Penthouse Letters: Smut. Photo: Canberra Writers Festival.
Before the Cosmopolitan sealed section and before Dolly Doctor there were the Penthouse letters: naughty notes sent in by readers to Australia’s most popular men’s softcore porn magazine.
The stories were almost all written by men, starring impossibly willing, instantly aroused and available women. But what if we evolve these letters? What if Penthouse existed in 2025?
In an age of sex-positivity, OnlyFans and dating apps? What kind of fantasy stories would be submitted, and by whom?
In this late-night event, hosted by unruly cabaret and comedy queen Venus Mantrap, we’ll challenge interstate and local writers to pen a modern ending to real Penthouse letters published in the 1980s.
And through performances and workshops, we’ll invite the audience into a more enlightened bed too.
Designed for those who love the inappropriate (and stay up way past bedtime), this festival event is definitely SMUTton dressed up as lamb.
The details
What: SMUT!
When: Saturday 25 October, 9.30am
Where: Smith’s Alternative
Cost: $15 per person. Tickets available via Canberra Writers Festival.
