Allen & Unwin rejected my first novel when I was 16. I still have the letter somewhere. It was printed on fancy paper, almost like cardboard, but that wasn’t what made it worth keeping. After dozens of rejections, theirs was the first one that was kind.
They put care into each word and offered quality constructive feedback when they really didn’t have to. That letter held pride of place in my desk drawer, and whenever my dream felt way out of reach, I returned to it. The next time I sent Loathing Lola out, a publisher said yes.
I’m still so grateful for that letter, and it seems significant that they’ll be publishing my sixth novel. It’s about Greek families and messy, wonderful dreams. It’s out next year. It’s We Could Be Something.
An emotional rollercoaster of a novel: part-coming out story, part falling-in-love story, part relationship break-down story, and part extended-family story, I’ve never felt this way about a book before.
This is the one. Coming in May 2023 unless I botch my deadlines.