It’ s 1974 when 20-year-old Grace arrives in London determined to shrug off her Australian past and reinvent herself. While embracing her new life in the Free Republic of Beltonia, a street of communal squats, she’ s haunted by the unbearable thought that she might be a lesbian – a fate she considers almost worse than death. Before long, she falls (secretly) in love with Marigold, upper class, enigmatic and avowedly straight. When Marigold mysteriously disappears without a trace, the search for her leads Grace to a life-changing epiphany. Evoking the spirit of 1970s London through the world of squatting and political protests, street parties, encounter groups and gurus, and the mayhem of a rackety publishing outfit where Grace gets a job, Grace & Marigold is both witty and moving in its exploration of the inner turmoil, and ultimate liberation of a young woman’ s journey to self-acceptance.

Mira Robertson’ s debut novel, The Unexpected Education of Emily Dean was published in 2018. Her short stories have won prizes and have appeared in various literary magazines and journals. Her screenwriting credits, written with director Ana Kokkinos, include the award-winning films Only the Brave and Head On. Mira lives in Melbourne.