Samesame But Different literary festival is the only annual celebration of LGBTQI writing talent in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Programme director Sam Orchard says it is about celebrating rainbow communities and offering a space for writers to explore how much of themselves they share in their work.
It is Orchard’s first year in the position, founder and previous director Peter Wells died just after last year’s festival.
“When I was thinking about putting together this programme, [I’m] wanting to really honour the huge amount of work that Peter’s put into this festival and to reflect back some of the characteristics and things that he’s brought to literature.”
Sam Orchard Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
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This year’s festival focuses on people who are pushing boundaries and exploring new territory - just as Peter did, Orchard says.
“I think that he really valued community and he really wanted a space where we could come together to explore and to celebrate the amazing things that rainbow communities do and produce.
“Rainbowness and queerness and transness is something that’s really special and something that should be celebrated. I think Peter saw that and really found ways to capture that magic.”
While it may be Orchard’s first time in the director’s seat, he has been on the Board and participated as a guest speaker in previous years.
“When Peter asked me to be part of it as a guest, it was such an amazing thing, I’m a young comic artist and that’s kind of outside [of]…high art and literature.
“I like that comics is a little outside of that, not taken seriously - it’s a little bit queer.”
Among the guests at this years’ festival are Michael Earp and Kelly Gardiner from Australia who focus on young adult fiction. It’s the first time the festival’s had a panel that focuses on children’s books and young adult fiction.
“I think that talking about sexuality and gender with young people is really, really important in order for young people to find their identity and see themselves reflected and seen.”
Orchard wants to see stories for young people that celebrate their identities.
“When I was growing up I really struggled to find stories that were about queer young people and usually they were very focused on straight-forward coming out narratives that have a lot of pain…”
The festival is about coming together and sharing stories, sexuality and/or gender is part of that process, he says.
Orchard primarily writes for a rainbow audience in own work, writing for a younger version of himself.
The rainbow community is full of life, he says.
“I think the rainbow community has a lot of trauma, we still live in a world where there’s a lot of homophobia and transphobia that we’re facing and we’re also a community that has a lot of creativity, joy and excitement and beautifulness.”
Samesame But Different runs from 12-15 February in Auckland.