Robbie Swan and Fiona Patten in conversation
We are delighted to have MP Fiona Patten chat with Robbie Swan about his book, 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sex Party'.
After decades spent on the fringes of politics, publishing and Australia’s sex industry, Robbie Swan finally tells the stories he could never quite leave behind.
Part memoir and part social history 'A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Sex Party' is a collection of short stories drawing on Swan's 25 years as a magazine editor and parliamentary lobbyist for the adult industry, a world where censorship battles, moral crusades, unlikely friendships and political absurdities collide daily. In the book, he reveals the human side of an often-misunderstood industry: the humour, the resilience and the strange, sometimes surreal encounters that shaped a generation of activists and outsiders. Spanning half a century and bookended by the creation of the Australian Sex Party with his partner, trailblazing MP Fiona Patten these stories chart how a life spent challenging taboos and fighting hypocrisy ultimately helped reshape public debate and law reform.
Free, but bookings are essential.
After decades spent on the fringes of politics, publishing and Australia’s sex industry, Robbie Swan finally tells the stories he could never quite leave behind.
Part memoir and part social history 'A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Sex Party' is a collection of short stories drawing on Swan's 25 years as a magazine editor and parliamentary lobbyist for the adult industry, a world where censorship battles, moral crusades, unlikely friendships and political absurdities collide daily. In the book, he reveals the human side of an often-misunderstood industry: the humour, the resilience and the strange, sometimes surreal encounters that shaped a generation of activists and outsiders. Spanning half a century and bookended by the creation of the Australian Sex Party with his partner, trailblazing MP Fiona Patten these stories chart how a life spent challenging taboos and fighting hypocrisy ultimately helped reshape public debate and law reform.
Free, but bookings are essential.
Monday 10 August 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (UTC+10)
Location
Readings Carlton
309 Lygon Street, Carlton Victoria 3053
Contact Details
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Robbie Swan and Fiona Patten in conversation
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