A Real Piece of Work

Crisp and lively, these tales are witty, sharply observed and moving.

Sydney Morning Herald

Healing and hopeful and heartbreaking. Absolutely stunning. I am begging you to read this book.

sydney khoo

Erin Riley makes a fine companion through these stories of their life. With a knack for calm appraisal and a sharp essayist’s eye, they take us through the modern world’s pains and delights, its paradoxes and its people.

Ronnie Scott

Crisp, caring, and at times, delicate, Riley writes of turning to themselves with tenderness when at times the world can't even look or stares a little too hard. From the awakening of a young crush to the collective bricks of community, this is a nourishing read that offers up the complexity of love with two hands and a glorious moustache.

Kaya Wilson

What’s most striking about Erin Riley’s writing is its warmth – their stories are always genuine, in expression and emotion, and always huge of heart. Riley is a natural storyteller, and they combine this with a strong sense of all that’s artful in the essay: there are big and important ideas within these pieces, but they’re never laboured or forced. These are intimate, intelligent essays about belonging, interconnection, many and varied kinds of love, and how a person might make and find a clear calmness of self amid it all.

Fiona Wright

Essays full of heart, soul, probing intelligence and wonderful characters.

Fiona Kelly McGregor

In these pages, Riley is modelling a new way to be smart: soft and tender and sweet.

Yves Rees, Australian Book Review

Erin writes wonderfully about the complexity of their relationship with their parents.

ABC Life Matters

A Real Piece of Work is a joyful and heart-aching collection of essays.

ArtsHub

A wonderful insight into the pieces of work we all need to do to make this complicated continent a more equitable place for everyone.

Books+Publishing

A remarkable new storytelling voice on the block.

Sun Bookshop recommended reading

A Real Piece of Work is a captivating and thought-provoking memoir that digs deep into the essence of vulnerability. Erin Riley’s powerful storytelling will challenge your perceptions, ignite introspection, and ultimately leave you with a profound appreciation for the strength vulnerability can bring.

Ramona Magazine

Riley's career as a social worker within marginalised communities provides an engaging intellectual throughline, while their love affair with Merryn, a spunky public health nurse, is the heartbeat . . . Riley finds comfort in their queer community, who perform an act of collective solidarity right when they need it most.

Big Issue

Deeply felt and thought-through; compelling, inviting, guileless; leaves you feeling free.

Jessica Stanley, Read. Look. Think.