Sarah Firth’s book launch – Everything Eventually Connects

I attended Sarah Firth‘s book launch last month. Sarah is a Neurodivergent writer and graphic recorder, based in Naarm/Melbourne. 

Her book, Everything Eventually Connects, is a graphic novel. From the Allen and Unwin website: “A delicious mix of daily life, science, philosophy, pop culture, daydreams and irreverent humour, Eventually Everything Connects is a work of graphic non-fiction that is comforting, confronting and mind-expanding in equal measure.”

It was one of the best book launches I’ve ever been to – there were cheese platters and drinks, a performance, a discussion about the book, a book signing and a cake! It started with Sarah and two other people dressed  moths, dancing around a fire sculpture and a giant mobile phone sculpture. Fun and creative! 

Then Sarah did a reading and visual projection of one of the chapters of the book – it was about screen time. The launch had several access provisions  – held at the Science Gallery, Auslan was offered, and Sarah narrated the chapter of the graphic novel as it was projected on screen – the text acting as captions. 

Sarah did the whole launch dressed as a Bogong moth! 

Sarah’s book was eight years in the making – which began with a pitch to a graphic recorders’ event and enduring many rejections. She spoke to Vidya Rajan about the creative process of creating a graphic novel – it takes many, many hours of writing and drawing, and much reworking in the editing. Sarah also talked about the belief Nakkiah Lui has in her, signing her book to the Joan imprint at Allen and Unwin. She also talked about her dreams of creating a radio play from the book! 

Sarah’s work features in Growing Up Disabled in Australia too. I just love seeing what the GUDIA contributors do next.

I bought one book for me – Sarah signed it – and bought another to give to friends as a gift. 

Everything Eventually Connects is available in hardcover format in Australian bookstores and libraries now. It will be available in America in Spring 2024. 

The launch was such a reflection of Sarah’s talent and creative mind, and filled with her many supporters. 

I can’t wait to sit down with the book when I have some time. 

(I paid for Sarah’s books.)

Images: 1. Carly and Sarah, holding the book Everything Eventually Connects. Sarah is dressed as a moth – with wings and antennae. 2-3. Sarah and two other people dressed as moths on stage. 4. A video of Sarah and two people dressed as moths, dancing around a fire sculpture. There is music playing. 5. A projection of a drawing from the book – it’s about the relationships formed on social media. 6. Sarah and Vidya speaking on stage. 7. A cake that features the cover of the book – it’s got drawings of people and animals and objects – connected by lines. It’s blue. The rest of the cake is teal. 8. Carly and Monique – an illustrator friend. 9. Carly and Danielle. 10. A lot of Sarah’s books on the table.