The 2021 samesame but different festival is a time for us to shake off the upheaval of 2020. We invite you to our queer literary home, to sit back and be entertained by some of the best LGBTQI voices today and to celebrate our community’s literary achievements. This year it is no surprise that we are reflecting on the idea of home, as it has been particularly important to us over the past year.

This year’s programme features many stories from home. We explore the notion of home in our opening gala, what it means for our LGBTQI communities and how it shapes us. Our panel ‘Queer Bodies’ applies the concept of home to our most intimate residence – our bodies; while our ‘Far from Home’ session features writers exploring concepts of identity when you are far from your homeland.

This is a year of firsts for us. We have a new residence: thanks to Proud Centres, we will be based in the Ellen Melville Centre. Also our festival now covers five days instead of the customary two. Most importantly, all our events this year are FREE.

For the first time, this year we are featuring an honoured writer posthumously. Ngaio Marsh has long been regarded as a ‘Crime Queen’, but her life was shrouded in mystery. Her award-winning biographer, Joanne Drayton, explores her life, her secrets and her impact on rainbow communities.

As ever, we are incredibly grateful for the generous support of our sponsors, especially Creative New Zealand, Foundation North and The Rule Foundation, as well as our wonderful patrons. Their contributions mean that we can all enjoy and celebrate the inspiring creativity within our LGBTQI communities.

Sam Orchard

Director