The arrival of publishing company banQuetpress heralded a new era in queer writing in Australia. Rachel Cook spoke to co-founder Laura Dettori about their latest anthology and what makes banQuetpress tick.

Electro-goth duo, Light Asylum, are getting a lot of attention these days. Their music is reminiscent of 80s bands such as Cabaret Voltaire and Depeche Mode, and singer, Shannon Funchess, can be as scary as Siouxsie and as commanding as Grace Jones. Ahead of their Australian tour, Rachel Cook had a conversation with the rather dynamic (and not so scary) Funchess.

The Brisbane Queer Film Festival is in its 13th year and it can lay claim to being one of the most successful queer film festivals in Australia, and one of the most prominent festivals in Brisbane. This year’s program is one of the most diverse and interesting to date. Rachel Cook spoke to festival director Sarah Neal.

OK, so it’s taken a while for Sal Kimber and the Rollin’ Wheel to release an album, but the fans and critics have agreed, and as they say, it was worth the wait. Kimber and her band members Beth (Buffy) Kimber, Jacob Cole, Cat Leahy and Trent McKenzie are some of the finest homegrown musicians in the country and they’re about to hit Victoria’s annual queer country festival, ChillOut. Rachel Cook spoke to Sal Kimber about growing up in a creative family and her love of alt-country music.

A film about three lesbian space aliens sent to earth to be de-gayed? Rachel Cook meets a filmmaker who dares to go where few have been before.

JD Samson may have once been best known for being part of seminal riot grrrl band Le Tigre, but these days Samson stands alone as a much sought after DJ and also for her new musical project, MEN. About to hit our shores yet again, the eternal collaborator, artist, musician and DJ, spoke to Rachel Cook about MEN, feminism and why Australia is her ‘second home’.

Hitting our screens early next year is the new web series, Newtown Girls. The story follows a group of friends as they negotiate life and love in the suburb of Newtown, Sydney. Rachel Cook spoke to writer/producer Natalie Krikowa about this highly anticipated project.

And they said it wouldn’t last! A few years ago, when I took over as CHERRIE editor, an acquaintance said, “Good luck, but I give you six months, there’s just no room for another lesbian magazine.” Well, 50 issues later it appears there is, and of course there’s more than enough room.

What is it that gives some people the ability to not only bounce back from significant tragedy, but to thrive? Born in the Philippines into extreme poverty, rapper Sammy G suffered the loss of her parents at a young age, followed by her sister's suicide. Then, while living in a refuge in Camperdown, Sydney, she discovered rap and writing and now stands on the brink of something big. Rachel Cook spoke to Sammy G about her life, her new EP and what's next.