The no.1 Australian bestseller! Tara Moss's first work of non-fiction -- a fascinating mix of memoir and social comment -- is sparking conversation everywhere. What are your fictions?
In her tenth book and first work of non-fiction, Tara Moss blends memoir and social analysis to examine the common fictions about women. She traces key moments in her life -- from small-town tomboy in Canada, to international fashion model in the 90s, to bestselling author taking a polygraph test in 2002 to prove she writes her own work -- and weaves her own experiences into a broader look at everyday sexism and issues surrounding the under-representation of women, modern motherhood, body image and the portrayal of women in politics, entertainment, advertising and the media. Deeply personal and revealing, this is more than just Tara Moss's own story. At once insightful, challenging and entertaining, she asks how we can change the old fictions, one woman at a time.
'Hits its mark with sharp-shooting precision ... Moss' skill is in marshalling the evidence and communicating it in a way that is accessible, warm, open, lucid and passionate ... Moss is a serious thinker' Dr Clare Wright, the Age
'A remarkable book - the kind that rewires your brain and its preconceptions in the best way possible. Intelligent, riveting and invigorating' Benjamin Law, Australian journalist and author
'This is a book which needs to be read by men and women. Well written, clearly argued, informative, powerful and thought provoking. Forget everything you thought you knew about Tara Moss, with the Fictional Woman, ttara sets the record straight and takes her place as one of our generations great commentators' John Purcell, Booktopia
'The most insightful book about women since the Feminine Mystique' Eve Mahlab, AO
Author Biography:
Tara Moss is a best-selling author of 13 books of fiction and non-fiction, published in 19 countries and 13 languages, a documentary host and award-winning human rights advocate. Her latest novel is the internationally bestselling historical thriller The War Widow, set in 1946 and featuring 'staunchly feminist, champagne-swilling, fast-driving Nazi hunter investigator' PI Billie Walker.
Moss is an outspoken advocate for the rights of women and children, and people with disabilities. She has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2007 and as of 2013 is UNICEF Australia's National Ambassador for Child Survival. In 2014 she was recognised for Outstanding Advocacy for her blog Manus Island: An insider's report, which helped to break information to the public about the alleged murder of Reza Barati inside the Australian-run Manus Island Immigration Detention Centre. In 2015 she received an Edna Ryan Award for her significant contribution to feminist debate, speaking out for women and children and inspiring others to challenge the status quo, and 2017 was recognised as one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life, for using her position in public life to make a positive impact in diversity, alongside Malala Yousufzai, Angelina Jolie, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet and more. In the media and through her social media page Tara and Wolfie, she brings advocacy and visibility to issues of disability and chronic pain, and the need to normalize mobility aids.
Her in-depth novel research has seen her acquire her PI credentials, tour the FBI Academy at Quantico, spend time in squad cars, morgues, prisons, the Hare Psychopathy Lab, the Supreme Court and criminology conferences, take polygraph tests, shoot weapons, conduct surveillance, pass the Firearms Training Simulator (FATSII) with the LAPD, pull 4.2 G's doing loops over the Sydney Opera House flying with the RAAF, and acquire her CAMS race driver licence. She has hosted the true crime documentary series Tough Nuts - Australia's Hardest Criminals on the Crime & Investigation Network, 'Tara Moss Investigates' on the National Geographic Channel, the author interview show Tara in Conversation on 13th Street Universal and write and host the documentary Cyberhate, about online abuse.
Moss is a dual Australian/Canadian citizen, and divides her time between NSW and Vancouver with her husband and daughter. Visit her at taramoss.com
