And How Are Things With You
(Mākaro Press, October 2026)
Literary fiction. Set in London and Pōneke, Aotearoa.
Endorsements
‘Farlane's novel is the perfect companion for an overly interesting age: darkly funny, quietly and steadfastly loving, with a charmingly singular protagonist’ — A.L. Kennedy
‘A frank, acerbic and darkly comic exploration of a deeply serious taboo’ — Carl Shuker
‘frank, intelligent and often very funny, a novel that understands how hard it can be to answer the simplest questions truthfully’
— NZ Booklovers
‘paints us a really incredibly nuanced and successful picture of what it is like to be inside the mind of someone who is both experiencing their own mental distress but also a highly intelligent and analytical mind … It’s very successful in that way and it reminded me a bit of Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason’
— Holly Walker, Nine To Noon, Radio New Zealand
Franny is AWOL from her French translation job, her cat-sitting gig is making her anxious, and an obsessive personal project is shooting off in more directions than the London Underground. She needs to leave the UK and return home.
But Aotearoa turns out to be less relaxing than she thought it would be, because she keeps running into people she’d rather avoid. Wellington is a nostalgia trip on repeat and the last thing Franny needs is distraction. For her own reasons, she is researching suicide, and the material she’s unearthing is almost overwhelming.
Bit by bit Wellington begins to grow on her. She finds herself chatting to a woman over kūmara wedges, getting real with a nonagenarian aunt and attending a ‘die-in’ at a bank to protest global extinction. Meanwhile, Franny books a seat to watch the parliamentary debates for the End of Life Choice bill, and her research takes a startling turn ...
And How Are Things With You is shot through with the dark humour and dry observations that readers loved in Footnotes to Sex, a novel British broadcaster Bidisha described as ‘Seinfeld meets Dorothy Parker’.
And How Are Things With You is now available at all good bookstores in Aotearoa, including Unity Books — delivery within New Zealand and internationally,
Cover design: Todd Atticus
This design was created over one week at Unity Books Wellington.
Footnotes to Sex
(Viking/Penguin Books UK)
literary fiction: a tragi-comedy about procrastination, idolisation & a flailing relationship – set in London and Paris.
Endorsements & Review Quotes
‘A wonderfully impressive first novel: subtle, smart and very funny. I loved this book’ — Sarah Waters
‘A smart, funny, and acutely observed dissection of modern love’ — Stella Duffy
‘Fast, fun, friendly and fly … the storytelling is effortless and droll: Seinfeld meets Dorothy Parker’ — Bidisha
‘Farlane’s keen emotional intelligence gives her debut novel an integrity which makes it rather more than a footnote itself’ — Observer (Lettie Ransley)
‘A wry comedy. Subtly delicious. Farlane’s ear for comic dialogue is superb’ — Guardian (Catherine Taylor)
‘Wise, stylish and embarrassingly funny, shows we’re all fools for love’ — Elle read of the month
‘Wonderful. Wry, smart and funny’ — The Gloss
‘A wry comedy about long-term relationships’— Marie Claire
‘Funny, well-observed’ — Bookseller
‘Very clever and witty’ — Daily Mail
‘You’ll be utterly delighted. A relaxing read about relationships’ — Bookbag
Footnotes to Sex
(Viking / Penguin Books UK):
Footnotes to Sex is a painfully funny novel about procrastination, double-chocolate biscuits, the importance of commitment and what happens in relationships when the sex isn't happening...
Footnotes to Sex has been likened to writing by Muriel Spark and Dorothy Parker + Seinfeld.
It’s available as an eBook or you can reserve it at your local library.
Cover: Chambre 26 by Sophie Calle