Books by Libby Sommer

Libby Sommer's sensitively drawn characters live and breathe within the echoes of the everyday. Stories from Bondi centre on women - their joys, doubts, loves and realisations. The foibles of human nature, with all their pathos and humour, are laid bare for the reader.'From the opening story "Art and the Mermaid" to a moving piece set in a health retreat that closes the collection, these stories beautifully capture the intimacies of women. Like My Year With Sammy and The Crystal Ballroom, this is classic Sommer.' - Susanne Gervay OAM, author'…wonderful voice and poetic language…' - Dr Anne Jamison, Writing and Society, Western Sydney University'The strength of Libby Sommer's work is its engagement with the contemporary mores and sexual manners of urban Australian life.' - Amanda Lohrey, Patrick White award winner

';Libby Sommer lays bare the foibles of human nature in her finely observed stories of love and loss in the singles dance scene. Brilliantly drawn with wit, compassion and poignancy, the characters you meet in The Crystal Ballroom are sure to remind you of someone maybe even yourself.' Jan Cornall, Writer's Journey';Libby Sommer exposes the secret lives of the singles who dance at the Crystal Ballroom. Authentic and powerful, this unique book will be loved by the dancers and readers.' Frida Kotlyar, ballroom, Latin and Argentine tango dancer';Libby Sommer's fiction has wit but is essentially serious with a subtle but strong underlying pathos, a wry humour and accomplished satirical tone.' Amanda Lohrey, Patrick White Award winner';Sommer's existentialism is one of the best and most articulate voices of middle-age angst ever.' Richard English, novelist and visiting lecturer, Brunel University London

Set in urban contemporary Sydney, My Year With Sammy is the complex and poetic story of a memorable child.';Parenting and grand-parenting are joumeys without a compass. In My Year with Sammy, Libby Sommer gives us a raw, heart-rending, insightful and intimate story of one family immersed in the messiness of living with a child who is different. This is recommended reading in juxtaposition with the academic and ';how-to' material that is on the market. Something beautiful breaks through from the darkness.' Colleen Keating, author of A Call to Listen';Sammy is a wild, stubborn girl who is also endearing and fascinating. This is a compelling story of the challenges and joys of parenting, but at the heart of this book is an unforgettable portrait of a determined and unusual child. I loved this intimate, funny and very moving novel.' Andy Kissane';The strength of Libby Sommer's work is its engagement with the contemporary mores and sexual manners of urban Australian life. Her writing is notable for its sensitivity, honesty and humour. She is a chronicler of our times.' Amanda LohreyMy Year With Sammy was shortlisted in Seizure's 2015 Viva Novella Competition and in the UK's 2014 Mslexia Competition.