NAIMA BROWN: The Cruise

Join us on Tuesday 27th October at 6.30pm as Naima Brown speaks to Rebecca Sparrow about her thrilling new novel, The Cruise. About the book… I HAVE A MISSION. They're the four words every member of the Squad has pledged never to ignore. Bonded by a bone-deep understanding that healing from trauma takes more than meditation and positive self-talk, this group of ride-or-die sisters-for-life survivors will stop at nothing to secure justice for one of their own. It's thanks to the Squad that Bailey Collins is not defined by what Eli Murphy did to her in high school. Ten years on, she's changed her name and overhauled her appearance, and she's just been promoted to senior producer for the reality TV show The Cruise. When Eli's audition tape lands in Bailey's inbox, it's an opportunity too good to miss. She's perfectly positioned to cast him and her undercover Squad sisters as contestants on the show. As the new season of The Cruise sets sail, Bailey plays her own game for the ultimate prize: revenge. About the author… Naïma Brown is the author of the novels The Shot (Macmillan, 2023) and Mother Tongue (Macmillan, 2025) and is the co-author of the non-fiction How to Age Against the Machine: An Empowering Guide for Women Ageing on Their Own Terms (Hardie Grant, 2023). She is the founder of Duststar Productions, an audio production company behind four Audible Original Series. Naïma was born and raised in Northern California but now resides in the NSW Northern Rivers with her husband and dog. She holds degrees in Middle Eastern Studies, Anthropology and Religious Studies. A fifteen-year career working in news, current affairs and documentary as a producer and filmmaker has seen her live and work in Yemen and Afghanistan. Naïma's non-fiction writing has appeared in Vogue, The Guardian and the ABC.

Listed by Riverbend Books, Bulimba