Queerstories

Tenille shares the story of their Granny Pam, a fierce woman who was one of the very first air hostesses working for South African Airways and who was instrumental in making Tenille the person they are today. Born in Namibia to a South African and a Brit, Tenille Rogers inherited a love for singing and performing from their musical parents. They have performed around the world in bands, in theatre, in cabaret, doing weird burlesque, drag Kinging and doing a lot of karaoke. They are currently on the board of the Red Rattler theatre and do volunteer work for other charities around Sydney. This was their first time telling a story since they won the year 7 Eisteddfod for memorising and reciting “The Aardvark” by Roald Dahl, a tale where a spoiled American boy is eaten by his pet due to a miscommunication. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstorie

Jenna delivers an open apology to everyone she's ever dated, and in the process of writing it learns a little more about why those relationships ended. Jenna Suffern is a Sydney based comedian, writer and actor. She has written for Pedestrian.TV and produces a monthly queer comedy room, ‘Two Queers Walk Into A Bar’ at Giant Dwarf, first Friday of the month, now with a live stream. Despite all of this, her biggest achievement was once being introduced as a "prominent Newtown lesbian". Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and&nbs

On a short but terrifying flight, Iz makes an unexpected connection. Iz Connell is an activist, writer and social worker. She's best known for being "that really tall girl at leather/bear parties", or the first woman to be elected to the committee of the Harbour City Bears. Iz is a ferocious femme lesbian with a long herstory of supporting LGBTI organizations, and has been described, hopefully jokingly, as the reigning Queen of the Sydney bear community. She'd like to think she's a force to be reckoned with, but ultimately that's as subjective as her own strongly held truths. Iz grew up on the lands of the Wanaruah, Kamilaroi and Awabakal peoples, and now lives on sovereign Gadigal land. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent boo

It seemed an impossible task, but with much persistence and a lot of hilarity, Ally finally managed to seduce the internet's favourite lesbian, brocklesnitch aka Rebecca Shaw. Rebecca Shaw (aka @brocklesnitch) is a writer and creator of the parody Twitter account @notofeminism, which was developed into an illustrated book with Affirm Press. She wrote for Tonightly with Tom Ballard and is currently on the writing team for Hard Quiz. She’s been published by Junkee, The Guardian, Daily Life and Kill Your Darlings, among others. Ally Garrett has been writing and speaking on body politics and fat activism for the past decade. She also has a corporate day job, working as a CX Director in the media intelligence industry. Her activism comes in many forms; most notably posting horny selfies on the internet.  Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on

Stevie and Ally remember their relationship and reflect on why they’re each other’s favourite ex. Ally Garrett has been writing and speaking on body politics and fat activism for the past decade. She also has a corporate day job, working as a CX Director in the media intelligence industry. Her activism comes in many forms; most notably posting horny selfies on the internet.  Stevie Jack Wilder is a Theatre and Gender studies graduate, now working in the weird and wonderful world of reality TV. He’s lived in the UK, Aotearoa, and Sydney, performing and writing along the way. His long-term goal to be a funeral director is thwarted by his fear of driving. He also has a very large cat. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourit

After Laura and Ernest consciously uncouple, they discover that the road to smug queer family is paved in grief. Laura Mitchell is originally from Perth and now lives in the Macedon Ranges on Woiwurrung Country, just outside Melbourne. They’re a librarian and a textile artist with the firm and tender hands of a goat-herd. They hope that one day their chronic anxiety will let up enough for them to write something beyond some really touching Instagram captions. After spending his late teens and early twenties protesting and working at the iconic Gould's Book Arcade in Newtown, Ernest Price taught English and Humanities to high school students in Melbourne for ten years, inspiring the next generation like a trans Robin Williams. He now works as the Education Officer at the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English. His writing has been published in Overland.  Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event

After a year of heartbreaking grief, Hayley reflects on the most precious gifts she has received. Hayley Katzen’s essays have been published in Australian, American and Asian journals and anthologies including Australian Book Review, Griffith Review, Southerly, Fourth Genre and Kenyon Review. Untethered is her debut memoir. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ellen shares poems from their most recent collection Throat, along with insights as to their creative process and inspiration for the work. Ellen van Neerven is an award-winning writer, editor and educator of Mununjali Yugambeh and Dutch heritage with strong ancestral ties to South East queensland. They write fiction, poetry and non-fiction, and play football on unceded Turrbal and Yuggera land. van Neerven’s book, Heat and Light, Comfort Food and most recently Throat have won countless awards. They are the editor of three collections, including the recent Homeland Calling and are co-editing an upcoming collection of speculative fiction Unlimited Futures with Sudanese multilingual writer Rafeif Ismail. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favo

When Sally fell in love with Kate she knew she'd found something special, but she wasn't ready for the real romance: her relationship with Kate's cat Beans. Sally Rugg is an LGBTIQ rights activist, writer and public speaker. She is Executive Director at political activist group change.org, and was previously Campaign Director at GetUp where she lead the campaign for marriage equality for five years. She wrote to How Powerful We Are, her first book, about that campaign. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.See omnystudio.

