Author Bio
About The Author
Christine Sykes
Being raised in Cabramatta provided the basis for her memoir, Gough and Me: My Journey from Cabramatta to China and Beyond. In Gough and Me, Christine overlays the social and political events of the tumultuous decades of the 1960s and 70s and the impact that Gough Whitlam has – not only on her own life but on generations of Australians.
Her previous book, The Changing Room, was based on her experiences at the non-profit Dress for Success which provides practical support and help for women looking for work. The Changing Room won the fiction award from the Society of Women Writers NSW.
Christine is involved in a number of writers groups and centres and her work has appeared in several anthologies.
She is a community worker and senior public servant, now retired and living in the Illawarra. As well as writing and tap dancing, her interests include walking, acting and learning to play the flute.
The Changing Room has won 'The Society of Women Writers NSW 2020 Members’ Book Award in the category of Fiction.
The Changing Room
Anna is in her sixties with her dream job and the man to match. Claire is a forty-six-year-old philanthropist with a picture-perfect family. And then there is Molly, who has seen more strife in her twenty years than anyone should, but has more love to give than most.
When their lives are turned upside down, these women must discover how to start over. Guided by Suitability, a clothing and styling service for disadvantaged women, Anna, Claire and Molly find the courage to rebuild their lives – with a few outfit changes along the way.
Inspired by the experiences of the women behind the charity Dress for Success, The Changing Room proves that sometimes losing everything leads you towards freedom, and that hope can be found even in the unlikeliest of places.
- Ann Sherry, AO
Heart-warming and relatable, The Changing Room is a poignant read about the power of communities to change a life.