ANU/CANBERRA TIMES MEET THE AUTHOR EVENT

Chloe Shorten will be in conversation with Anna-Maria Arabia on Chloe's new book, Take Heart: A Story for Modern Stepfamilies.

Today, families come in all shapes and sizes. They move from one state to create a family in another. They combine into new homes, take holidays with blends of children and parents from different households. They invent routines and rituals to establish their own rhythms. And don't forget the double sets of school uniforms and pyjamas under different roofs. Welcome to the new normal of family life for many Australians.

It is a path Chloe Shorten has walked. Chloe was surprised at the lack of helpful information and unexpected tripwires for those not fitting the traditional cookie-cutter model. She was also heartened by the sensible advice she unearthed, the resilience of her children and the joy of watching her husband become a father three times over. Chloe tells of her own quest to create a new normal. Honest, sincere and warm-hearted, this is a story of the modern household and explores the idea of who qualifies as 'a family' in the twenty-first century.

Chloe Shorten is a communications specialist, Queensland girl, mother of three and an advocate for improving the lives of women, children and people with disabilities. She lives in Melbourne and is married to Bill. She is an Ambassador for the Victorian Government's Victoria Against Violence campaign.

Anna-Maria Arabia is Chief Executive of the Australian Academy of Science. Prior to that, Anna-Maria was a senior policy adviser to Bill Shorten. She has spent around two decades in the field of science as a practitioner, advocate, policy and political adviser, and has been General Manager of Questacon and CEO of Science & Technology Australia. Anna-Maria is also a passionate advocate for social justice and gender equality. Anna-Maria is a mum to Alessandro and though her family is neither blended nor traditional, her parenting decisions have challenged social norms as well as dated and artificial legal structures in society.

Please register for this event online.

Book signings will take place both before and after the conversation. This event is free.

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