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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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...
Cecilia
Chang, K-Ming
Paper Book
An erotic, surreal novella from the author of Organ Meats and Bestiary. Seven, who works as a cleaner at a chiropractor's office, reencounters Cecilia, a woman who has obsessed her since their school days. As the two of them board the same bus--each dubiously...
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...
The Lgbtq+ History Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained
Dorling Kindersley Ltd.
Paper Book
Discover the rich and complex history of LGBTQ+ people around the world - their struggles, triumphs, and cultural contributions. Exploring and explaining the most important ideas and events in LGBTQ+ history and culture, this book showcases the breadth of the LGBTQ+ experience....
Perfume and Pain
Dorn, Anna.
Paper Book
"Perceptive and witty--like a Sally Rooney novel set in Southern California." --Star Tribune (Minneapolis) "It's this author's best work yet. A Sapphic roller-coaster ride." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) A controversial LA...
It gets better . . . except when it gets worse
Maines, Nicole
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER . The irreverent and candid coming-of-age memoir of Nicole Maines, trailblazing trans actress, activist-and sometimes someone who's just existing, which is actually pretty hard! Nicole Maines knows a little something about "happily ever after"-not just because...
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,...
Baby making for everybody : family building and fertility for LGBTQ+ and solo parents
Rachlin, Ray
Paper Book
This inclusive, straightforward guide to fertility is What to Expect Before You're Expecting for families outside the heterosexual nuclear family model--perfect for LGBTQ+ and solo parents who want to have kids but don't know where to start.     
Atmosphere : a love story
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
#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...
Ordinary love
Rutkoski, Marie
Paper Book
A page-turning, irresistible novel of class, ambition, and love, this is the breathtaking story of a woman risking everything for a second chance at the one who got away * "A brilliant examination of queerness, friendship, motherhood, longing and ambition. It's funny and moving and sexy. Above...
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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