COMING UP –
2023
December 3. I’ll be interviewing writer, artist and refugee advocate Behrouz Boochani in Newcastle at the Conservatorium of Music. The event starts at 6pm and there will be a signing afterwards.
November 11. At Verb Wellington, at 6pm, I’ll be appearing in conversation with Thomasin Sleigh, as part of Lit Crawl. At 7.30pm I’ll be participating in Bad Diaries Salon.
October 16 – November 10. I’ll be writer-in-residence at the Michael King Writer’s House in Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Very excited as it’s my first time across the Tasman. This residency is an exchange with Varuna Writers’ Centre in Katoomba. October 7 – Saturday 1-3pm. A tribute to poet Bob Adamson who died late last year. Along with writers Lisa Gorton, Mark Mordue, John Dale. We’ll be reading from Bob’s work, and in conversation with Juno Gemes. Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills. September 27 – Iris has been shorlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize. September 16 – Saturday, 5pm. In conversation with Amelia Lush for Rose Scott Women Writers Festival. Download the program here. August 20 – Panel at South Coast Writers Festival with Kylie Needham, chaired by Catherine McKinnon. August 4-19 – I’ll be writer-in-residence at Booranga Writers’ Centre, Wagga Wagga. My time there will culminate with a reading at The Curious Rabbit on Friday 18, then I’ll be teaching a workshop on Saturday 19. July 7 – Iris has been nominated for the ALS Gold Medal Shortlist. June 20 – Woooh! Iris has made it onto the Miles Franklin Award shortlist! June 17 – Dial in to Emerging Writers Festival for an online panel on research, with Julie Janson, Jessica Yu and Ronnie Scott. June 11 – Doing a reading at Queeries for Vivid. In the CBD, Telstra theatre. June 9-11 – Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival. See me in conversation with Elisa Hall, on a facto-histo panel with Gail Jones and Paul Dalgarno, and on a panel on essays with Janine Mikosza and Kim Mahood. June 4 – Up to the Central Coast for Sunday sessions at Words on the Waves Writers Festival. In the morning I’ll be on a panel with Jennifer Down, talking about Survival. In the afternoon with Louis Nowra and Mandy Sayer to talk about Sydney and its history. Follow the link etc. May 28 – Iris has been selected as Bathurst’s Great Festival Read! This event is linked to Sydney Writers’ Festival but I’ll be appearing in person in Bathurst for a breakfast, in conversation and to listen to a panel. Follow the link to book. May 25-26 – I’ll be appearing at Sydney Writers’ Festival, first at Carriageworks, then at Parramatta Riverside. Follow the link to book – you may have to get on a waiting list. May 17 – Iris has made the longlist for the 2023 Miles Franklin Award. May 12-13 – I’ll be appearing at Brisbane Writers’ Festival on panels about Empathy, Sexuality and Gender, and an R Rated session called Not Safe For Work. April 5 – Iris has made the longlist of BookPeople’s Book of the Year Awards. (formally the Booksellers Choice Awards). April 1-2 –Newcastle Writers Festival. On Saturday I interview George Haddad about his wonderful body of work. 11.30-12.30 in NUspace X207.
On Sunday I will be interviewed by historian Nancy Cushing in NUspace X205, 11.30-12.30. Then 3-5pm. I’ll be participating in Artists at work, where a group of us share stories behind our work. At Playstate Curate.
March 13 –
Monday, 6.30-8.30pm, Butcher’s Brew, Dulwich Hill. In this cool little bar, I will be doing a slide show and talk with Peter Doyle on historical sources, forensic crime photography of early and mid-twentieth century Sydney.
March 9 –
Thursday, 6-8pm, Gordon Library. Crime fiction panel with Hayley Scrivenor and Benjamin Stevenson.
March 2 –
Thursday, 6.30-7.30, Woollahra Libraries. Panel with Cadence Bell, Jason Om and William Yang, discussing queer Australia, during this very crazy WorldPride season. March 1 –
Iris has been shortlisted for the NSW Premiers Awards! February 26 –
Iris has been long listed for the Stella Prize woohoo!
2022
November 29 –
Tuesday 6.30pm, Marrickville Library. I’m giving a talk and a slide show with some of the historical sources for the novel. This will be a corker – please come. November 7 –
Great news! My essay Acts of Avoidance has been shortlisted for the Woollahra Digital Awards.
November 5 –
Saturday, 2pm, Pop-up Gallery, Regent Street Redfern. Launching one of Sydney’s greatest cultural custodians, Peter Doyle’s wonderful new book https://unsw.press/news/peter-doyle-suburban-noir-events/. This is also an exhibition opening, and Peter’s delicate, strange and sometimes sinister drawings and illustrations will be on display for a few weeks.
