Queer Books

**Tickets (SOLD OUT):** [https://events.humanitix.com/queer-speed-fating-hail-lilith-ecl3gwzy](https://events.humanitix.com/queer-speed-fating-hail-lilith-ecl3gwzy) With dating apps and social media linked to stress, anxiety, poor body image, and low self-esteem, it's no wonder more and more people are looking to make connections in the real world - that's where we come in! This is a premium twist on our typical speed dating format, with a hint of the occult, and a delicious selection of canapes included with the price of your ticket. We are very excited to be collaborating with [Hail Lilith](https://www.instagram.com/haillilithbar/) for this one! We welcome queer folks of all genders to join us, and encourage you to come with an open mind - whether you meet new friends, or the love of your life, will be up to fate to decide. Attendance is strictly limited to 20 people, so if this sounds like your cup of tea, book in early to secure your place. The event will be organised by a mental health professional, and aims to provide a safe place for everyone; discrimination, harassment, abuse and consent violations will not be tolerated. **How It Works:** \- A list of prompt questions will be available to keep the conversation flowing \- A tarot card will be drawn for each dyad to interpet every time the tables change as a primary or secondary conversation starter \- An experienced hosts will provide structure\, and will be available for queries throughout the event \- Attendees are divided into two groups and cycle through 10 minute "fates" at random \- Some short breaks are provided in between batches of dates to give people the chance to mingle and reset \- We don't do scorecards; attendees are encouraged to create their own opportunities If you have any questions, please reach out!

Join us for the Twentieth Page! Theme: music This month we're reading books that are music-centric. Biographies by musicians are a great option, but it can be anything which has music as a central theme. Feel free to bring along any discussion questions you can think of or theme suggestions. Happy reading :) See you there!

**Discover the making of a beauty empire with our April book club pick** Our April book club explores the untold story behind Glossier, the millennial beauty brand that redefined the industry. Journalist Marisa Meltzer takes readers inside Emily Weiss's meteoric journey from beauty blogger to billion-dollar founder, revealing the ambition, innovation, and ultimately the cracks that emerged in building a cult brand. **About the book** In this book, Meltzer chronicles how Weiss transformed her blog Into The Gloss into Glossier, a beauty empire that championed "skin first, makeup second" and turned customers into devoted fans. Through extensive reporting and insider access, the book exposes the reality behind the Instagram-perfect facade—from the company's stratospheric growth to internal tensions, workplace culture challenges, and the pressures of venture capital expectations. **What you'll gain** * An inside look at how Weiss built a brand by listening to customers and leveraging social media in revolutionary ways * The untold story of what happens when a founder's vision collides with the demands of Silicon Valley investors and rapid scaling * Real insights into the beauty industry's transformation and the costs of building a "cool girl" empire in the age of Instagram Purchase links: [[Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier](https://www.booktopia.com.au/glossy-marisa-meltzer/book/9781668082898.html?source=pla&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22221396176&gbraid=0AAAAA-Ia9hNgr8wxVNHyuzEYFNw-qjB6I&gclid=CjwKCAiAkbbMBhB2EiwANbxtbXOIp2QmHzjR3na1WXdCaJ_jN3Yk5muqreQVq2lvjEyHTUCBb21fyhoCqz8QAvD_BwE)] **Please note that this is a paid event to help cover the cost of meetup fees. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Boss and being part of a community that uplifts and inspires!** **Refund Policy** Kindly note that refunds cannot be provided for cancellations made less than 48 hours before the event. If you’re unable to attend, please reach out to one of the hosts to discuss alternative arrangements.

**Tickets (SOLD OUT):** https://events.humanitix.com/sapphic-cocktail-party Thanks to our ongoing collaboration with [Hail Lilith](https://www.instagram.com/haillilithbar/), we're able to continue offering new experiences we think you'll love. This time we're doing something extra special for our sapphic friends. **This event is designed for women who love women.** Please join us for a classy evening of cocktails, delicious food, and feminine energy. Your ticket includes a cocktail on arrival, a shared grazing platter a little later in the afternoon, and your choice of a burger from a set menu around dinner time. Jenny, your host, will be there to greet you and make introductions throughout the night. This event does not follow our typical structured format and is more "free form", but still aims to provide an opportunity for strangers to connect and become friends... or even more if the vibes are right. LGBT+ Social Hub Melbourne aims to be a safe and inclusive space for everyone; bullying, harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated.

