Speaking Out: A 21st-Century Handbook for Women and Girls

An accessible, timely and practical handbook for women on speaking out safely and confidently from no.1 non-fiction bestseller Tara Moss.
Worldwide, less than one out of every four people we hear from or about in the media is female, and men outnumber women in parliament by more than three to one. If half of humanity's experiences, perspectives and possible solutions to world problems are under-represented, or entirely unheard, all of us lose out.

Tara Moss has spent 20 years in the public sphere and has had to face down nerves, critics and backlash to emerge as a leader in speaking out. In this handbook she offers advice on preparation, speaking out and negotiating public spaces. With a special focus on public speaking, writing, social media and online safety, she offers tips on how to research, form arguments, find support and handle criticism.

This is a guide for women young and old that not only helps them find their voice, but argues passionately for why it matters.

PRAISE FOR SPEAKING OUT

'To say this book is timely is to put it mildly ... It should be mandatory reading for every teenage girl, let alone women in general.' Weekly Times

'This book by Tara Moss is so very important. It has been an eye-opening read for me and it has changed my life. If every young man and every young woman was given a copy of this book it would make so many small changes in individual behaviours that we might just be able to begin to tackle a problem that is often invisible to us' Krissy Kneen, Avid Reader

'Moss provides clear, simple strategies to cope with the often disproportionately agressive response women receive when they speak out' Jane Gilmore, Guardian Australia

'Written specifically to help women combat the unacceptable challenges they face when telling their stories in public in the age of online trolling. It deconstructs abuse and belittling techniques in an enormously helpful way.' Clare Bowditch

'We think this is a handbook for every woman in the world.' Ramona magazine
'Can't recommend it enough - every girl ought to have a copy!' Virginia Gay, ABC Book Club TV

Auteur

Tara Moss is a best-selling author of 13 books of fiction and non-fiction, published in 19 countries and 13 languages, a documentary host and award-winning human rights advocate. Her latest novel is the internationally bestselling historical thriller The War Widow, set in 1946 and featuring 'staunchly feminist, champagne-swilling, fast-driving Nazi hunter investigator' PI Billie Walker.

Moss is an outspoken advocate for the rights of women and children, and people with disabilities. She has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2007 and as of 2013 is UNICEF Australia's National Ambassador for Child Survival. In 2014 she was recognised for Outstanding Advocacy for her blog Manus Island: An insider's report, which helped to break information to the public about the alleged murder of Reza Barati inside the Australian-run Manus Island Immigration Detention Centre. In 2015 she received an Edna Ryan Award for her significant contribution to feminist debate, speaking out for women and children and inspiring others to challenge the status quo, and 2017 was recognised as one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life, for using her position in public life to make a positive impact in diversity, alongside Malala Yousufzai, Angelina Jolie, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet and more. In the media and through her social media page Tara and Wolfie, she brings advocacy and visibility to issues of disability and chronic pain, and the need to normalize mobility aids.

Her in-depth novel research has seen her acquire her PI credentials, tour the FBI Academy at Quantico, spend time in squad cars, morgues, prisons, the Hare Psychopathy Lab, the Supreme Court and criminology conferences, take polygraph tests, shoot weapons, conduct surveillance, pass the Firearms Training Simulator (FATSII) with the LAPD, pull 4.2 G's doing loops over the Sydney Opera House flying with the RAAF, and acquire her CAMS race driver licence. She has hosted the true crime documentary series Tough Nuts - Australia's Hardest Criminals on the Crime & Investigation Network, 'Tara Moss Investigates' on the National Geographic Channel, the author interview show Tara in Conversation on 13th Street Universal and write and host the documentary Cyberhate, about online abuse.

Moss is a dual Australian/Canadian citizen, and divides her time between NSW and Vancouver with her husband and daughter. Visit her at taramoss.com