About me.
I’m Jessica Stanley, an Australian novelist living in London.
I grew up in Melbourne, studied in Canberra, and worked in journalism, on the set of the TV show Neighbours, for the trade union movement, and in advertising.
Since moving to the UK in 2011, I’ve been working as a freelance copywriter while writing fiction. My Australian first novel A Great Hope was published in 2022.
I live in East London with my husband and our three children.
My new novel is Consider Yourself Kissed.
In the opening pages of Consider Yourself Kissed, a man and a woman swap homes for the night and explore each other’s bookshelves. Adam has political diaries and politicians’ memoirs called things like A Journey and My Life, Our Times. Coralie is rebuilding a lifetime’s library of green-spine Viragos after her mother took hers to the dump. They fall in love with each other’s books and almost immediately with each other.
Consider Yourself Kissed is a literary love story set in contemporary East London. It follows Coralie and Adam for a decade of their shared lives, as they build a home and beloved family. All this is set against the backdrop of a turbulent decade in UK politics: Tory austerity, Brexit, Covid, and (throughout, and perhaps worst of all) Boris Johnson. But still, by the end of her thirties, Coralie has almost everything she’s ever wanted. So why is she falling apart?
My inspirational foundation texts include The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst, American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld, The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford, and the Cazalet chronicles – all pull you through the pages, make you laugh and cry, and (despite the darkness of their eras) leave you feeling comforted and known. That’s why I read and love fiction, and why I wrote this book.
Listen to me talking about Consider Yourself Kissed on BBC Woman’s Hour!
Praise for Consider Yourself Kissed.
‘Funny, smart and memorable, this contemporary romance offers a lucid example of how humanity can endure amid a daily churn of horrendous news... Stanley’s delightful novel reminds her readers of the joy, humor and even subtle hope that can be experienced during life’s lowest moments.’ The New York Times
‘A delightfully grounded romance and a treasure... very human’. Guardian
‘Charming... with quiet ingenuity and compassion’. Observer
‘A deeply enjoyable mix of romance, social comedy and political satire’. Sunday Times
‘This summer's must-read... a sparkily enjoyable romantic comedy, that like One Day and Normal People, leaves you bereft at the final page.’ The Times
‘A brilliant book that hits all the right notes’. Good Housekeeping
‘Consider yourself kissed — and hugged and understood — by Jessica Stanley's smart, oh-so-relatable tale… Stanley's novel is rich, and her cleverness irrefutable.’ NPR
‘I didn't want it to end’ — Liane Moriarty, author of Big Little Lies
‘Clever, joyful and so funny’ — Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina
‘Deeply appealing and winning’ — Meg Wolitzer, author of The Interestings
‘Ringingly original and just absurdly good’ — Catherine Newman, author of Sandwich
‘I’m annoyed I didn’t write this book myself’ — Madeleine Gray, author of Green Dot
‘A perfect novel’ — India Knight
‘Expertly layers the light and heavy elements of life, with a main character who is quick-witted and quietly perceptive, giving home that a fire between two people may just survive many storms’. Washington Post
‘A fresh and sparkling modern literary romance…Stanley writes in a tradition that runs from Jane Austen to Nancy Mitford, and this charming literary romance queries the endgame in romance fiction, the happily-ever-after, in a way that lingers.’ The Age
A NATALIE PORTMAN’S BOOK CLUB PICK
Out now!
Consider Yourself Kissed is available in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and USA.
The audiobook of Consider Yourself Kissed is narrated by Lydia Leonard.
Events.
All are welcome!
Monday June 30, 7pm: In Conversation with Natasha Lunn, BookBar Chelsea SW3. Tix!
Friday August 21, 12pm: Gliterary Lunch with Polly Clark, Edinburgh EH1 2AD. Tix!
Saturday August 22, 12pm: Edinburgh Book Festival with Emma Gannon and Alisha Fernandez Miranda.
Elsewhere.
READ.LOOK.THINK. is my long-running email newsletter for writers and readers. Sent out every three or four weeks, each edition contains links to essays, books, first person writing, recipes, podcasts, interiors and more. Explore the archive and subscribe on Substack.
On Instagram @dailydoseofjess, I share what I’m reading, what I’m working on, and my life in Hackney with my husband and three children.
My favourite book of all time is Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty, and — before I quit Twitter — my fan account @lollinghurst was featured in The New Yorker.
A Great Hope (2022).
In 2022, my Australian debut novel was published by Picador AU. Set in inner-city Melbourne, A Great Hope is about a family (and love, and politics).
It was called ‘acutely observed’, and a ‘taut examination of a well-off family under great pressure’ in the Sydney Morning Herald; ‘fascinating and insightful’ in the Herald Sun; and ‘thrilling’, ‘ambitious’ and ‘never boring’ in Australian Book Review.
A Great Hope was longlisted for Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award 2022, and shortlisted for the MUD Literary Prize 2023, and is available for sale in Australia.
Contact.
To contact me directly, please use the form to the right (desktop) or below (mobile).
Literary agent: Lizzy Kremer, David Higham Associates.
Film/TV agent: Nicky Lund, David Higham Associates.
Author photograph: Sophie Davidson.