I popped my headphones in, pressed play and listened to the introduction which made me sit up in my seat on the train, knowing right from the beginning that this book was going to be something illuminating and special. And I was not wrong! Bastow injects so much nuance and wry hilarity into the delivery, you can literally imagine little Clemmy (and adult Clem) navigating this weird and wonderful world in her head. I pre-ordered a paperback copy to read (especially because I wanted the sparkly cover for my collection), but when I found out the audio book was read by Bastow herself, I bought and consumed all 8 hrs 57 minutes in a weekend, as I knew from listening to her on the radio that the delivery would be fantastic. I knew Late Bloomer would be an important book to review and share within the Centre and its wider community. At Melbourne Centre for Women’s Mental Health, we know that Autism often manifests differently in women, girls and gender diverse people, and can go undiagnosed. Scrolling through her social media accounts, where she posts impressive cosplay outfits, amusing memes, pictures of her dog Milly and more recently documenting the creation of this book I followed along in real-time, as her journey of seeking and confirming an Autism diagnosis, at age 36 unfolded. The music and arts community in Melbourne can feel like a small town, and for me Bastow’s voice has always been a welcome and exciting part of it. I’ve followed Clem Bastow’s work since my early 20’s, from listening to her great voice on different Triple R radio shows, to reading her journalism covering music, entertainment, film criticism, feminism and many a taxonomic listicle. The book Late Bloomer: How An Autism Diagnosis Changed My Life has long been on my radar.

Delusions of gender by cordelia fine