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A Real Piece of Work

A Memoir in Essays

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A Real Piece of Work

By: Erin Riley
Narrated by: Erin Riley
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About this listen


'Language gave to me the body I knew was mine and brought into existence so many possibilities for what my gender can be.'

Across these twenty fresh and boldly intimate stories, Erin Riley writes about the things that matter most: family, heartbreak, humanity, justice and swimming, and the messy, hard graft of becoming one's authentic self.

In weaving together their everyday while questioning society and its structures, Erin gifts us stories that double as a manifesto on how to disrupt and reinvent narrative, identity, love and community.

Life is complicated, messy and - when small risks are taken - even exhilarating. In Erin's hands we fall in love, get curious and become exasperated with (and sometimes charmed by) the people in their life, emerging with new perspectives on how to be in the world.

Social worker and counsellor Erin Riley is a recipient of Penguin Random House Australia's 2021 Write It fellowship program, which aspires to find, nurture and develop unpublished writers across all genres, with a focus on underrepresented sections of our community.

©2023 Erin Riley (P)2023 Penguin Random House Australia Essays Nonfiction Memoir Heartfelt
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Best audiobook I've encountered in a while. Beautiful weaving of stories with more academic analysis. Left me thinking about many tender moments after I'd listened. Also inspiring me to think about ocean swimming! what a talent.

Excellent, highly recommend

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What a sensitive, reassuring, beautiful & tender memoir, even laugh out loud at times. It's so lovingly told.

Erin speaks from & about the margins (not just the people, there's a neighbourhood cat too), shining light on systems that frame our daily lives, personal, familial & systematic.

Relatable, brave & true.

I loved this, didn't want it to end

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This book is undoubtedly the best book I have ever read, I can’t wait to read it again. The slow comfort of the story telling, mixed with the emotion of the content, spoken in Erin’s calm voice…an essential read for anyone who is a lover of stories and the truth. Tens stars, I’m annoying everyone I see by talking about this too much.

The best book I’ve ever read

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A heart wrenching journey through life’s and the world’s inequities and Socio-political reasons underlying these told from the perspective of a professional and personal journey negotiating and approaching rapprochement with at least some of these

Don’t try to define me

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A book for your younger self, a vision of futures worth living, Ones that didn't come from our parents, Getting older and closer to yourself, and the things that make you feel.
Vulnerable, heartbreaking, and heartwarming.

queer joy and sadness.

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These heartfelt words weave a story of becoming. of family and of identity.
Sydney’s suburbs the backdrop their story. An extraordinary piece of work.

Pause for a moment and give this author your time.

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Such a beautiful and connected way of writing. Awed by the authors considered experiences.

Honestly can't wait to listen again

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.