Queerstories

Performing for 600 people at the Opera House on their 25th birthday, a birthday they never expected to reach, Liv looks back through the years and tells themselves a few things.

A dynamic and versatile actor, Liv Hewson is continuing to hone their craft with each new role. They starred in Netflix's hit comedy series, SANTA CLARITA DIET opposite Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, performed in the 2018 feature film PUZZLE directed by Marc Turtletaub and appeared ABC’s hit comedy series BACK IN VERY SMALL BUSINESS. Their role as “Chloe” in the critically acclaimed webseries HOMECOMING QUEENS was another highlight of 2018. Liv featured alongside Zoey Deutch in the big screen adaptation of the bestselling novel, BEFORE I FALL, premiering at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Other credits include the 2016 Viki original series DRAMAWORLD and ON TOP OF THE LAKE. Liv’s most recent projects include the highly acclaimed feature film BOMBSHELL directed by Jay Roach, playing the role of LILY alongside Margot Robbie, Charilze Theron and Nicole Kidman. Originally from Canberra, Hewson now splits their time between Los Angeles and Australia.

Queerstories an award-winning LGBTQI+ storytelling project directed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For more information, visit www.queerstories.com.au and follow 

Queerstories on Facebook.

The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia.

To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter

And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow Maeve Marsden on Twitter and Instagram.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award-winning poet Omar Sakr shares some of his work, inviting the audience into his process and passions.

Omar Sakr is an award-winning poet born and raised in Western Sydney to Lebanese and Turkish Muslim migrants. He is the author of These Wild Houses (Cordite Books, 2017), which was shortlisted for the Judith Wright Calanthe Award and the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, as well as The Lost Arabs (University of Queensland Press, 2019), which was shortlisted for the Judith Wright Calanthe Award, the John Bray Poetry Award, the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Literary Award, and the Colin Roderick Award. The Lost Arabs has also been released in the US through Andrews McMeel Universal. In 2019, Omar was the recipient of the Edward Stanley Award for Poetry, and in 2020, the Woollahra Digital Literary Award for Poetry. Omar’s poems have been published in English, Arabic, and Spanish, featuring in the American Academy of Poets’ Poem-a-Day, Prairie Schooner, The Margins, Tinderbox, Wildness, Peril, Circulo de Poesía, Overland, Meanjin, and Griffith Review, among others. He has also been anthologised in Border Lines: Poems of Migration (2020), in the Anthology of Australian Prose Poetry (2020), in Best Australian Poems 2016, and in Contemporary Australian Poetry (2016). A widely published essayist, Omar’s creative and critical non-fiction work has appeared in The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Archer, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, Going Down Swinging, SBS Life, The Wheeler Centre, and Junkee. His essays have been anthologised in Fire, Flood, and Plague (2020) and Going Postal: More Than Yes or No (2018), and his short fiction has appeared in Kindred: 12 Queer LoveOzYA Stories (2019) as well as After Australia (2020).

Queerstories an award-winning LGBTQI+ storytelling project directed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For more information, visit www.queerstories.com.au and follow 

Queerstories on Facebook.

The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia.

To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter

And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow Maeve Marsden on Twitter and Instagram.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Growing up in Mudgee in rural NSW, a young Cadance learns a brutal lesson while out driving with her father.

Cadance Bell is an emerging writer, producer and director. She is the CEO and co-founder of production company Wayflair Studios, where she unmakes prejudice through entertainment. Cady was the writer/director of The Rainbow Passage – commissioned by Screen Australia and Network Ten and the award winning comedy horror short Mirror Spider. Selected into Cohort One for the Poplabs Social Impact incubator for next generation startups, Cady has produced & directed dozens of short films, music videos & TVCs. She is a freelance writer, contributing articles for newspapers like The Guardian and is currently in discussions for publication of her dark comedy memoir. Cady very much likes burritos and short walks to the fridge. She is openly transgender and documents her shenanigans on her popular LGTBQIA+ blog at www.iMissPockets.com

Queerstories an award-winning LGBTQI+ storytelling project directed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For more information, visit www.queerstories.com.au and follow 

Queerstories on Facebook.

