Stinkbug

Sinead Stubbins

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Paperback

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English

Affirm Press
01 June 2025

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Australian Fiction

You're a stinkbug and they're worried if they come near you, your stench will get all over them and they won't be able to wash it off.'

When Edith and a select group of employees at Winked advertising agency are sent to Consequi, an elite three-day work retreat in the remote mountains, she sees an opportunity to impress her bosses and dodge an inevitable restructure.

But this is no ordinary corporate retreat. Trapped together in the revamped convent, the threat of mass redundancy looming over them, their phones confiscated and the team-building activities becoming increasingly extreme, the 'work family's' cracks begin to widen - and Edith has a secret that threatens to make her the office outcast: the stinkbug. When Edith realises there's something suspicious about Consequi, she's faced with a decision: conform and shut up, or accept stinkbug status and find out what's really going on.

In this wildly original and deeply unhinged story, Sinead Stubbins turns her keen but empathetic eye on the lies we tell about ourselves in order to belong. Part anxious millennial fever dream, part searing workplace satire, this corporate gothic novel is perfect for fans of Yellowface, Nightbitch and Such a Fun Age.

By: Sinead Stubbins
Imprint: Affirm Press
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
Weight: 300g
ISBN: 9781923135475
ISBN 10: 1923135473
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 01 June 2025
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Sinad Stubbins is a Melbourne/Naarm-based writer, editor and cultural critic, and the author of In My Defence, I Have No Defence. Her work appears in print, online and on TV.

Reviews for Stinkbug

'This is a cool, deadly nightmare of a book, its dream logic an exact caricature of where we seem to be headed.' * The Age/The Sydney Morning Herald * 'Sinéad has a knack for ending chapters with iconic twists and unexpected shocks.' * The Australian Women's Weekly * 'Stubbins’ signature flavour of black humour shines in her new novel and will be enjoyed by anyone needing an escape from their daily grind.' * Books+Publishing * 'If you like your humour wry and morbid, this is for you.' * Country Style * 'Like a chunnering conversation with your worst colleague, Stinkbug is claustrophobic. Stubbins faithfully captures the cadences of corporate small talk and dials them up into a nightmarish cacophony of efficiency reports and pitch decks. You’ll want to work from home for ever.' * The Guardian * 'Wicked little satire.' * The Canberra Times * 'A fun, slightly unhinged book that will make you glad you’re off on holiday, not stuck at work.' * Fashion Journal * 'Stinkbug’s tongue-in-cheek examination of retreats and workplace culture highlights the flaws of our world.' * ArtsHub * 'Stinkbug will have you squirming one minute and laughing the next. [It] is, simply, delicious fun.' -- Meredith Jaffe 'A form of snarky cathartic escapism, which Sinéad Stubbins delivers in spades in Stinkbug.' * Readings Monthly *