Mini book tour for Iris –
Wednesday October 5, 6pm Gleebooks, Sydney. In conversation with Peter Doyle.
Thursday October 6, 6pm, Readings, Melbourne. In conversation with Mark Rubbo.
Monday October 24, 6pm, Avid Reader, Brisbane. In conversation with Krissy Kneen.
September 27 –
Publication day for my new novel Iris!
August 18 –
Come to the NSW Writers Centre, 6-8pm. Talking Writing is a panel of queer writers discussing the queer writers that have inspired them. I’ll be appearing with Bastian Fox Phelan and George Haddad, and talking about Kathleen Mary Fallon’s ‘Working Hot’ (1989), which I wrote an essay about called ‘The Hot Desk’ in Sydney Review of Books a few years ago.
June 23 –
Sydney, I’m home. And participating in a panel for Open Secrets, Catriona Menzies-Pike’s wonderful anthology of essays about writers at work originally published in Sydney Review of Books. I’ll be appearing with Lauren Carroll Harris and Sunil Badami. 6pm, at the State Library of NSW.
June 8 –
After 16 years, I am finally going back to Poland. To Lublin, where Biblioteka Azyl is hosting a conversation with me. I’ll be talking about my books Strange museums and Buried not dead. We’ll start around 18.00.
May 27 –
My time in Roma is sadly coming to an end. Come and see me read with Iranian-American poet Jahan Khajavi, at Almost Corner Bookshop, via del Moro, Trastevere. 19.30, see you there.
2021
December 6 –
Ehi! Buried not dead has been shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards!
November 15 –
I’ve arrived in Rome to take up a fellowship at the BR Whiting Studio in downtown Trastevere. I’ll be here for a few months finishing a novel, as well as filing the last two essays for my Carriageworks Residency.
July 7 –
At Carriageworks, I’ve been appointed 2nd Writer-in-Residence. As the outbreak spreads across Sydney, the venue has closed, but I will still be uploading writing to the site. Check Writing Online, or
Instagram or
facebook.
April 30 –
At Sydney Writers’ Festival, I’ll be appearing at the Gala Event at Sydney Town Hall. Theme is Within Reach.
April 10 –
At Queerstories I’ll be presenting a funny story from my early days as a writer, called Of Porn, Parties and the Perils of Censorship. Two shows, at Giant Dwarf Theatre.
March 25 –
Launch of Buried not dead at the Cactus Bar, supported by Better Read than Dead. Big delay due to Covid regulations, and sold out.
February 24-
Book Signing! I’ll be signing copies of Buried not dead outside The Bookshop, Darlinghurst, for Shop til you Drop. Come and say Hallo.
February 1-
Publication of my non-fiction collection Buried not dead by Giramondo. At last!
2020
November-February 2021 –
My residency at the Whiting Studio in Roma has unfortunately been postponed due to the pandemic. Hopefully it will take place next year.
October 24-25 –
Come to Day for Night at Liveworks. I’ll be presenting a manifesto for the future of dance parties. The event will be very different this year, due to Covid 19, with appropriate distancing observed.
Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, both Sydney and Newcastle Writers Festivals were cancelled. As well, the publication of my book of essays Buried not Dead has been delayed until February 2021. I will be taking up my residency at the Whiting Studio in Rome in November 2021.
April 27 – May 3 –
At Sydney Writers Festival, I’ll be chairing a panel on transgressive writing featuring Christos Tsiolkas, Krissy Kneen and Peter Polites.
April 4-5 –
At Newcastle Writers Festival, I’ll be doing a panel on my photoessay A Novel Idea, a performance of the same, and chairing a panel on art in the age of crisis. I’ll also be presenting at Queerstories.
January –
Thrilled to announce I’ve been selected as one of the residents at the Whiting Studio in Rome. I’ll be there from November 2020 until January 2021.
2019
Just announced: Giramondo will be publishing my collection of non-fiction in July 2020. Most of it is essays about performance, from internationally renowned Marina Abramović and Mike Parr, to a swathe of artists from Sydney’s queer underground going back almost 30 years. There are also essays on books, and on place. Can’t wait to bring this to you all!
August-September –
Come to Melbourne Writers Festival. I’ll be doing a panel on disgust in the context of queer desire, and performing an embodiment of my photoessay A Novel Idea.
June – A Novel Idea, Photoessay published by Giramondo, Sydney.
May –
The Hot Desk My essay on Kathleen Mary Fallon’s novel ‘Working Hot’, has won The Woollahra Digital Literary Award. Really excited to have TWO books out this year, compensating for the NINE year wait! (both incidentally were written yeeeeears ago … ) – Can’t wait!