Jim Jarmusch‘s new film with Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling and Tom Waits. “Father Mother Sister Brother is consistently beautiful. It is not easy to create visual variety and interest in scenes in which by design the most important thing that is happening is that nothing is apparently happening.” Variety. “There’s something comforting about the fact that Jarmusch is still doing his thing, exactly how he wants to, and that so many great actors are lining up to be part of it. He’s a singular voice in a landscape that’s always in danger of flattening.” The Associated Press. We will meet at the Nova Bar from 3:30 p.m. onwards, please book your tickets early, Stefan - 0437777522

❤ **!!MAC LIBRARY MEETUP 12 MARCH 2026 !!** ❤ Tickets - $18 which cover the hosted session from 3pm until 8pm This is our TYPICAL library event if you have not yet experienced one with us before ^_^v \>\>\>\>Strictly no drop ins will be allowed<<<< \>\>\>\>Tickets sell quickly\! Please do not wait to RSVP<<<< Connect with us on Discord for quick responses as there can be a multi day lag via Meetup messages: JOIN MAC DISCORD: [https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F](https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F) ❤**ANIME:** TBA ❤**DATE:** 12 MARCH 2026, SUNDAY ❤**TIME:** Meet at 3:00PM for 3:30PM START \*arrivals after 4.30pm must be pre-organised ❤**START PLACE:** THEATER ROOM (AKA PERFORMANCE SPACE) Docklands Library Main Building Top floor (Library at The Dock) **THE PLAN:** Arrivals take place from 3:00pm for a 3:30pm start!! We encourage you to mingle before our announcements> ice breakers and games > watch party > raffles > close. We will then head to Melb Central for dinner and some quick games afterwards. We encourage our members to support anime artists and producers by purchasing their movies or any full series should they wish to watch the endings. **Some insight for newer members:** It's a natural process to feel a little anxious attending a large event you have never experienced before. During sign ins our hosting team will naturally be busy however our meet & greet volunteers will do their best to say 'Hello' to everyone and perhaps connect you to others. If for some reason this does not happen (because it's really busy), don't fret! Our ice breaker games are designed to help everyone bond over a shared experience. You should expect adults having fun and letting lose whilst being challenged to push some comfort zones which we invite you to do as well! The games are suppose to be silly to help people come out of comfort zones and get to know someone new. We will then take a break to watch anime and we really do encourage you to stay for games after dinner which is when our team gets a breather and a good chance to get to know our newer members better in a quieter setting! We have witnessed many wonderful long term friendships formed at MAC amongst our members - We do hope you join us! **THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS** A big thank you to everyone who RSVPs - This money helps with the club's upkeep and hiring of the venue! We are completely NOT-FOR-PROFIT and we sincerely appreciate your contributions!! Raffle tickets will be available on the day to further support our MAC community!! ❤\*\*::MELBOURNE ANIME COMMUNITY ONLINE::\*\*❤ You can also join our online MAC Discord Server via the following link to discuss this event and have any of your questions answered. JOIN MAC DISCORD: [https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F](https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F) *Please follow the prompts and provide your FIRST NAME in our #introduce-yourself channel. Providing your real first name helps you build happy healthy long term friendships especially when meeting in person. If you are not able to provide this please kindly provide reasons to @superbec who can help assist.* **IMPORTANT TO KNOW** ❤Everyone is welcomed to MAC events. We ask that all attendees be polite, respectful, and kind to one another. We pride on genuine SAFE SPACE for any one and every one. Our community does not tolerate bad behavior and we are committed to stamping out bullying! If you see bad behavior disguised as "jokes" please call it out or contact the community leaders so we can address this and keep the community a safe space. For more information please see our POLICY on our Discord. JOIN MAC DISCORD: [https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F](https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F) ❤By RSVPing to our events, you automatically agree to our policy and your pictures taken at our events for promotional purposes. If this does not suit you, please let us know during sign in. ❤Our events have a strict 'Respectful Attendance' policy. This means our community will not tolerate drop ins or creation of concurrent events with MAC members during a live MAC event. This is in line with our creating-community values. ❤MAC is committed to being an inclusive space. Where a carer is required, a carer must attend and have a purchased ticket. This is to ensure that all individual needs of a participant can be met during an event. None of the organisers of the event are trained to provide special assistance. ❤\*Release and Indemnity. Please read carefully. This section contains a surrender of certain legal rights. Upon RSVPing to all MAC events, you hereby acknowledge and assume all of the risks in participating in the event and agree to release, waive indemnity, and not to sue Melbourne Anime Community along with any applicable organisers, hosts, and related personnel/venue spaces, and volunteers. This is respect to any and all claims, liabilities, suits or expenses including attorney's fees and costs for any injury, damage, death, lost, stolen, or disposed property or any loss connected to participation of the activity that you may have suffered. Help us improve our community by providing negative or positive feedback!

