ABOUT THE EVENT:

A sexy, romantic, queer, epic literary novel for all readers by the award-winning author of the internationally acclaimed bestseller Green Dot.

On Thursday 30th October at the Red Mill Distillery, Balmain, join Madeleine Gray in conversation with Bertie Blackman.

Copies of Chosen Family will be available for purchase at the venue through Roaring Stories, with Gray signing copies after the discussion.

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ABOUT THE VENUE

Red Mill is based in the historic White Bay Steelworks, just across from the inner-west icon, the White Bay Power Station. Red Mill makes small batches of high-quality Rum to age in a special barrel program, blended and bottled in their wonderful, industrial home. Visiting Red Mill is a chance to see the workings of an artisanal distillery, in the historic surrounds of this remarkable building. Refreshments available to purchase include wine, beer and a signature Red Mill cocktail. We look forward to welcoming you to this unique venue.

Attendees are asked to arrive at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Seating is unallocated – another reason to arrive early to secure an optimal spot.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Books about friendship are not often described as love stories, but this is one.

Nell Argall and Eve Bowman are both brilliant, odd and friendless. Traumatised in their first year of high school, their lives are changed forever when they meet.

Set in Sydney over eighteen years, Chosen Family follows Nell and Eve as they grow into themselves, as they both love and destroy each other. From school, to university, to careers, to motherhood, Nell’s and Eve’s is a relationship that is a life-raft that is also a poison apple that is also a Medusan stare, frozen in time.

Together, Nell and Eve are a double helix. Love, guilt, shame, joy – these emotions twist and turn between them. Can the wounds of adolescent betrayal ever really heal? Can we ever really understand what is going on in someone else’s head? And what’s love got to do, got to do with it?
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ABOUT MADELEINE GRAY

Madeleine Gray is a writer and critic from Sydney. She has written arts criticism for SRB, Overland, Meanjin, The Saturday Paper, The Monthly etc. In 2019 she was a CA-SRB Emerging Critic, and in 2021 she was a finalist for the Walkley Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism, a finalist for the Woollahra Digital Literary Non-fiction award, and a recipient of a Neilma Sidney Literary Travel grant. Madeleine has a PhD in feminist literary theory from the University of Manchester, an MSt in English from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Art History from the University of Sydney. She is the author of Green Dot.

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ABOUT BERTIE BLACKMAN

Bertie Blackman is a multidisciplinary storyteller from Sydney. She is an ARIA-winning musician, and the author of the memoir Bohemian Negligence as well as the children’s book Mica the Star Sailor. Bertie is the daughter of iconic Australian artist Charles Blackman. She also happens to be Madeleine Gray’s wife.

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TERMS & CONDITIONS

Refunds

Please note that tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled or postponed due to extenuating circumstances. Refunds are not issued within 48 hours notice of event date. Humanitix fee is nonrefundable.

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This event is presented by Roaring Stories Bookshop Balmain.

With thanks to our venue partner Red Mill and Simon and Schuster.

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Contact the host of Madeleine Gray in conversation with Bertie Blackman