Law to edit ‘Growing Up Queer in Australia’ anthology

26 June 2018 Books+Publishing

Black Inc. has announced it will publish a new anthology in 2019, Growing Up Queer in Australia, which will be edited by Benjamin Law.

The anthology, which will be aimed at both general readers and high-school students, is the newest addition to a series of life writing that includes the forthcoming Growing Up African in Australia, edited by Maxine Beneba Clarke, and the recently published Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, edited by Anita Heiss.

Black Inc. is currently seeking first-person submissions that ‘deal with any aspect of growing up as a member of the queer (LGBTIQ) community’. ‘What we hope to receive is honest, original and personal nonfiction from people of all ages and backgrounds. We are particularly interested in pieces that defy, question or shed light on the stereotypes that currently exist about our vibrant extended community,’ said the publisher in a statement.

Law said: ‘Our stories encompass so many experiences, and this anthology will only be successful if readers come out of it realising that as much as we have shared history and humanity, there’s no such thing as a definable queer experience in Australia.’

‘I’m looking for stories that speak across generations, from queer elders and ’78-ers to Gen Z-ers currently at school,’ added Law. ‘I want to read stories from people who didn’t come out of the closet until later in life and people who never had to come out, period. I’d especially love to hear from queer Australians who are disabled, Indigenous, non-Anglo and from migrant or refugee backgrounds.’

The new anthology was announced during a live podcast recording on 25 June, as part of ‘The Garret LIVE at the Library’ series.

Submissions of between 1000 and 4000 words will be accepted until 3 September 2018. For more information, click here.

Category: Local news