EnQueer, the Sydney Queer Writers’ Festival, is back for its third year, promising a weekend full of thought-provoking conversations, captivating performances, and inspiring workshops.
Taking place on the October 4 & 5 at Qtopia in Darlinghurst, the festival celebrates queer writing and culture while addressing the issues that continue to shape the LGBTIQA+ community.
This year’s festival features an all-star lineup of some of Australia’s most talented queer and gender-diverse writers.
The weekend promises to “inspire, challenge and uplift” its audiences through a diverse range of events, including panel discussions, readings, and creative workshops.
Among the many opportunities for festival-goers is the chance to join EnQueer’s creative writing workshop or attend the Page to Print publishing workshop, where aspiring writers can learn how to bring their stories to life.
Beyond celebrating the art of storytelling, EnQueer also aims to provide a platform for discussion on the challenges faced by the queer community today.
Joanna Lamb, the festival’s director, highlights the importance of engaging with these issues, saying, “It is important that we not only showcase the incredible queer storytellers, but the issues that the community continues to face.”
There are plenty of sessions on offer across the weekend including Spoil Sport, a conversation exploring the complex intersections between race, gender, and sexuality within sport.
The session is inspired by the recent popularity of the Matildas and ongoing conversations about gender and sport, as well as Ellen Van Neerven’s “Personal Score,” a book that delves into Australian sport’s relationship with race and identity.
EnQueer’s Creative Director, Ali Asghar Shah, explains, “It was critical we talk about sport in the session Spoil Sport and how it shapes our experience with race, gender and sexuality.”
Taking place at the start of LGBT history month this year’s festival takes on an added layer of significance as it will be held at Qtopia, the former police station, a historical space in Sydney grounded deeply in the queer history of Sydney.
The reclamation of this venue is reflected in sessions like Bodies in Cages, which focuses on the experiences of trans people within the criminal justice system.
Hosted by Sam Elkin, writer and co-editor of Nothing to Hide: Voices of Trans and Gender Diverse Australia, the session promises to be a powerful conversation about the intersection of identity and incarceration.
Speaking about the event, Elkin shared, “I’m looking forward to hosting an in-conversation with two incredible trans women writers with lived experience of the criminal justice system.”
“This will be Stacey’s first interstate trip since being released from prison.”
“Holding this conversation about trans and gender diverse experiences of incarceration on the reclaimed site of a former police station feels particularly poignant.”
“It’s vital that the broader LGBTIQA+ community learn about the difficult experiences trans people frequently have when interacting with the criminal justice system, providing a greater insight into why many TGD people are distrustful of police and government institutions.”
Another highlight is Two Peas, a session bringing together authors David Owen Kelly and J.M. Tolcher, whose books, released in the same year, chart the experiences of gay protagonists from the same city, 40 years apart.
Ali Asghar Shah remarked on the session’s significance, saying, “It was such a joy to read David Owen Kelly’s Host City and J.M. Tolcher’s Poof… both talk about gay protagonists from Queensland, exploring their sexuality – however, one is set during the HIV epidemic and one in present day.”
EnQueer’s lineup also includes performances from artists like Dan Hogan, Lucy Norton, and Paris Rosemont, alongside panels featuring notable writers such as Gary Lonesborough, Anton Enus, Stacey Stokes, and Necho Brocchi.
With such a diverse and engaging programme, this year’s festival is set to be an unmissable celebration of queer writing and culture.
Tickets are available now at www.enqueer.com.au.
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