Opening Night Gala Campfire Stories

The 2024 Samesame But Different festival weekend opens with a Friday night gala, MC'd by George Fowler.

The gala will kick off with the announcement of the winners of the Peter Wells Short Fiction Contest. For the 2024 competition, we've asked ​writers to create their own campfire story: "one that excites, mystifies, frightens, inspires: makes us laugh, swoon, rage". The 2024 contest is organised by Michael Giacon and judged by Bad Apple editor Damien Levi and Parallel bookstore co-founder Luna Lee.

Next, a lineup of LGBTQIA+ authors from across Aotearoa will take the stage to read new work they’ve written, again drawing on the prompt of ‘Campfire Stories'. We'll hear new work from Sascha Stronach, Keagan Carr Fransch, Gina Cole, Samuel Te Kani and Anthony Lapwood.

Free to attend, no reservation required.

This event is part of the 2024 Auckland Pride Festival.