Ladies! This time for our April monthly brunch we are chatting on the topic of **self image**. Let’s dress up a little in smart casual, meet like-minded ladies and get past the surface level in to the deep stuff, making some great friendships whilst we are at it. Our monthly brunches are typically aimed at woman wanting to forge deeper connections, and chat on topics such as mindset, wellbeing, personal growth and financial well-being. These events are open to all ages and life stages however will predominantly attract younger woman or young spirited people - if you will connect with this please come along and if you're not sure just reach out :). Regular attendees and new ladies are welcome! **Please only confirm if you are definitely attending to manage the numbers with venue and ensure others don't miss out.** PAYMENT: We have 20 spots open for this event and the venue requires a $20 minimum spend from everyone. Please do not attend if you are not planning to buy $20 worth from the venue.

Hey! We'll be checking out the classic film-noir double, 'The Big Sleep' and 'The Maltese Falcon', at Astor Theatre! ❤️ We'll meet at the couches opposite the candy bar at Astor on Sunday the 12/4, at 7:25pm. The film double will start at 7:30pm. (Look out for the guy with the Mohawk-y haircut!) Please see Astor's website for ticket purchasing info. See link below: https://www.astortheatre.net.au/sessions/2026-04-12-000-3 Get ready for the mystery double. See you then! 🎥 🥸

Join us for our April Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *[Stop Me if You've Heard This One](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/stopmeifyouveheardthisone)* by [Kristen Arnett](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/about) in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

Join us for our May Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *[Cantoras](https://caroderobertis.com/books/cantoras/)*[ ](https://caroderobertis.com/books/cantoras/)by [Caro de Robertis](https://caroderobertis.com/bio/) in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

**Our April novel is: *The Hong Kong Widow* by Kristen Loesch** **This month’s novel blends gothic atmosphere with historical fiction and chilling horror, set against the haunting backdrop of China. The book is 368 pages in print and 10 hours and 42 minutes on audiobook.** In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse. Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life. It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge. Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .

* Second ever book club! April meet up. All are welcome. * The book will be Play Nice by Rachel Harrison (determined by votes from March Book Club. Let me know if you’d like a free digital copy of the book) * This event will be at the main library, meeting room 1B, the location will not be changed for this event due to the number of people attending, we will just add more chairs if needed! * Feel free to come whether or not you’ve started or finished the book ◡̈ * Small snacks will be provided. You’re welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! Starting in June I will try to keep future book clubs at the Dublin Library. Now that I understand their reservation system, I will be on top of it with booking that location as soon as the date is released for the month. Thanks for your understanding with the varying locations in the meantime.

Welcome, readers! Our April read is **_Martyr!_ by Kaveh Akbar.** The story follows a young Iranian American poet grappling with grief, addiction, and the aching question of what makes a life meaningful. Drawn into an unexpected friendship with a terminally ill artist, he begins to confront faith, love, and the seduction of self-destruction. Lyrical, darkly funny, and emotionally piercing, the novel wrestles with beauty and despair in equal measure. It’s a story about longing—to be seen, to be forgiven, and to matter. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