Appreciation

A wild romp through Australian celebrity culture that’s as bold and scathing as it is hilarious. Everything in this world has a price. A great work of art is no exception. And what fortune was ever built without a little subterfuge? Oli Darling is a queer artist from the country – it says so right at the top of every press release. His art has brought him fame, money, fashionable substance abuse issues and only a little imposter syndrome. But then he goes on live TV and says the one thing that can get a rich white guy cancelled. With his reputation in tatters, nobody is buying Oli’s schtick or his art. That’s a problem for all the people who’ve invested millions in him. Powerful, dangerous people. To save his own skin, Oli will need to restore his public image. Together with a ghostwriter, he must do the most undignified thing imaginable- he will have to write a memoir. So begins a journey through the underbelly of modern celebrity that sees Oli confront the consequences of his own ruthless mythmaking – lies he’s told others, lies he’s told himself. Perhaps he was right to feel like an imposter. And maybe the only way out is to take a good hard look at himself. Outrageous satire of the highest order, Appreciation sets its sights on the question of authenticity in a time where image trumps talent, narcissism rules, and no canvas is so tarnished it can’t be painted over. Praise for Appreciation ‘Made me laugh gleefully, and also made me squirm. Pieper’s pen is a sharply honed blade – there’s a hell of a lot of truth in this deceptively jaunty satire. I gulped it down.’ Christos Tsiolkas ‘A clever, wry and utterly hilarious impaling of Australian culture. A worthy successor to Oscar Wilde.’ Kris Kneen ‘Smart and daring, witty and incisive. A work of genius.’ Jessie Stephens ‘A deft skewering of contemporary values – as hugely entertaining as it is piercingly relevant.’ Nick Earls ‘Savage and spot-on . . . For anyone even slightly involved in the industry, it’s great fun guessing who’s who; for everyone else, it’s just great fun.’ Steph Harmon, The Guardian ‘ A literary page turner with no shortage of dramatic flair.’ Georgia Phillips, The Conversation ‘Never forgets the power of entertaining the reader . . . Appreciation gives the impression of something new and energised.’ Jack Cameron Stanton, Sydney Morning Herald ‘Achingly tender . . . funny too.’ Conrad Landin, The Saturday Paper Praise for The Toymaker ‘Hugely memorable.’ Hannah Kent ‘Bold and compelling.’ Peter Pierce, Weekend Australian Praise for Sweetness and Light ‘Crackling with a tension that doesn’t let up.’ Jay Daniel Thompson, Australian Book Review ‘A high-stakes, self-aware literary thriller.’ Elke Power, Readings —- ISBN: 9781760890193