I could not do this on my own. Thank you Lynndy Bennett, Kate Constable, Susannah Chambers, Pamela Freeman, Simmone Howell, Judith Ridge, Penni Russon and Ron Serdiuk for all your help and suggestions.
This list is definitely not complete and is not annotated. It’s just a start. If you can think of any more titles, please let me know! And if you’ve read any of the books on the list and can say a bit more about them that’d be great too.
Lili Wilkinson has said that the Centre for Youth Literature will give the list a permanent home.
So here it is:
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Novels
Will by Maria Boyd 2006
Settling Storms by Charlotte Calder 2000
The Rage of Sheep by Michelle Cooper 2007 (It will be released in August—so soon that I figured no need to stick it in the forthcoming list.)
The Tiger Project by Susanna van Essen 2003
A Trick of the Light by Susanna van Essen 2004 (Lili Wilkinson says “two dads”.)
The Other Madonna by Scot Gardner 2003
White Ute Dreaming by Scot Gardner 2002
Square Pegs by Nette Hilton 1991
Out of the Shadows by Sue Hines 1998 (Lynndy Bennett says, “From memory—it’s years since I read this—it is not the teenage characters but some of the parents who are gay or lesbian.” Update: I’ve now heard from a few people that there are gay teenagers as well.)
A Charm of Powerful Trouble by Joanne Horniman 2002
Obsession by Julia Lawrinson 2001
Suburban Freak Show by Julia Lawrinson 2006
Tumble Turn by Doug Macleod 2003 (Lynndy says “there is the assumption the protagonist is gay”.)
Hot Hits: The Remix by Bernie Monagle 2003
Thriller and Me by Merrilee Moss 1994 (Lynndy says, “From memory—it’s years since I read the book–it is not the teenage characters but some of the parents who are gay or lesbian.)
Mr Enigmatic by Jenny Pausacker 1995
What are ya? by Jenny Pausacker 1987
Sky Legs by Irini Savvides 2003
A Candle for St Antony by Eleanor Spence 1977 (Penni Russon says “a friend said it was a memorable book about an intimate relationship between two boys, though I think the homosexuality is very understated. It’s more about love than sex, I think the boys actually tell each other that they love each other and then kind of have to deal with the intensity of their emotions in the face of their peer groups.”)
Peter by Kate Walker 1991
Camphor Laurel by Sarah Walker 1999
The Year of Freaking Out 1997 by Sarah Walker
Loose Lips by Chris Wheat 1998
Forthcoming novels
Truly Mackenzie by Kate Constable 2008
Collections
Clouded Edges by Nette Hilton 1997
Anthologies
Ready or Not: Stories of YA Sexuality edited by Mark MacLeod 1996
Hide and Seek edited by Jenny Pausacker 1996
Memoir
Holding the Man by Tim Conigrave 1995 (Penni Russon says “it wasn’t published as YA, it’s also not strictly fiction I think. But it is about two young men (a lot of it is about the relationship they have at school) and it’s such a beautiful beautiful weepy wonderful book.”)
Inside Out: Australian Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered People Write About Their Lives edited by Erin Shale 1999