Benjamin Law (writer)

Benjamin Law (born c.1982) is an Australian author and journalist. He is best known for his books The Family Law, a family memoir published in 2010, and the TV series of the same name. He hosts the radio programme and podcast Stop Everything! for ABC Radio National.

Benjamin Law
BornNambour, Queensland, Australia
OccupationAuthor, journalist
NationalityAustralian
Period2000s–present
Notable worksThe Family Law, Gaysia
RelativesMichelle Law (sister)
Website
benjamin-law.com

Early life and education

Born in around 1982[1] Nambour, Queensland,[2] to immigrant parents from Hong Kong and Malaysia,[3] He was educated at Immanuel Lutheran College on the Sunshine Coast. He has a PhD in creative writing and cultural studies from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Career

The Family Law is a family memoir published in 2010. It was a shortlisted nominee for Book of the Year at the 2011 Australian Book Industry Awards,[1] and was adapted by Matchbox Pictures into a six-part television series for the SBS network in 2016, which Law created and co-wrote with Marieke Hardy (Series 1) and Kirsty Fisher and Lawrence Leung (Series 2).[4] It won the Screen Producers Awards for Best Comedy (2016)[5] and was nominated for two AACTA Awards.[6] In 2012 Law published Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East, a journalistic exploration of LGBT life in Asia.[7] At the 2012 Sydney Writers' Festival,[8] he presented on the topic of bullying, for a panel with Wendy Harmer and Paul Capsis.

In November 2015, he advocated for gay people in a public discussion hosted by Mildura Pride (a Mildura Rural City Council Initiative). The social inclusion initiative focused on making Mildura more welcoming for LGBTIQ communities.[9]

In April 2018, Law became an ambassador for the National Library of Australia.[10]

As a journalist, he has contributed to publications including Frankie, The Australian Financial Review, The Saturday Paper,[11] The Monthly (including a 2014 supplement on the Museum of Old and New Art), The Courier-Mail and its Qweekend supplement, Griffith Review, New Matilda,[12] Fairfax Media's Good Weekend magazine, The Big Issue and Crikey.[1]

Other roles

Law is founder member of the Australian Writers' Guild's Diversity and Inclusion Action Committee, along with Kodie Bedford and others.[13]

Bibliography

Books
  • The Family Law (2010, ISBN 9781863954785)
  • Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East (2012, ISBN 9781863955768)

Co-authored
  • Sh*t Asian mothers say, Collingwood, Vic. : Black Inc. (2014, ISBN 9781863956635) – with sister Michelle Law[14]
  • Law School : sex and relationship advice from Benjamin Law and his mum Jenny Phang, Melbourne, Vic. Brow Books (2017, ISBN 9780994606853)

Contributed chapters
  • "Tourism", pp. 147–152, and "Towards manhood", pp. 195–203, in: Growing up Asian in Australia, Melbourne, Black Inc. (2008, ISBN 9781863951913)
  • In: Voracious: best new Australian food writing, edited by Paul McNally, Prahran, Vic. : Hardie Grant Books (2011, ISBN 9781742701202)
  • In: I'm not racist but ... forty years of the Racial Discrimination Act, by Tim Soutphommasane, Sydney, N.S.W. NewSouth Publishing (2015, ISBN 9781742242057)
  • In: The book that made me, edited by Judith Ridge, Newtown, NSW Walker Books Australia (2016, ISBN 9781922244888)
  • "Beijing", pp. [43]-49, in: Best Australian comedy writing, edited by Luke Ryan, Affirm Press, South Melbourne, Victoria (2016, ISBN 9781925475265)

Introductions
  • In: Me and Mr Booker, by Cory Taylor, Melbourne, Victoria : The Text Publishing Company (2017, ISBN 9781925498271)

Essays and reporting

Interviews

As editor
  • Growing Up Queer in Australia (2019, ISBN 9781760640866)

Filmography

Law's work includes:[15] He is openly gay.[16][17]

As writer
Year Title Notes
2016-19The Family LawCreator/script writer (based on his memoir)
2017SistersEpisode 3
2021New Gold Mountain
2023Wellmania

As actor
Year Title Role Notes
2018Freudian SlipJacob's IdWeb Series[18]

Other work
Year Title Role Notes
2016Deep Water: The Real StoryResearcher/associate producerDocumentary film
2018Filthy Rich and HomelessHimself/participantDocuseries
2018–presentThat Startup Show[19]Co-HostWeb series
2019Waltzing the DragonPresenterTwo-part documentary
2023Australian SurvivorContestant11 episodes; 14th place

Theatre
Year Title Role Notes
2018NassimPerformer (24 Jan performance[20]
2020Double DeliciousPerformerFor Sydney Festival[21]
2020Torch the PlaceWriterFor Melbourne Theatre Company[22]

Radio
Year Title Role Notes
2019–presentStop Everything![23]HostPodcast for ABC Radio National
2019Look at me[24]HostPodcast for The Guardian

References
  1. "Law unto himself: The Family Law author Benjamin Law". Meld, 27 March 2012.
  2. Law, Benjamin (11 September 2014). "Benjamin Law". Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  3. "Jenny Phang". The Wheeler Centre. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  4. "Benjamin Law Comedy in Production at Matchbox Pictures". Pedestrian Daily, 16 October 2013.
  5. "Screen Producers Awards 2016: Winners | TV Tonight".
  6. "AFI | AACTA | the Awards | Television Awards". Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  7. Robert Dessaix, "Queer and Loathing". The Monthly, September 2012.
  8. Harmer, Wendy & Law, Benjamin & Capsis, Paul (2012), Bully for you, ABC1, Sydney, N.S.W.
  9. "Benjamin Law visits Mildura to challenge homophobia". ABC News. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  10. Doherty, Megan (6 April 2018). "Kaz Cooke, Benjamin Law among National Library's 50th anniversary ambassadors". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  11. "Benjamin Law" The Saturday Paper, 20 December 2014
  12. "Benjamin Law Talks Dysfunctional Families and Anthropomorphic Genitals". 7 June 2010.
  13. Groves, Don (15 May 2019). "Kodie Bedford takes the 'Mystery Road' to success". IF Magazine. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  14. "Michelle Law". AustLit. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  15. http://benjamin-law.com/
  16. "Over the rainbow". The Hindu, 20 December 2013.
  17. "Gay, lesbian or queer writing". The Book Show, 7 February 2011.
  18. "Freudian slip web series premiere".
  19. That Startup Show
  20. "Nassim | Theatre in Melbourne". 5 December 2017.
  21. "Double Delicious review | Theatre in Sydney". 9 January 2020.
  22. "Benjamin Law's First Play is a Painful Family Drama That Twists into an Irresistible Comedy".
  23. "Stop Everything". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 June 2023.
  24. /
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