers into its twisty, tantalising historical mystery with a sapphic turn. In 1960s Netherlands, the impact of the war still lingers and infiltrates all kinds of neighbourly and romantic relationships.

Mariana Enriquez: Mastering the Macabre | Saturday 24 May, 3pm

Argentinian writer Mariana Enriquez has been revolutionising contemporary horror with her short story collections, The Dangers of Smoking in Bed and A Sunny Place for Shady People, and her epic Our Share of Night. The supernatural world is just beneath the surface of ours, ready to materalise when you least expect it.

Torrey Peters: Stag Dance | Saturday 24 May, 5:30pm

Torrey Peters’s debut Detransition, Baby was an international sensation, so her follow-up was much-anticipated. Expect similarly gender-blurring fun in Stag Dance, a combination of a novella about cross-dressing lumberjacks and a selection of apocalyptic and romantic short stories.

We’ve got comedy, horror, true stories and queer classics so round up your friends and bring them down to the Festival for a roaring time.

Back to top