March –
L’Encre Vive, French translation of Indelible Ink, published by Actes Sud
2018
Friday December 7, 7pm
Queerstories – Queer Family Xmas
Giant Dwarf Theatre, Cleveland Street
Saturday November 3, 9pm-4am
UNDEAD III – chemistry
Red Rattler Theatre
Our third annual dance party on the feast day of Halloween/Day of the Dead/Samhain to raise funds for Unharm, a grassroots organisation working towards drug law reform. UNDEAD III – chemistry
July 12 – 7-8.30pm. Bondi Pavilion Gallery.
The Serpentine Performance. Screening of a Leigh Bowery film, followed by a panel with Owen Leong, Emma Price, Gary Carsley, Paul Howard, William Yang and myself. Leigh Bowery
June 25 – Midday
Pride of Place: queer writing in Australia. Panel with Benjamin Law and Quinn Eades. Sydney University. Mardi Gras 40th anniversary
March –
Writer-in-residence, Bundanon.
2017
October 28 – 10pm-4.30am
UNDEAD II – Political Animals
Oxford Arts Factory
Our second dance party on the feast day of Halloween/Day of the Dead/Samhain to raise funds for Unharm, a grassroots organisation working towards drug law reform. Last year went off!
August 1-13
Writer-in-residence. Bundanon.
This year saw me move to Jane Novak Literary Agency. JNLA
2016
October 29 – 10pm-late
UNDEAD
Midnight Shift
A dance party on the feast day of Halloween/Day of the Dead to raise funds for Unharm, a grassroots organisation working towards drug law reform.
August 4 – 5-7pm
Performance with Sheree Rose, US performance artist, at UNSW Galleries for ‘The Patient’, curated by Bec Dean.
August 2 – 5-6pm
In conversation with Sheree Rose.
July 26-28 –
Writer-in-Residence. Wollongong University
July 28 – 6-7pm
In conversation with Shady Cosgrove.
February 27 –
‘Bloodthirsty Savagery’ – paper at LGBT History Month Conference, Manchester University, UK
February –
Uploaded from the Power Institute, Sydney University, a video of my lecture on Sydney artist Cigdem Aydemir
2015
August 24-31 –
Writer-in-Residence. Bundanon.
May 1-15 –
Writer-in-residence. Bundanon.
https://bundanon.com.au/
April 29 – Lecture on Sydney artist Cigdem Aydemir’s performance installation series Extremist Activity . Sydney University, Madden Building, 6-7.30pm. Commissioned by the Power Institute for the New Eyes New Voices series sponsored by CAL.
Using the veil as her canvas, Aydemir responds to Australian Islamophobia, and notions of dress, site, bodies and the body politic, with wit and provocation. This lecture will be published as an essay later in the year.
http://sydney.edu.au/arts/power/events/?id=3505/
April 2 – May 16 –
Performance Presence/Video Time AEAF, Adelaide. Curated by Anne Marsh and Nicolas Tsoutas, this is a major survey of performance art in Australia, with particular focus on live art and video as both document, trace and first performance. Works of mine include Dead Art (2007), You Have the Body , and Revolting (2008) (with SJ Norman).
http://www.aeaf.org.au/
This year I started writing Portraits for The Saturday Paper. You will find links to them under Writings Online. I will also be writing a major critical essay for The Monthly on Marina Abramovic later in the year, in response to her shows at MONA in Tasmania and Kaldor in Sydney.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/
http://www.themonthly.com.au/
2014 – 2015
December 4-February 15 – Same River Twice AEAF, Adelaide. Group exhibition focussing on the Murray River, where I will be showing a trace video of Water #1 – Descent
http://www.aeaf.org.au/
November 29 – Homosexual Histories Conference, University Technology, Sydney. 1.30-3pm. I will be presenting Bloodthirsty Savagery, a paper on Iris Webber, queer criminal of Sydney’s sly-grog era.
November 25 – Memoir Club, Literary Centre, Randwick. I will be discussing my travel memoir Strange Museums with Guy Davidson. 6-9pm.
November 24 – Wheeler Centre, Melbourne: Women on Women – for Middlesex Week. 6.15-7.15pm.http://www.wheelercentre.com/
May 15 – Salon on Durational Aesthetics in the context of the Tehching Tsieh exhibition at Carriageworks.
I will be on a panel with artists Barbara Campbell, Tess de Quincey, Brown Council and others, 3.15-4.15pm.
Presented by Carriageworks, Performance Space, and UNSW.
2013
October – Dirt (Scribe). The long awaited ebook of my book of interlinked short stories, originally published as Suck My Toes by McPhee Gribble in 1994, reissued by Allen & Unwin in 1996. Please note that the title alone has changed: the stories are exactly as they were on original publication in the 90s.
