Renegade wins three-way auction for Michelle Elman's 'taboo-smashing' book

Demosthenous said: "I have been a long-time fan of Michelle’s, lapping up her beautifully no-nonsense, straight-talking and relatable advice for more than a decade. When Megan, Michelle’s agent, first told me about Bad Friend at a publishing party, I think she was slightly alarmed by how excited I got! After following her online, I’m so proud to be working with Michelle on her latest book. In Bad Friend, Michelle has turned her expertise to the subject of friendship break-ups. Research shows that the average person will experience the ending of 23 friendships in their lifetime—yet, despite this, the topic is shrouded in shame. Michelle has set out to fix this, peeling back the veneer and removing all the stigma. I just know that readers are going to relate to hard to Bad Friend, and that it’s going to help so many people."

Elman said: "I have wanted to write a book on friendship break-ups for ages but every time I sat down to write it, I hesitated because I was worried that I was just a Bad Friend—and then it occurred to me, that’s the whole point! When someone has a turbulent childhood, we understand that it will impact romantic relationships, yet we never stop to consider that it could extend into platonic relationships. When you are ashamed about a topic, it’s easy to think you’re the only person in the world going through it, but anytime I broke my silence online, my comment section would be flooded with stories of similar heartbreak.

"In Bad Friend, I explore why society assumes friendship should be easy, effortless and second nature—when actually it’s often hard, lonely and heartbreaking. My friendships have really carried me through my life, and it’s time we give friendship the time and attention it deserves. I feel so lucky to be able to work with Christina. It’s an author’s dream to find an editor who already knew their voice and was equally passionate about their work—so when this offer landed in my lap, it felt like it was meant to be! I hope with this book out in the world that people don’t need to go through this unique kind of heartbreak alone, and I also hope Bad Friend becomes more than a book, but also a resource, conversation and a societal shift to ensure we can navigate towards better, healthier and stronger friendships!"

Staunton said: "As our modern-day agony aunt, I was delighted when Michelle told me that she wanted to write a book about the relationships in our life that often go uncelebrated by society—friendship. Bad Friend arms the reader with guidance and support on how to navigate uncomfortable and tricky conversations that ultimately arise in any relationship whilst honouring the love, importance and joy of friendship."