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A gritty and heartfelt gay coming-of-age story set in the world of FIFO workers and tradies in Western Australia, from the author of the bestselling Invisible Boys.
Giacomo Brolo, aka Jack, is a mess. He works piecemeal construction gigs in remote WA, drinks himself to oblivion and is estranged from his family and friends. He's consumed by a self-loathing all too common for closeted men who have grown up in a world of hate and shame.
But then Jack returns to his regional hometown of Geraldton for a family wedding. He hasn't been back since he fled at the age of eighteen, and his past soon catches up with him.
Turns out Jack's deeply conservative Italian family would prefer he remained in the closet. Then he finds out he may have conceived a son with his teenage girlfriend, and now Jack needs to convince her and her new husband that he's fit to be a father figure. And whatever happened to Xavier, the former schoolmate who Jack was in love with and whose rejection spurred him to leave Geraldton in the first place?
Is Jack doomed to live a dead-end life – or can he open himself up to the possibility of love, found family and connection?
Author Holden Sheppard will be in conversation with Mark Smith.
About the author:
Holden Sheppard is a West Australian author whose debut novel Invisible Boys won multiple awards, including the 2019 WA Premier’s Prize for an Emerging Writer. Invisible Boys has now been adapted as a ten-episode television series with Stan Australia which premiered in 2025. Holden’s second book The Brink won several accolades, including the 2024 Ena Noël Award. King of Dirt is Holden's first adult fiction book.
This is a free event but bookings are required.
Book sales and author signings will be offered at this event.
If you require any assistance with attending this event, please notify us of your access requirements via events@grlc.vic.gov.au or 4201 0600 at least two weeks prior to the event date.
| Mon, May 12 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
| Tue, May 13 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
| Wed, May 14 | 9:00AM to 8:00PM |
| Thu, May 15 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
| Fri, May 16 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
| Sat, May 17 | 10:00AM to 5:00PM |
| Sun, May 18 | 10:00AM to 5:00PM |
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