A&U acquires Cullen memoir

Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to The Desert Swimmer, a memoir by Brendan Cullen.

The Desert Swimmer follows Cullen as he begins swimming ‘as part of his recovery from severe depression’, said the publisher. ‘In 2022, despite his nearest beach being more than 600 kilometres away, Brendan swam the English Channel.’

Cullen is a sheep station manager located 60 kilometres east of Broken Hill. He became a Lifeline Ambassador in 2017 and a peer-support mental health champion for rural people through the We’ve Got Ya Back initiative, and he also represented Rebel Sport for their ‘Sport is Calling’ campaign in 2024.

He said, ‘This book is not only a gift to the people that have supported me throughout my life and continue to support me, but also to those who want to find a way to forge forward and find the strength in themselves that they never knew existed.’

Publisher Sally Heath said, ‘The book travels with Brendan for his gruelling 64-kilometre swim. We learn about what brought him to this challenge and understand why he has become a beacon of hope for rural Australian people trapped in a cycle of depression.’

The book will be co-written with Paul Mitchell, the Melbourne-based author of of We. Are. Family. (MidnightSun) and Matters of Life and Faith (Coventry Press). 

A&U plans to publish The Desert Swimmer in March 2026. 

Category: Local news News Rights and acquisitions