The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia.

To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter

And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow Maeve Marsden on Twitter and Instagram.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nadine reflects on an epic love that lasted years but never quite happened.

Nadine Chemali is a writer, researcher and social worker. She is dedicated to creating and nurturing communities, facilitating discussions on identity, sexuality, displacement and representation, discourse she feels was missing from her own migrant upbringing in Australia. She has written for publications like SBS Voices, The Big Issue, The Guardian and has spoken at events like Melbourne Writers Festival and Brisbane Feminist Festival. 

Queerstories an award-winning LGBTQI+ storytelling project directed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For more information, visit www.queerstories.com.au and follow 

Queerstories on Facebook.

The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia.

To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter

And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow Maeve Marsden on Twitter and Instagram.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Samuel shares a countdown of the key moments from Australian 90s and 00s popculture wthat helped shape the person he would become.

Samuel Leighton-Dore is a multidisciplinary artist and writer based on the Gold Coast. With a keen interest in mental health and masculinity, Leighton-Dore writes for SBS Voices and produces work spanning ceramics, LED neon, illustration, animation and painting. His book of illustrations, How To Be A Big Strong Man, was released through Smith Street Books and Simon and Schuster in August 2019. His first solo exhibition, Fragile Masculinity, Handle With Care, formed part of the 2019 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival.

Queerstories an award-winning LGBTQI+ storytelling project directed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For more information, visit www.queerstories.com.au and follow 

Queerstories on Facebook.

The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia.

To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter

And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow Maeve Marsden on Twitter and Instagram.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes the inspiration to change your life can come from unlikely places. Sarah shares the story of meeting the person who inspired her to apply for MasterChef Australia.

Best known as one of MasterChef Australia’s favourite contestants from 2017 and 2020, Sarah Tiong’s passion for and love of sharing food is a joy to watch and be a part of. Sarah is the successful author of the sensational cookbook Sweet, Savory, Spicy and owner of pop-up market stall Pork Party. However, Sarah wasn’t always chasing her dreams in the hospitality industry. Growing up in a conservative, traditional Chinese-Malaysian family and carving out a career as a lawyer, Sarah found herself facing challenges and expectations to overcome in order to follow her passion and create her own path.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queerstories 2020 is a special series of the Queerstories podcast recorded during the lockdown months of 2020, featuring LGBTQI+ storytellers reflecting on the events of the year.

To conclude Queerstories 2020, this episode features stories about community, or rather, about the impact on so many of us when we lost access to community in 2020.

Miss Katalyna is a proud Samoan Fa’afafine/Transwoman. She is the host of Australia’s first LGBTQIA+ multicultural cooking show presented by Thorne Harbour Health, one of the three founders of Trans Pride March Melbourne, and a founding member of Trans Sisters United. She’s a member of Victoria’s first Pasifika LGBTQIA+ organisation, as well as being a Youtuber, music DJ and Remixer.

Alex Gallagher is a multi-disciplinary artist living and working on unceded Gadigal land. Their work has appeared in Overland, The Guardian, Vice, Junkee and Kill Your Darlings, among others. Their first book, 'Parenthetical Bodies', was released in 2017. They’re also a bassist and singer in queer punk band, Sports Bra.

Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, follow Queerstories on Facebook.

The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia.

To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter

And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queerstories 2020 is a special series of the Queerstories podcast recorded during the lockdown months of 2020, featuring LGBTQI+ storytellers reflecting on the events of the year.

This week’s episodes are about belonging, and on that feeling of home you get when you're with the people you love.

