Fiona & Robbie will discuss their new book, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE SEX PARTY, a sharp, darkly funny insider account of the sex industry’s collision with politics, censorship and everyday Australian life by Robbie Swan and his partner – trailblazing
Victorian MP Fiona Patten.

The book includes a prologue by one of Australia’s most popular satirists and social commentators, Phillip Adams. It combines memoir, investigative journalism and social history. It comprises over 20 short stories gathered over two decades on the front lines of Australia’s sex law reform lobby. Like an onion, each one peels back layers of ethical, legal and cultural baggage that attaches to the modern sex industry using humour and satire to leverage the issues.

The book offers behind-the-scenes access to political campaigns, parliamentary battles and media controversies; explores big themes: free speech, morality, censorship, power and personal freedom while balancing satire and seriousness.

Features real-life scandals, threats, break-ins and high-stakes legislative fights that ties into the rise of the Sex Party and the election of Fiona Patten, one of Australia’s most influential independent MPs.

Fiona Patten is a pioneering activist and former politian who made history as the first former sex worker elected to public office, anywhere in the world. As co-founder of the Australian Sex Party, she served nearly a decade in the Victorian Parliament, driving dozens of progressive reforms across equality, health and civil liberties portfolios. Broadcaster John Faine called her the most influential independent MP ever in the Victorian Parliament.

Robbie Swan is a former national magazine editor, including Matilda, Simply Living, the Canberra Raiders magazine and Ecstasy. He has been a political strategist and long-time advocate for free speech and civil liberties. He is the co-founder of the Australian Sex Party, with Fiona and he lead many national campaigns for Australia’s adult industry. He has 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.

Date: August 4,2026
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Kelvin Club Downstairs Bar

BOOK HERE