Say Hello – my book

Book cover featuring woman with red face and shirt dark curly hair, smiling. She’s wearing a pink floral top and bright orange skirt. The orange text reads Say Hello, and black text reads Carly Findlay. How I became the fangirl of my own story - a memoir and manifesto on difference, acceptance, self love and belief.

I have written a book. It’s called Say Hello. HarperCollins is my publisher. The book is a memoir – with anecdotes from my life to date, as well as thoughts and observations on ableism, media representation and beauty privilege. There’s advice to readers with and without ichthyosis, facial difference and disability. It encourages hope and disability pride. The book is called Say Hello because that’s what I want people to do, instead of ignoring me, looking shocked or scared, or making a rude comment about my face. If you enjoy my blog and articles, I think you’ll like my memoir.

There was no one in media or books who looked like me, or to tell me it’s ok to not want to change my appearance, and I didn’t know whether I’d find love – love with another or love for myself. I had to write that book. To be the person Little Carly needed. In Say Hello, I want to show parents who have a disabled child that there is no need to grieve a life lost – because their child is alive and can live a great life with love and support. I want to show readers how to be proud of their identity and their appearance, and love themselves even when the world has told them they have to hide. Representation matters. I hope this book is the start of more people with ichthyosis telling their own story – to shift the focus from the exploitative media we are seeing a lot of. Representation matters because shapes the way ichthyosis is seen, and lets people with ichthyosis see themselves. Disability literature must be disability-led.

Say Hello is in stores on 29 January 2019.

If you are in Australia and New Zealand, can buy Say Hello from Booktopia (paperback) and Apple Books (ebook). (These are affiliate links – I will receive a small amount from each sale.)

You can also get it from department stores and all good bookstores including Angus and Robertson, Dymocks, Readings, Better Read than Dead and The Avid Reader. Just ask your local bookstore if they have it, and if they don’t, they can order it in. It’s on Amazon Kindle too, but just in Australia.

International sales and audiobooks

Many people have asked me about an international release. At this stage, Say Hello just has an Australian and New Zealand release. I will talk with my agent and publisher about an international release – this depends on lots of factors including sales within Australia. But it’s great there is interest already!

International friends can order Say Hello at Readings, Dymocks and Boomerang Books, but there are some hefty postage fees. Again, if you pre-order these now, they’ll be posted in January 2019. There are no ebook options for international pre-order yet.

I also plan to record an audio book, and am in talks about it now.

I’ll keep you updated on the overseas and audiobook releases. Thanks for your patience.

Libraries

Say Hello will be in Australian and New Zealand libraries. You can request a copy from your local library. I am also up for talks at libraries.

Goodreads

Say Hello has a Goodreads page. You can leave a review here, if you want to.

Book tour and talks

I will be doing a book tour in 2019.

The details so far are:

Melbourne – The Wheeler Centre – 24 January 2019, 6.00 – 8.00 pm. Watch the launch here.

The venue is wheelchair accessible and the event will be Auslan interpreted. The event was live streamed on my Facebook page.

Sydney – Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, hosted by Better Read than Dead Newtown – 6 February 2019, 6.30 – 8.30 pm. This event is sold out.

The event is wheelchair accessible and Auslan interpreted, amd we are looking to record it.

Perth – Perth Festival – 22 and 24 February 2019. Tickets

All events are wheelchair accessible and Auslan interpreted.

Albury Wodonga – 7 March 2019, 6.00 pm, the Cube Wodonga. Tickets

Wagga Wagga – 8 March 2019, 5.30pm, Wagga Library. Tickets

Brisbane – Brisbane Square Library, hosted by The Avid Reader – 21 March 2019, 6.00 – 8.00 pm. Tickets

The venue is wheelchair accessible and the event will be Auslan interpreted.

Canberra – 14 April 2019, Muse Books. Details TBC

Adeaide – 2 May 2019, Marion Cultural Centre. Details TBC.

More details for each event and more dates will come.

Sign up to my socials to find out more, because I don’t blog a lot now – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you want to book me for a talk, get in touch.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who has read this blog and commissioned me to write or speak. Without you, there wouldn’t be a book. Thanks to Catherine Milne and Nicola Robinson and the team at HarperCollins, Jacinta DiMase and Danielle Binks at Jacinta DiMase Management, and to my family and friends for always believing in me. I am seriously overwhelmed with the lovely support around Say Hello. It’s been amazing. Thank you.

Media

There has been so much media about Say Hello. Thank you and hurrah.

Three women showing the real face of beauty – The Herald Sun (Click here to see the pics and here read the PDF)

Just Make the Thing podcast

What to read in 2018 – The Age/Sydney Morning Herald

10 Things To Do This January To Make You Feel Smarter / More Cultured – Pedestrian

ABC RN interview with Jess Ong

Between the lines – The West Australian (Click here for PDF)

Booktopia podcast

Booktopia book of the month!

The Project

I finally see my skin as my identity – SBS Life