A deeply unhinged, hilarious story about work, relationships and other nightmares.
Examining the idiosyncrasies of workplace culture, with the rise of the familiar, love-to-hate, workplace tropes; such as work besties, work wives/husbands, bludgers, gossipers and food thieves. Daily background noise feeding into the 9-5 grind is peppered with water-cooler conversations, beeping printers and comments of ‘let’s circle back to this’.
But the familiarity of the mundane office environment is quickly warped into something much more sinister in ‘Stinkbug’. Protagonist Edith and her colleagues find themselves attending what they think is a typical workplace retreat in the bush. What is pitched to the motley crew as a lesson in team building, embodying company values and exploring creativity descends into a dark and unhinged madness.
In ‘Stinkbug’. Sinéad turns her keen yet empathetic eye on the lies we tell about ourselves in order to belong, and the disturbing ideas that take hold once the doors are locked. The result is a wildly original story that will captivate you into the last page.
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Meet Sinead Stubbins
Sinead Stubbins is a Melbourne-based writer, editor and cultural critic, and the author of In My Defence, I Have No Defence. Her work appears in print, online and on TV.
As a writer, editor and cultural critic, Sinéad Stubbins writes for popular TV recaps, films, music and culture.
Sinéad writes for popular TV recaps such as Junkee, and most notably on Game of Thrones, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Neighbours, and also writes about film, music and culture for The Guardian, ELLE, frankie, The Big Issue, New York Magazine, Pitchfork and others.
In 2016 she contributed to the University of Queensland Press anthology ‘Doing It’ and has also appeared in two frankie press collections, ‘Something to Say’ and ‘Look What We Made’.
She has spoken at the Emerging Writers’ Festival, National Young Writers’ Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and The Wheeler Centre’s Storytelling Gala.
In 2018 she was long-listed for the Richell Prize for Emerging Writers. In 2020 she sold her essay collection ‘In My Defence, I Have No Defence’ plus a second book to Affirm Press.
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‘I wanted to explore the more sinister side of the wellness movement’s infiltration into the corporate space – workplaces who may give you a pink cupcake on International Women’s Day, but fire women in the middle of their maternity leave,’ said Sinéad. ‘Stinkbug is a story about the work/life balance dream curdling and becoming a nightmare. What happens when you’re meant to treat your job with absolute familial loyalty and your personal relationships become a series of productivity goals?’
– Sinéad Stubbins
‘The Office meets Nice Perfect Strangers. Sinéad Stubbins is very, very funny.‘
– Victoria Hannon
‘Part anxious millennial fever dream, part searing workplace satire, this corporate gothic novel is perfect for fans of Yellowface, Nightbitch and Such a Fun Age‘
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