Johnny weaves a tale of two cities, and of his queer family history. Johnny Valkyrie is an activist and educator. He was awarded Young Transgender Person of the Year 2019 by the Queensland Council of LGBTI+ Health. Johnny enjoys florals, galleries and retro knickknacks. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After watching a life-changing episode of Broad City, Giselle's life is filled by a new and consuming passion. Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen was a recipient of The Wheeler Centre’s inaugural Next Chapter fellowship. Her writing has appeared in BuzzFeed, frankie, Junkee, Kill Your Darlings and Meanjin, and she was a regular columnist for Daily Life throughout 2016. She has appeared at Melbourne Writers Festival, National Young Writers’ Festival and Women of Letters. Giselle is the commissioning editor for Feminist Writers Festival and a bookseller at Readings. She likes animals, vegan cooking, comics, cycling and inappropriate nap times. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent

Just before her first book launch, Claire is given an unexpected gift by her friend: the self-published adolescent masterpiece of a rom com she wrote when she was 14. Claire Christian is a playwright, author and theatre maker, who has spent a lot of career working with teenagers. Her first novel, Beautiful Mess won the Text Publishing Text Prize in 2016. Her play Lysa and The Freeborn Dames debuted at La Boite in 2018. She directed Michelle Law’s smash hit comedy Single Asian Female. And her next novel will be released in October. Claire has a pug named Midge, a deep affinity for garlic bread, and she never has boring hair...ever. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, be

Nina becomes famous on twitter for cum jokes and it doesn't wholly end well. Nina Oyama is a stand up comic, writer, actress and worm girl who needs you and loves you and will hold you in her arms, upon request. She has performed all around Australia and has written for radio, stage and TV. She was a writer on Tonightly with Tom Ballard, appeared as Courtney on Utopia on ABC, and is also writer/director of comedy web series The Angus Project which was part of ABC's Fresh Blood 2017 initiative. Last year, Screen Australia selected Nina to be a recipient of the Talent LA Grant, which saw 10 filmmakers travel to Los Angeles to meet with industry professionals. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To sup

Chris has kept all of his teenage diaries. They are full of stories about high school, his first crummy job, girls that he thought that he liked, family arguments, his mum, his strong religious beliefs and him maybe being gay. Chris Brown grew up in the small coastal suburb of Stockton, in a deeply religious household. Chris works in Community Services as the coordinator of a vibrant and bustling Community Centre. He is a practicing artist and photographer, currently working on a photography project called 'Intertidal' which seeks to explore the changing socio-political environment of Newcastle, where he lives. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.

Sian shares a story about friendship, getting massages and arguing about Jesus. Sian Gammie is a writer and an English teacher who loves seating plans, Mrs Doubtfire and her mum. She has written for the Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC, and blogs at thesianshow.com Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When Will's career as an author takes off at just 19, he writes many stories about his father's absence, but it would take a few more years before he considered trying to find him. Will Kostakis is a writer of all things, from celebrity news stories that score cease and desist letters, to tweets for professional wrestlers. He’s best known for his award-winning Young Adult fiction. His first novel, Loathing Lola, was released when he was just 19. His second, The First Third, won the 2014 Gold Inky Award and was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and Australian Prime Minister’s Literary awards, among others. The Sidekicks was his third YA novel, and his American debut and recently published, Monuments, his fourth novel. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is p

Aunty Denise yarns about family. Aunty Denise McGuinness is a Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri woman based in Melbourne. She's a proud mum to Robert, Chantel and Dawn, as well as a grandmother to Eli Dennis and Nate John. She works in community health at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and since her success in the Deadly Funny comedy competition she has been performing locally at conferences and NAIDOC week events. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati

Tarsha shares a story of faith, family and identity. Tarsha Jago is a law student and Project Officer, Drug Policy and Reform at Department of Health & Human Services, Victoria. Queerstories is an LGBTQIA+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The new Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff, insomnia rant and photos of my dog Frank follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the beginning and now, a story of body, country and connection. Isobel Morphy-Walsh, a proud Nirim Baluk Woman from the Taun Wurrung (Taungurung) people. She is a lover of anecdote, an artist, an activist, an educator and weaver. Isobel has spent her life working with her community and culture with a particular emphasis on history and its relevance to today. For the last three years, Isobel has worked inside museums with Victorian First Peoples histories, stories and cultures.  Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagra

After a trip to Wiradjuri country and a chat with Aunty Pat Doolan, Tarneen considers their relationship to grief. Tarneen Onus Williams is a Yigar Gunditjmara, Bindal, Yorta Yorta person. Tarneen is a community organiser for Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance and is passionate about prison abolition and the power of young Aboriginal people. They are a writer and have been published in IndigenousX, The Saturday Paper, NITV and RightNow. They currently work at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com, and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia. To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter a