Simone Abbot
Eudaimania: Happiness Disease
2026
~ ‘Happiness depends on ourselves.’ ~ Aristotle ~
Speechwriter Kat Warlow knows it’s no mean trick keeping the entire population of Australia ‘relaxed and comfortable’. Choosing the right words for her boss, the so-called ‘Sexiest Minister Alive’, Lachlan Stuart MP, takes a deft touch – a woman’s touch, really. But handing in her banal resignation notice to Lach hardly seems the act of a wordsmith at the peak of her powers. Especially in June, 2001, with everyone in Parliament House tensed, anticipating an election announcement at any moment. Instead of flaunting her overpriced Isogawa gown at the upcoming Parliamentary Midwinter Ball in Canberra, Kat must flee back home to where she came from: a rundown caravan park in Adelaide’s beachside Semaphore.
But needs must. She’s ready to sacrifice herself for his career.
The only problem is back ‘home’ – where little nuisances, like secrets, lies and betrayals await – doesn’t seem to want her, either.
A story about finding our own voice amongst all we inherit from those we love.
About the Author
After completing degrees in Arts and Law at the University of Adelaide, author Simone Abbot joined the Commonwealth public service in 1995, moving from Adelaide to Canberra. Simone ran the gamut of public service: working in departments like the Treasury, for regulators and a not-for-profit supporting the public sector, evolving from lawyer to policy-maker (with a stint in Parliament House) to design thinker to program director to author. In 2023, Simone finished working full-time after experiencing symptoms she dismissed as ‘life’. Simone now writes while volunteering with organisations supporting writers, migrants and refugees. She’s a member of the ACT’s MARION and the Australian Society of Authors, and volunteers with Navitas Skilled Futures, Cafe Stepping Stone, the National Library and the Canberra Writers Festival (a time of the year she calls ‘Disneyland for authors’).
