The Melbourne Athenaeum Library will be closed on Tuesday November 4 for the public holiday.
The library will be open regular hours on Monday November 2 and Wednesday November 5.
Members are invited to the launch of 'Kingdom of Men' by Lea Weaver and Alayna Cole, a book that tells the story of Zoe, who has always believed that when something frightens her it is worth pursuing.
When a client offers Zoe a job teaching Shiatsu at a high-security men’s prison, she says yes. Each week, Zoe enters a classroom alone with a group of men she has been warned to fear. She connects with her students, bends the rules, and gradually finds herself more at ease with the prisoners than with the guards, her clients, and even her friends. What begins as an unlikely job evolves into a deeply human story of love, grief, and defiance. In this place known for violence and fear, the men offer Zoe something she has rarely known: respect.
Author Lea Weaver has done many things in her life, including teaching weaving at the Rudolf Steiner Curative Home, completing her Bachelor of Education in Arts and Crafts from Melbourne University in 1992, being an artist-in-residence at various primary schools, and teaching Shiatsu at the Port Phillip high security men's prison. She recently spent two years as a co-presenter and interviewer for the JOY 94.9fm writers’ program 'Take Me to Your Reader'.
Author Alayna Cole has spent the last decade working in and around the games industry. She’s been a producer in various studios, run a not-for-profit, mentored emerging developers, and taught game studies at several Australian universities. She has published short stories, a memoir, textbooks, and journal articles. Her most recent book, 'Becoming Wild: Essays on Self and Society', is a creative memoir about what it means to be ourselves.
Thursday 3 December 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7pm start.
This event is free for members and non-members.
Bookings can be made through Trybooking using this link
