top of page
Day of Books
.jpg)
Queer Book Fair
11am - 3pm
19th July
Victorian Pride Centre
The best in queer literature to fill your bookshelf.
This is your free one-stop-shop for uncovering the best and most locally written works from the LGBTQIA+ community. Along with the amazing array of works from Hares and Hyenas, you'll also have the opportunity to peruse individual writers stalls and meet them personally. This event is in partnership with Locale Coffee.
.jpg)
Panel - A Life Worth Telling
11:30am
19th July
Victorian Pride Centre
The art of crafting irresistible characters.
Mining your own life for material is just the start, the real challenge is knowing when a story will resonate with an audience. Learn how Natash Rai, Helena Pantsis, Madison Godfrey and Samantha Byres craft their characters by balancing raw truth with the instincts needed for great storytelling.
.jpg)
1pm
19th July
Victorian Pride Centre
Panel - Game Changers
The Narrative Shift of Queers in Sport.
Join host Mitch Brown and authors Darcy Green & Angus Cameron to discuss the power of the queer protagonist. This panel explores how modern storytelling is actively normalising queer identities across our professional sporting codes.
.jpg)
2:30pm
19th July
Victorian Pride Centre
Tittle Tattlers
Meet the ghosts of our queer past.
Five acclaimed creatives will channel scandalous and trailblazing figures from history. Expect a Gold Rush-era womaniser, a gender-bending Chinese spy, a notorious Melbourne dandy and an Ancient Greek paramour. A camp excavation of the queer archive, complete with costumes and laughs.
Hosted by Jono Butler, with Tobias Fulton, Scotty So, Sam Elkin, and Stayci Taylor.
Meet the presenters
Natasha Rai
Host
Natasha Rai is a writer, somatic counsellor and co-host of the Book Deal podcast. Her debut novel, AN ONSLAUGHT OF LIGHT, was published in 2025. Her second novel will be published in 2027.
Helena Pantsis
Helena Pantsis (she/they) is an editor, writer and artist from Naarm, Australia, with a fond appreciation for the weird, the dark, and the experimental. She is the author of poetry collection 'CAPTCHA' and short story collection, ‘Mother Salad’. More can be found at hlnpnts.com.
Madison Godfrey
Dr Madison Godfrey is a writer, educator, and researcher. They’ve performed poetry at Sydney Opera House and Glastonbury Festival. Madison’s writing has been described as ‘sensual and often funny’ (The Guardian) and ‘fiercely punk’ (ArtsHub).
Samantha Byres
Samantha Byres is a writer from Whanganui, Aotearoa. She attended the International Institute of Modern Letters in Wellington and her work appears in Turbine, JAAM, Sport and Out Here: An anthology of Takatāpui and LGBTQIA+ writers from Aotearoa.
Mitch Brown
Host
Mitchell Brown is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles. In August 2025, he made history as the first AFL player to publicly come out as bisexual.
Darcy Green
Darcy Green writes queer stories across different genres. They love footy, ice hockey, and writing when they should be doing other things. They are almost always listening to an audiobook.
Angus Cameron
Melbourne-based playwright and academic (Ph.D., VCA). Credits: Cavemxn, Dirt (Green Room nominated) and Australian Open (MTC, published by PlayLab). Next up: Luke, Red Stitch, September 2026.
Jono Butler
Host
Jonathan Butler is a writer, broadcaster and educator living in Naarm. He’s the author THE BOY IN THE DRESS (Affirm Press, 2022) and presenter on Triple R’s Queer View Mirror.
Tobias Fulton
Tobias Fulton is a queer activist academic who combines queer theory, ancient history, and the art of story-telling to bring a queer/er antiquity to life. They seek to break down the boundaries between the public and the academy through queer practices that include subjectivity, co-creation, and emotion-based knowledge.
Scotty So
Scotty So is a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans diverse media to interrogate themes of authenticity and authority.
Sam Elkin
Sam Elkin is a writer and Triple R Queer View Mirror co-host. His debut book Detachable Penis: A Queer Legal Saga was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Humour Writing and the National Biography Prize in 2025.
%20-%20Sam%20Elkin_edited.jpg)
Stayci Taylor
Stayci has authored, or co-authored, upwards of 35 articles and book chapters across a breadth of research interests including screenwriting practice, script development, web series, nonfiction, gender and comedy.
Event details
Evening schedule
Forum
11am - 3pm: Queer Book Fair
Theatrette
11:30am: Panel - A Life Worth Telling
1pm: Panel - Game Changers
2:30pm: Tittle Tattlers
Coffee
This event will have a coffee cart hosted by our partner Locale Coffee Roasters.
Tickets
All tickets are equal and we encourage you to pay-as-you-can. Free tickets are available to anyone from the community, no questions asked - email hello@q-lit.com.au to secure a free ticket.
Access
The Auslan ticket is available to anyone who requires Auslan interpretation - selecting this ticket will alert our team to the need for an interpreter and this service will be arranged for the event.
This venue is wheelchair accessible, has gender neutral bathrooms, and a quiet space will be available throughout the event.
There will be friendly Q-Lit volunteers throughout the event who can guide you, be someone to chat to, or introduce you to others in the community.
Travel
Nearest tram stop
-
Stop 132 St Kilda Station/Fitzroy St
-
Stop 134 Park St/Fitzroy St
Nearest parking - Jackson Street
Video & Photography
Photos and video of the event may be used on socials and in advertising, if you do not wish for your image to be used please let someone from our team know.
bottom of page