October – Au Pair (Scribe). The ebook of my first novel, originally published by McPhee Gribble in 1993. I think Scribe has done a great job on the cover. Follow the link for more.
October – Rock Country (Hardie Grant). Edited by Christian Ryan, this anthology of essays about Australian music is also a sumptuous collection of some of the best photography of live music in this country going back decades. I have written an essay about DJ and jazz drummer Lanny K, who scorched Sydney dancefloors in the 90s and 00s. Other writers include Clinton Walker, Peter Doyle, Maria Tumarkin, MJ Hyland.
October – A Country Too Far (Penguin). Edited by Rosie Scott and Tom Keneally, this anthology collects writing from 27 of Australia’s foremost authors on the theme of asylum seekers. I have written a profile piece on Jiva Parthipan, dancer and producer working with asylum seekers in Sydney. Other writers include Sue Woolfe, Les Murray, Anna Funder, Kim Scott, Judith Wright.
September – The long awaited ebooks of my first two books, Au Pair and Dirt, to be published by Scribe.
***PLEASE NOTE THAT DIRT IS A NEW TITLE FOR THE COLLECTION OF STORIES SUCK MY TOES FIRST PUBLISHED BY McPHEE GRIBBLE IN 1994 AND REISSUED BY ALLEN & UNWIN IN 1995. ONLY THE TITLE HAS CHANGED; THE STORIES ARE EXACTLY AS THEY WERE ON ORIGINAL PUBLICATION IN 1994***
September 17 – 7pm – Gleebooks, Sydney. I’ll be talking to Melbourne author Chris Womersley about his latest novel Cairo.
August 26 – Reincarnating the Forensic – Justice & Police Museum – a workshop with people working across a variety of disciplines, including Reg Mombassa, Mark Tedeschi and Judge Megan Latham, discussing the afterlife of forensic photographs. Curated by Peter Doyle and Nerida Campbell.
April – Saturday 13th – 13 Rooms – Kaldor Art Projects. Talk on duration in performance, vis Fujiwara’s Future Perfect.
February – I am spending the first two months of this year working on essays – both profile pieces – the first of Jiva Parthipan, community arts worker managing a large program of events across a variety of media with refugees. The second of DJ and drummer Lanny Katzin. They will be published later this year in anthologies. Watch this space.
2012
November 17 & 24 – 12.30/1pm – SEXES, Carriageworks – performative lecture
August-September – Writer-in-Residence, Bundanon
July – essay on Peter Doyle, on Wheeler Centre website
May 10-13 – appearances at NT Writers Festival, Darwin
March 7 & 8 – appearances at Adelaide Writers Week. Panel on Unhappy Families, and Meet the Author session
February 18, 3pm – reading from Indelible Ink, with Martin Edmond, for Five Bells at Damien Minton Gallery, Redfern, Sydney.
2011
November 15, 12pm – November 16, 12 pm – Water #13 – Expulsion
Artspace, Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, Sydney
November 8, 8.30pm – Water #2 – Passage
A performance in two parts
Artspace, Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, Sydney
November 1, 12pm – November 2, 12pm – Water #1 – Descent
Artspace, Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, Sydney
September 22 – This is all a bit dry isn’t it folks … just to let you know, I’m beavering away on my Water Series which will show at Artspace in November – it will be big and exciting – see above and below for dates … I’m writing an article about Cockatoo Island which will appear in The Monthly, doing a bit of teaching etc …. It’s a performance year mainly … I need more time off, feeling in the mood to get out to the waterways now it’s getting warmer and I’m an inner city girl again on a bike without a car …
November 1-20 – Water series – video installation and three live works.
Photomedia from two previous performances will show from the beginning of the exhibition. Each Tuesday, a live performance will take place, and the trace from it will form an installation which will remain for the duration of the exhibition. Eventually, Water Series, will accumulate throughout all the gallery spaces.
Artspace, Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, Sydney
September 3 – Author’s Talk
2pm, Peel St, Tamworth Library
August 25 – Indelible Ink wins Age Book of the Year!
Melbourne Writers Festival
June 25 – July 9 – Writer in Residence, Literaturwerkstatt, Berlin
June 7 – Reading and interview with Claudia Kramastchek.
20-21.30Uhr, Literaturwerkstatt, 97 Knaackstr, Berlin
May 17 – In conversation with Tegan Bennett Daylight.
11.30 – 12.30pm, Carrington Hotel, Katoomba. A Varuna Writers Centre event for the Sydney Writers Festival
May 11 – Chat Show Guest – The Chaser’s Empty Vessel.
8pm, King’s Cross Hotel, William St, King’s Cross