Salon Society: Welcome to Queersland

Rod Goodbun and Edwina Shaw are the editors behind this remarkable new queer anthology from Queensland. They will be joined by authors David Owen Kelly (Host City) and Margaret Bateman.  We are delighted that William Yang, who grew up in Queensland, will launch the book for Sydney readers and share some memories of his Queensland years.

Monday 24 November, 6.30pm

Loading Dock Theatre

Qtopia Sydney

301 Forbes St, Darlinghurst

Tickets

$20 per event (includes a glass of wine, a beer or soft drink)

Format

The main conversation will be followed by an opportunity for audience members to ask questions, and then to meet the authors at a book signing afterwards. Drinks may be taken into the theatre. Seating is unreserved. Arrive early and browse the fascinating and fabulous exhibits at Qtopia Sydney.

About the authors and speakers

William Yang

Acclaimed photographer William Yang has captured the zeitgeist like no-one else, providing a very personal insight into the evolution of Mardi Gras, the spectre of AIDS, Sydney's theatrical and social scenes, and changing notions of 'belonging' in multicultural Australia.

Queensland-born, Sydney-based photographer William Yang’s significant contribution to Australian photography spans five decades. Known for his reflective and joyous depictions of Australia’s LGBTQIA+ scene in the late 70s and 80s through to the present. Yang’s photography is informed by the cultural and political pressures of growing up as a gay man from a Chinese immigrant family in north Queensland.  He also integrates a photographic practice with writing, video and performance.

Margaret Bateman is a Queensland born and bred lesbian archetype: along with liking the ladies, Margaret was a school athlete, Trades Assistant to mechanics and a footy player. Margaret was the editor of the Australasian Gay & Lesbian Law Journal and has practised as a barrister for over 30 years.

Rod Goodbun (he/him) is a co-founder of the Brisbane Pride Festival in 1990 and has contributed in paid, volunteer and activist roles within the queer community for over 40 years. He writes poetry, screen plays and short stories with a passion for queer characters exercising agency in the world.

David Owen Kelly is a memoir writer and author of Fantastic Street (Picador, 2003), State of Origin (Puncher & Wattmann, 2019), and Host City (Puncher & Wattmann, 2024). His work has appeared in Best Australian Stories, The Lifted Brow, and The Monthly. Host City was nominated for the Victorian Premiers Literary Fiction Award, 2025.

Edwina Shaw is a Queensland writer and editor of fiction, memoir and screenplays. She is the author of A Guide Through Grief, Thrill Seekers and In the Dark of Night, and editor of Bjelke Blues and Queersland. Since 2002 she’s published over 40 short pieces in journals around world. She also runs writing retreats.