True Stories of Leaving, Loss and New Beginnings
In this compelling anthology of personal essays, curated by award-winning author Lee Kofman, some of Australia’s most beloved writers reveal, for the first time, powerful, occasionally funny and often heartbreaking stories of significant endings and their aftermath.
Graeme Simsion, author of The Rose Project, shares how he discarded his past – perhaps autistic – self, while comedian Sami Shah writes about his public split from Islam, the religion of his birth. Ramona Koval delves into the bittersweet end to her career at the ABC and Fiona Wright explores how anorexia has affected her romantic relationships. Whereas Kate Holden suggests that, for some, splitting – whether from memorabilia, books or lovers – is unimaginable.
Join eighteen acclaimed storytellers in their candid and courageous reflections on the intrinsic human experience of loss and leaving, that acknowledge the price we often pay for a much-needed end, or new beginning.
This book was longlisted for ABIA Awards 2020 in the category of Small Publisher’s Adult Book of the Year
WHAT REVIEWERS SAY
Raw, engrossing, bruising, sometimes sexy, always personal, Split is packed with transformations.
Richard Glover
Split is wise and comforting.
The Big Issue (4 stars review)
All of the pieces are powerful, richly depicted, allowing the reader access to the very core of transition. Kofman has a well-tuned sense of what works together and the pieces flow together perfectly, each essay informing the work that surrounds it, so that the overall book feels interlinked. It makes for engaging reading that is emotionally powerful throughout.
The Compulsive Reader
I enjoyed every single essay in this collection and could practically feel the emotions seep from the pages, the anguish, the desire, the sensuality, the pain, the heartache, the determination, the frustration, the recognition and the remembering. Rarely do you come across a book in which the authors so brutally slice open their chests and reveal their beating hearts.
Cass Moriarty Blog
After I read Kofman’s introduction I was hooked and I loved the glimpse into each of these writers’ lives… I would highly recommend this collection for a change of pace, a different perspective.
crazybookladyreviews
A really enjoyable read and one I tore through quicker than I thought I would.
Six Minutes For Me
These diverse tales of leave-takings and ruptures, pain and resilience, heartbreak and healing are unified by their psychological complexity, emotional chiaroscuro and literary brilliance.
Alice Nelson
The emotional range, honesty and deep introspection make Split read like a map of the human heart.
Books + Publishing (4 stars review)
So much to admire in this immersive, riveting collection, not least its intellectual honesty and just how fresh these essays feel. No reheated dishes here, nothing that feels even remotely half-hearted.
Maria Tumarkin
some of the best writing from popular authors across a wide range of genres, as they open up their everyday life, just a sliver, to reflect on what the word Split means to them.
Blue Wolf Reviews
I loved it. There was something utterly compelling about every one of the autobiographical essays
Kathryn’s Inbox
If you have ever loved and lost, you will recognise these recollections of wisdom hard won, recounted with poise, poignancy, wry humour and occasional joy.
Jane Sullivan
This is a profound collection, full of surprises, both harrowing and hopeful.
Susan Wyndham
These writers invite you into their most vulnerable moments. Split will challenge, entertain and deeply move. I highly recommend.
Eliza Henry-Jones