Valerie Berry is a Filipino Australian actor, performance maker, theatre educator and emerging director. She grew up in country South Australia, Ceduna, part of the traditional lands of the Wirangu people. She has worked presented work with Sydney Festival, Asia TOPA 2020, National Theatre of Parramatta, Polyglot Theatre, Blacktown Arts Centre, Theatre Kantanka, Urban Theatre Projects, Belvoir, Branch Nebula, Vitalstatistix, Performance Space, ActNow Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Performing Lines, State Theatre Company of South Australia and Bell Shakespeare. She is one of the mentors and facilitators for CuriousWorks Beyond Refuge emerging makers program.

Nevo Zisin is a queer, non-binary, Jewish writer, performer, activist and public speaker. They run workshops in schools and professional development trainings in workplaces around transgender identity & language. Author of award-winning Finding Nevo, a memoir on gender transition and a contributor to Kindred: A Queer Australian Young Adult Anthology, they are a mentor for The Pinnacle Foundation, one of Out for Australia's 30 Under 30 and a member of the Gender Euphoria cast - Australia's largest all trans & gender diverse show on a main stage.

Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, follow Queerstories on Facebook.

The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia.

To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter

And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queerstories 2020 is a special series of the Queerstories podcast recorded during the lockdown months of 2020, featuring LGBTQI+ storytellers reflecting on the events of the year.

Stories about the experiences queers have that can equip us to deal with the challenges thrown at us, our strength and resilience, how we navigate communication and manage our relationships in different ways.

Zoya Gill grew up in London but lived sitting across worlds. In a sentence, they’re a mixed-race, trans non-binary East African Indian, who spent chunks of their life in Kenya, and moved to Melbourne in their early 20s. A former high school teacher, they are now a public servant and a host of Tuesday Breakfast on 3CR Community Radio.

Mark du Potiers is a sculptor who is Meanjin / Brisbane born, raised, and based; he also happens to be an Australian with Hongkonger and Chinese heritage. Mark’s experiences and anxieties of being a person of colour feature in the outcomes of his practice, as well as explorations of the additional complexities from identifying as queer. He often uses his artwork as a conversation starter to speak about mental health challenges, as he is aware of how important visibility and diverse representation can be – both for himself and for others. Not satisfied with art’s lucrative dividends, Mark pays the bills through moonlighting in the world of public health.

Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, follow Queerstories on Facebook.

The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia.

To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter

And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queerstories 2020 is a special series of the Queerstories podcast recorded during the lockdown months of 2020, featuring LGBTQI+ storytellers reflecting on the events of the year.

In a year where it was often risky to simply go outside, Maeve and Trent reflect on risks they've taken in their own lives, with either positive or disastrous consequences.

Maeve Marsden is a writer, director, producer and performer who works across both main stage and fringe / independent venues and festivals. She is the curator of Queerstories, has toured critically acclaimed cabaret productions internationally, and in 2020 was a member of Belvoir Theatre's Phillip Parson's Early Career Playwright's Lab. A well respected cultural commentator and creative, she is regularly called upon to host and curate panels and events for festivals around the country, and as an opinion writer, essayist and critic, her work has been published widely. She likes dancing, gin, and TV melodramas with good ethics and bad dialogue.

Trent Wallace lives on Gadigal country and is a First Nations Advisor and Pro Bono Lawyer in a global law firm - the first and only Aboriginal person to hold this position. Prior to this, Trent was the first Aboriginal lawyer on the Disability Royal Commission and was with Australian Government Solicitor. In between these positions, he developed postgraduate course content that equips budding lawyers with the culturally safe and correct techniques required to work effectively with mob - another first. A serious Haigh's aficionado and pop culture quoter, he sums himself up as being a mostly sane left handed, chubby, queer, Aboriginal male who is addicted to firsts and beating the odds to pave the way for young mob coming through. 

Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, follow Queerstories on Facebook.

The Queerstories book is published by Hachette Australia, and can be purchased from your favourite independent bookseller or on Booktopia.

To support Queerstories, become a patron at www.patreon.com/ladysingsitbetter

And for gay stuff and insomnia rants follow me - Maeve Marsden - on Twitter and Instagram.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.