1995 novel by Christos Tsiolkas
Loaded is the first novel by Australian writer Christos Tsiolkas.[1] It was first published in 1995,[2] and was adapted into the 1998 film Head On.
Plot
The novel describes twenty-four hours in the life of Ari, an angst-ridden, young, gay Greek Australian.[1] Ari travels across the city of Melbourne, Australia, taking speed, cocaine and marijuana whenever presented to him.[3] He is uncomfortable with his homosexuality; he favours hook-ups with anonymous, masculine suitors who debase or demean their own homosexuality; and he is regularly at odds with friends as well as family.
Publication
When Tsiolkas submitted the manuscript of Loaded to an independent publisher, it was rejected as "racist and homophobic".[4]
Adaptations
Loaded was adapted as an audio play by the Malthouse Theatre company in 2020.[5] A stage adaptation of the novel premiered on 5 May 2023 at the Malthouse Theatre.
[6]
References