We’re delighted to announce that Piatkus Books have acquired BIG FAT NEGATIVE: The Essential Guide to Infertility, IVF and the Trials of Trying for a Baby, by Emma Haslett and Gabriella Griffith. UK and Commonwealth rights were bought by Non-Fiction Publisher Zoe Bohm from Juliet Pickering on behalf of Maria Whelan at Inkwell Management, for publication in trade paperback, ebook and audio in January 2022.
When friends Gabby and Emma started trying to get pregnant, and realised it wasn't going to be straightforward, they turned to books for help and advice. While there were some good, useful publications out there, the books they found were either personal memoir or practical guides, and nowhere was there a book that discussed how going through IVF can impact personal relationships, friendships, and the rest of your life.
They decided to start a podcast in the form of an informal, witty and accessible conversation about all the issues around infertility, featuring experts to debunk common myths and offer advice. Their podcast has now been downloaded over a million times, and inspired this book which will be a go-to resource for women and couples struggling to conceive delivered with the same warmth, honesty and humour.
Zoe Bohm said: ‘I’m thrilled to be publishing Emma and Gabby on the Piatkus list. The Big Fat Negative podcast has already achieved so much in terms of opening out the conversation around infertility and IVF and I know this book has the potential do even more. Big Fat Negative will be a really comprehensive guide offering both practical advice, friendly reassurance and a really holistic view of the process – I’m confident it will fast become the ultimate resource for anyone struggling with infertility.’
Emma and Gabby said: ‘Infertility can be a lonely place. Talking about our experiences on the podcast was a lifeline for us while we were going through it, and, as it turned out, for others all over the world. We're over the moon that Piatkus is enabling us to share our 'journey', and all the geeky stuff we have learned along the way, with an even wider audience. We hope this book can act as both an expert handbook and an understanding best friend to those going through infertility.’
Juliet Pickering added: ‘Emma and Gabby tackle the emotional and unpredictable process of IVF and infertility with warmth, humour and openness. Their voices are so needed on this topic, and their book is packed with essential and inclusive advice meaning women at all stages of the process will feel seen, heard and understood.’
About the book:
Infertility can be a lonely journey. One in every six couples will struggle to conceive but, despite this, many don’t feel comfortable talking openly about their experiences and sharing what they are going through. As a result, they feel isolated and alone.
It doesn’t have to be this way. By talking, laughing and shouting about our experiences we can start to lift the cloak of shame that so often engulfs those going through it. Big Fat Negative does just that. This no-nonsense, honest guide to infertility from the hosts of the Big Fat Negative podcast smashes the taboo around this isolating and heartbreaking illness, offering first-hand experience, an understanding voice when friends don’t get it, expert advice, reassurance for when you feel alone and, most importantly, humour when it you need it the most. Using first-hand accounts of the various hurdles of infertility, from work to diagnoses and IVF, coupled with advice from leading experts, Big Fat Negative will hold your hand on the no-so simple journey to motherhood – helping you to face and defeat the trials of trying for a baby.
About the authors:
Emma Haslett and Gabriella Griffith met while working as business journalists, where they bonded over their fondness for bright lipstick and their loathing for confusing corporate doublespeak. They launched their podcast, Big Fat Negative, in August 2018, in an effort to wrangle the equally confusing doublespeak surrounding infertility and IVF, and debunk some myths while they were at it. The podcast, which mixes a humorous take on infertility with expert interviews, has received wide acclaim, with mentions on BBC Woman's Hour, the Telegraph, The Metro, and Refinery 29.