Author Talk with Holden Sheppard
Join award-winning author Holden Sheppard in this special Q&A event with fellow author Kate Emery.
About King of Dirt
A gritty and heartfelt gay coming-of-age story 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.
But then Jack returns to his 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?
About Holden Sheppard
Holden's debut novel Invisible Boys achieved both commercial and critical success, winning many accolades including the WA Premier's Prize for an Emerging Writer. Invisible Boys has now been adapted for television as a ten-episode Stan Original Series, which premiered in February 2025 and became the #1 TV show nationally on Stan Australia upon release. Holden’s second book The Brink won several accolades, including the 2024 Ena Noël Award.
Holden lives in Perth's far north with his husband and his V8 ute.
About Kate Emery
Kate Emery is an author and journalist based in Perth. Her most recent book, a young adult murder mystery novel, My Family and Other Suspects, was named a Children’s Book Council of Australia notable book, shortlisted for an Australian Book Industry Award and won the young adult category at the 2025 Indie Book Awards.
Additional information
Getting to the event:
Subiaco Library has limited parking bays available at the rear of the building including two accessible parking bays. For more information on getting around Subiaco visit the city’s website.
Access and inclusion:
Subiaco Library is wheelchair accessible . For additional information please contact Subiaco Library on 9237 9300.
Ticket information:
You are not required to bring a ticket with you. Names will be checked at the door. Please note that space is limited and registration is essential. Please only register if you will definitely be attending.
More information:
For more events and programs at Subiaco Library visit the City of Subiaco events calendar, follow the Subiaco Library on Facebook or join the Cultural Services e-newsletter database by emailing library@subiaco.wa.gov.au.