Powerhouse announces Shakthidharan memoir as first literary acquisition

Powerhouse has acquired ANZ rights for Gather Up Your World in One Long Breath, the debut memoir by S Shakthidharan, via Anthony Blair, Cameron’s Management.

Gather Up Your World in One Long Breath is described as ‘a fierce, tender memoir’ by the publisher. ‘This book takes readers on an intimate journey shaped by Sri Lankan heritage, the experience of migration and the complexities of fatherhood and family.’

Shakthidharan is a writer, director and producer from Western Sydney with Sri Lankan heritage and Tamil ancestry. He wrote the play Counting and Cracking (Belvoir and Co-Curious) with associate writer Eamon Flack, which won the Victorian Prize for Literature at the 2020 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.

Powerhouse head of writing Jemma Birrell said the memoir is ‘a revelation – it’s a door into Shakthi’s life, compelling, intimate and heartwarming.’

Shakthidharan said: ‘Gather Up Your World in One Long Breath is very special for me and for my family. It contains some of our most deeply held and hard-won truths. Perhaps they will help you uncover your own. I hope this story will make you laugh and cry and grow and wonder, just like it has for me in the process of writing it.’

The memoir marks the official launch of Powerhouse’s new literary publishing program. The book will be sold and distributed by Thames & Hudson ANZ under a new sales and distribution agreement between Powerhouse and T&H.

Gather Up Your World in One Long Breath is planned for release in September 2025.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions