Midsumma Festival

Midsumma Festival is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ arts and cultures held annually for 22 days over January and February in Melbourne, bringing together a diverse mix of LGBTQIA+ artists, performers, communities and audiences.

Discover some LGBTQIA+ reading recommendations below.

Updated January 4, 2026
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Wyndham Library
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Who's afraid of gender?
Butler, Judith
Paper Book
National Bestseller. Named a Best Book of 2024 by NPR, Harper's Bazaar, W, and Esquire. "A profoundly urgent intervention." --Naomi Klein "A timely must-read for anyone actively invested in reimagining collective futurity." --Claudia...
The secret lives of country gentlemen
Charles, KJ
Paper Book
Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and well-used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels-until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London...
Rainbow rainbow : stories
Conklin, Lydia
Paper Book
Longlisted for The Story Prize & the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection A fearless collection of stories that celebrate the humor, darkness, and depth of emotion of the queer and trans experience that's not typically represented: liminal or uncertain...
Skin And Its Girl
Cypher, Sarah.
Paper Book
A young, queer Palestinian American woman pieces together her great-aunt's secrets in this "enchanting, memorable" (Bustle) debut, confronting questions of sexual identity, exile, and lineage.   "As beautifully detailed as a piece of Palestinian embroidery, this...
Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir
H., Lamya.
Paper Book
A queer hijabi Muslim immigrant survives her coming-of-age by drawing strength and hope from stories in the Quran in this "raw and relatable memoir that challenges societal norms and expectations" (Linah Mohammad, NPR). "A masterful, must-read contribution to conversations on...
All this could be different
Mathews, Sarah Thankam
Paper Book
2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST ONE OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES' TOP 5 FICTION BOOKS OF THE YEAR ONE OF TIME AND SLATE'S TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR Named one of the BEST BOOKS OF 2022 by NPR, Vogue, Vulture,...
Atmosphere : a love story
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * From the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go...
City of Laughter
Verbitsky, Misha
Paper Book
A rich and riveting debut spanning four generations of Eastern European Jewish women bound by blood, half-hidden secrets, and the fantastical visitation of a shapeshifting stranger over the course of 100 years An ambitious, delirious novel that tangles with queerness, spirituality,...

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