‘Love stories honour an insecure part of us,’ says romance author Claire Christian. It’s no surprise to Christian that the contemporary popularity of romance is a facet of the political and cultural landscape. ‘Romance books are about centring joy and pleasure,’ she says, ‘but they also make our desires feel seen and heard.’
A diverse set of Australian authors are benefiting from the surge. They face an overcrowded international marketplace and the challenge of exploring contemporary values in a genre traditionally maligned for its conservative tropes.
