UQP acquires debut novel from Kirsty Jagger, winner of the inaugural Heyman Mentorship Award

UQP is delighted to announce that we’ve acquired Kirsty Jagger’s debut novel, Roseghetto. Kirsty was the inaugural recipient of the Kathryn Heyman Mentorship Award for a writer from a background of social and economic disadvantage.

Roseghetto is the unforgettable and moving coming-of-age story of a young girl, Shayla, who is raised by her single mother in the housing commission estates of Sydney’s western suburbs. Through Shayla’s eyes we learn of the bad secret her father asked her to keep; the consequences of her mother rekindling a dangerous romance; and how Shayla copes by escaping into the world of books.

This gripping novel is a tale of survival and of breaking the cycle of violence and poverty. It is also an account of growing up in public housing estates so badly designed that in 2009 the NSW Government ordered one of them be demolished, after it was declared an ‘urban design experiment that failed’.

UQP has acquired world rights and will publish in mid 2023.

Kirsty Jagger says:

‘It’s important to note that the area has changed significantly since the 1990s and early 2000s, but I really wanted to preserve this particular time and place; capture snippets of stories lost in the process of eviction and demolition. Ultimately, this is a story about breaking the cycle of poverty and violence, but I hope it also offers insight into an underrepresented community that we’re often quick to stereotype. The manuscript wouldn’t be where it is today without Kathryn Heyman’s invaluable support. And now I have the incredible opportunity to work with the amazing Aviva Tuffield on editing and publishing the book. Releasing this work into the world with UQP really is a dream come true.’

Kathryn Heyman says:

‘Aviva Tuffield’s support of the Kathryn Heyman Mentorship Award has been immensely important – and I’m thrilled that the first recipient of the award, Kirsty Jagger, is to be published by UQP. Roseghetto is an important and powerful novel, written with vivacity and insight, and I can’t wait for readers to meet the ebullient and determined Shayla and to step into her world.’

Publisher Aviva Tuffield says:

‘I fell in love with Shayla and this novel from the first page. With great skill, Kirsty Jagger has managed to evoke an authentic child’s point of view, one that shifts as Shayla comes to understand more and more about the adult world around her. Roseghetto is a very impressive debut and one that keeps you turning the pages to make sure that Shayla makes it through.’

About Kirsty Jagger

A journalist by trade, Kirsty left the world of newspapers to become a strategic communications and engagement advisor for several non-profits, before moving into local and state government. In 2019, Kirsty won the inaugural Heyman Mentorship Award, established by acclaimed Australian author Kathryn Heyman, for a writer from a background of social and economic disadvantage. Roseghetto takes some inspiration from growing up in the housing commission estates of Sydney’s western suburbs.

For more information please contact Louise Cornegé on louise.cornege@uqp.com.au or 07 3346 7932