Born in Tasmania, Emily lives in Melbourne with her partner, their twin sons and a deaf, geriatric cat. Shortlisted for the prestigious Victorian Premier's Unpublished Manuscript Prize, A Million Things is her first novel.
'Poignant, uplifting and beautifully written.' * Catherine Jinks * 'Direct, assured writing, hard-hitting emotion and a wonderful sense of optimism. A Million Things is a debut to treasure, with characters whose dignity shines through their struggles.' * Jock Serong * 'An original and impressively assured debut. A gem of a novel.' * Graeme Simsion, bestselling author of the Rosie trilogy * 'Beautifully written, equally heartwarming and heart-wrenching novel about family, friendship, love and resilience...An absorbing, wonderful read that showcases the importance of having even one special person to turn to and unconditional love. Keep the tissues close by.' * Herald Sun * 'An enthralling, devastating debut...A Million Things is a shattering novel that perfectly captures the fractured moments between loss and letting go; between childhood and growing up, in which anything could change once the pieces fall.' * Readings * 'Really good. There are moments in the book where your heart stops.' * Newstalk ZB * 'It is not hard to see why A Million Things was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Award Unpublished Manuscript Prize last year. Spurr is a subtle writer, and though she writes genuinely dramatic incidents, the story is not overblown, and actions and reactions are written with a light touch...Spurr does a deft job of showing that people can surprise in good ways as well as bad.' * Weekend Australian * 'For book clubs who know honest friendship is the light in darkness.' * Readings * 'A powerful and challenging read from a new writer to watch.' * Big Issue * 'A remarkable book: beautifully written, tender, loving, humorous; heart-breaking, but all those other things as well-which is what we all love to read in the best of fiction.' * RN Bookshelf * 'Rae's plucky perspective prevents the story from descending into pity-porn territory - despite the tragic backdrop - and there are moments in which the reader will laugh out loud. However, anyone who has experienced grief is likely to cry at least once before the covers close on this story.' * ArtsHub * 'Author Emily Spurr tells a tale of grief and resilience with refreshing simplicity.' * Age/SMH * 'Emily Spurr's first novel is written with depth and heart and a plangent simplicity; her characters have a warmth and feisty resilience that she makes utterly believable, and the inevitable tricky ending is handled with confidence and flair.' * Adelaide Advertiser * '[An] amazing debut.' * Australian Women's Weekly * 'Spurr deftly slides into Rae's 10-year-old consciousness, expertly balancing the innocence and maturity of a child grown up too soon.' * Booklist * 'Spurr delivers a haunting account of a young girl grappling with abandonment in this excellent debut...Through Rae's devastating yet hopeful interior dialogue, Spurr delicately illustrates the complexity of loss and isolation.' * Publishers Weekly * 'In this excellent debut...Spurr delicately illustrates the complexity of loss and isolation. Fans of Liane Moriarty should take a look.' * Publishers Weekly *