Someone Like Me - by Clem Bastow & Jo Case (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In Someone Like Me, editors Clem Bastow and Jo Case showcase the wide-ranging experiences of Autistic gender-diverse and women writers - and explode long-held stereotypes.

BIPOC and white gender minorities with Autism have existed on the fringes of mainstream media for too long, rarely seeing representations of their unique experiences, hardships and triumphs.

Delving into topics like sex, living room dance parties, the natural world, eating disorders, religion and all-encompassing passions, Someone Like Me brings together an eclectic mix of forms and voices that expand the cultural definition of the Autistic experience.

Featuring contributions from authors from Australia and beyond - including Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb, and Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times - this groundbreaking anthology invites Autistic people of all kinds to find company in these pages, and maybe even see themselves too.

'Vivid self-portraits, often written with powerful immediacy' - The Age

'These are vital stories... A timely, touching and important collection which will undoubtedly inspire and pave the way for future storytelling in this space' - InDaily

'Someone Like Me provides a snapshot, or an archive, within our cultural library of how neurodivergent communities express themselves through language and dialogue circa 2025' - ArtsHub

'Extraordinary... Each essay is deeply felt and open, creative and illuminating' - Newtown Review of Books

About the Author

Dr. Clem Bastow (they/them) is a screenwriter, cultural critic and award-winning critical Autism studies researcher from Naarm-Melbourne. Clem works as a screenwriter and neurodiversity consultant for film and TV, and teaches screenwriting at the University of Melbourne. Clem's debut non-fiction book, Late Bloomer, was published in 2021. They have contributed to numerous books, including Investigating Stranger Things and ReFocus: The films of Elaine May, and their writing appears regularly in The Guardian.

Jo Case (she/her) is a writer and editor who lives in Adelaide. Her memoir of autistic motherhood, Boomer and Me, was published by Hardie Grant in 2013, and she has contributed personal essays to Mothermorphosis (MUP) and Rebellious Daughters (Ventura). She is the deputy editor of Books & Ideas at The Conversation and has worked in various roles in books and publishing, including as a festival programmer and literary editor. Her writing has been published in The Age/Sydney Morning Herald, The Monthly, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, The Big Issue Fiction Edition and Best Australian Stories.