We Aussies think we punch above our weight in the world – just look at the per-capita medal tally at the Olympics which we always shout about! But we can be especially proud when we lead the world in a health crisis. No, we’re not talking about coronavirus. We’re talking about the fight against HIV and AIDS.

What began as book to chronicle the history of queer community organisation ACON has turned into a powerful, gritty story of survival – the fights, the heroes and the personal stories that became Australia’s world-leading response to HIV and AIDS in the 1980s and 90s. The book is titled Fighting For Our Lives and we spoke with the author Nick Cook.