From its early settler days and Federation to the extreme literary censorship of the 20th century, from the 2017 Marriage Amendment Act to present-day morality and identity politics, it’s tempting to ask: is ‘fun-loving, laid-back’ Australia actually a bit, well, prudish?
Paul Dalgarno draws on social history and illuminating first-hand accounts from over 30 authors and thinkers, including himself, to ask what it means to have ‘unconventional’ relationships in 21st-century Australia.
Do authors such as Christos Tsiolkas, Dennis Altman and Andrea Goldsmith think we’re more tolerant than we once were? Are writers such as Lee Kofman and Ellen van Neerven and Jinghua Qian optimistic about the future? Do terms such as LGBTQIA+ help or hinder meaningful progress? How does ‘queerness’ affect notions of parenthood? And do therapists and psychologists still operate from a straight-white-male perspective?
Writer, researcher and proud trans woman, Liz Duck-Chong, talks to Paul about his latest non-fiction work, Prudish Nation, to find out if that’s what our nation really is – prudish!
+ APP: This event may be booked as part of our Author Panels Package. Attend all ten Friday, Saturday and Sunday panels for $55 full/$30 concession
