Penguin Random House Australia to publish Jacinda Ardern's Memoir

A deeply personal memoir from the former Prime Minister of New Zealand offering inspiration to a new generation of leaders

A DIFFERENT KIND OF POWER
A Memoir
By Jacinda Ardern

Penguin Random House Australia announced today the publication of A DIFFERENT KIND OF POWER: A Memoir by Jacinda Ardern set for international release on June 3, 2025.

In a time of unprecedented global challenges, political polarisation, and dwindling trust in our leaders, Jacinda Ardern’s leadership stands apart. A DIFFERENT KIND OF POWER reveals how empathy, kindness, and unwavering strength redefined leadership and inspired a global movement. This deeply personal and inspiring memoir offers Ardern’s unfiltered journey, from tenacious girl in small-town New Zealand to a trailblazing world leader who became the world’s youngest female head of government, and only the second in history to give birth while in office. Ardern changed the world's expectations of what a global leader can be. With remarkable candour, she shares the pivotal moments that defined her leadership and – for the first time – the details behind her decision to step down during her sixth year as Prime Minister.

The memoir will be released in physical, eBook and audio formats, with the audio edition read by Ardern. It will also be published simultaneously in the English language in New Zealand (Penguin Random House New Zealand), the United States (Penguin Random House)  and the United Kingdom (Pan Macmillan) with further release in te reo Māori (Penguin Random House New Zealand), Dutch (Meulenhoff), French (Flammarion), German (btb), Italian (La nave di Teseo) and Portuguese (Companhia das Letras in Brazil and Casa das Letras in Portugal) to follow.

An outlier in both age and gender, the world took notice when Ardern became Prime Minister of New Zealand at the age 37. But it was her response to unprecedented challenges – the terror attack on two Christchurch Mosques, the Whakaari White Island eruption, and the outbreak of Covid-19 – that proved the power of a leader who prioritises empathy and humanity. She navigated crises and a complex political environment, while also advancing bold new policies to address climate change, reduce child poverty, decriminalise abortion, secure historic international trade deals, and juggled motherhood in the public eye.  

Her innovative policies and unshakable resolve give world leaders a new model for tackling challenges with empathy and strength - reshaping our assumptions about leadership. Now she is ready to tell her story in full. Through her personal experiences and reflections, Ardern provides insights for leaders seeking to inspire and connect with their communities. But A DIFFERENT KIND OF POWER is more than a political memoir; it provides inspiration for anyone who has ever doubted their own abilities, ultimately asking - what if you, too, are capable of more than you ever imagined?

Writes Ardern:

“Some people thought kindness was sentimental, soft. A bit naive, even. I knew this. But I also knew they were wrong. Kindness has a power and strength that almost nothing else on this planet has. I’d seen kindness do extraordinary things—I’d seen it give people hope, I’d seen it change minds, and transform lives… Kindness. This was my guiding principle, and it would be the trait with which I would try to lead, no matter what lay ahead.”

Australian publisher Meredith Curnow says:

“Jacinda Ardern brings the kindness and empathy she sought to lead with to this moving, generous and motivating memoir. Sharing how even sensitive, over-thinkers,  can ace global leadership as long as they retain optimism, compassion and know how to listen. Traversing how being the policeman’s daughter in tiny rural towns opened her eyes to inequities and drove her activism and search for meaning.

About the Author:

The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern was elected the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand at the age of thirty-seven, becoming the country’s youngest Prime Minister in more than 150 years. Ardern is now a Senior Fellow at Harvard University. She leads the global Field Fellowship programme on empathetic leadership, which she founded in 2024. As an active Patron of the Christchurch Call Foundation, Ardern works to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content from digital platforms. A passionate advocate for climate action, she serves on the board of The Earthshot Prize, and is the Arnhold Distinguished Fellow at Conservation International.