Author Talk with Penelope Janu

Join beloved Australian author, Penelope Janu as she discusses her new book “Out of the Blue” at Penrith City Library. 

Tickets cost $5 per person. The session is suitable for adults. Register your spot at the Humanitix webpage. 

Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be provided.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment for all. If you require any accommodations to attend this event, please contact 02 47327891.

Purchase books from the Harry Hartog Books pop-up bookstore at the event and have them signed by the author.

About the book:

Flick Atherton loves the country towns where she lives, her work with migratory birds and the bond she shares with her late brother's daughter. The last thing she needs is a man telling her what to do. Particularly the arrogant, frighteningly competent Norwegian air-force pilot Sebastien Thorsen. When she accepts an assignment in the sub-Antarctic, her biggest challenge isn't the sub-zero temperature or her long-held fears, it's Sebastien.

Head of the UN environmental team funding Flick's position, and an all-round adrenaline junkie, Sebastien is the last man Flick should be attracted to. But the tiny Antarctic community is closeknit and vulnerabilities, both Flick's and Sebastien's, are impossible to hide. Working to finish a job he didn't want to take, Sebastien finds Flick a risk unlike any he has ever encountered, and he is frustrated yet entranced by her impossible mix of fragility and independence.

When the assignment is over and Flick is home again, can she leave her fears and the shadows of the past behind her? Will she accept that the love she's found, even when it is out of the blue, might be all she'll ever need?

About the author:

Penelope Janu lives on a property in the Southern Highlands of NSW with a distracting husband, a very large dog and, now they're fully grown, six delightful children who come and go. A former lawyer, Penelope has a passion for creating stories that explore social and environmental issues, but her novels are fundamentally a celebration of Australian characters and communities. Her first novel, “In at the Deep End”, came out with HarperCollins/ HQ in 2017. Since then, she’s had four novellas and nine novels published, the most recent being her December 2024 release, “The Summerfield Saddler”. Her next novel, “Out of the Blue” will be released on 26 May 2026. Penelope enjoys riding horses, exploring the Australian countryside and dreaming up challenging hiking adventures. Nothing makes her happier as a writer than readers falling in love with her clever, complex and adventurous characters.