A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Sex Party: Sex and Politics in Australia

— —

Robbie Swan Fiona Patten

A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Sex Party

Name: A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Sex Party
Price: 29.99 AUD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781921332968

Sex and Politics in Australia

Robbie Swan, Fiona Patten

$29.99

Paperback

In stock
Ready to ship

QTY:

English

WILKINSON BOOKS
25 June 2026

Politics & government; Industry & industrial studies; Australian Society

“I’ve had most of the 20 odd short stories inside me for years and every now and then they’d put pressure on my creative colon and beg to be released..” 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. Wry, candid and funny, this is a behind-the-scenes look at the remarkable profiles of people behind the intersection of sex, politics and power.

By: Robbie Swan
With: Fiona Patten
Imprint: WILKINSON BOOKS
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781921332968
ISBN 10: 1921332964
Pages: 160
Publication Date: 25 June 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Robbie Swan is a former national magazine editor turned political strategist and long-time advocate for free speech and civil liberties. He is the co-founder of the Australian Sex Party, leading national campaigns for Australia’s adult industry. He spent more than 25 years navigating the complex intersection of sex, politics and censorship. Robbie brings decades of frontline experience lobbying governments, shaping policy and challenging moral and political hypocrisy. Fiona Patten is a pioneering activist and former politcian who made history as the first former sex worker elected to public office. As co-founder of the Australian Sex Party, she served nearly a decade in the Victorian Parliament, driving progressive reforms across equality, health and civil liberties.