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Overwhelmed by company? Five introvert-friendly ways to hang out

Overwhelmed by company? Five introvert-friendly ways to hang out
It can be challenging to leave the house when you’re all out of eye contact, but a low social battery doesn’t have to mean a life short on socialising

Jenny Valentish
Thu 29 May 2025 01.00 AEST
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When I arrive at a gathering I tend to announce my departure in the same breath as my greeting. “Hi! I brought some wine, where do you want it? Just letting you know I can only stay an hour because I start work really early on Sunday mornings.” Then I might throw in a little yawn and stretch.

Previous books

Everything Harder Than Everyone Else

When Jenny Valentish wrote a memoir about addiction in 2017, she noticed that people who treated drug-taking like an Olympic sport would often hurl themselves into a pursuit like marathon running upon giving up. What stayed constant was the need to push their boundaries.

Woman of Substances

Journalist Jenny Valentish investigates the female experience of drugs and alcohol, using her own story to light the way. Her travels around Australia take her to treatment facilities and AA groups. Mining the expertise of 30 leading researchers, she explores the early predictors of addiction, such as childhood trauma and temperament, and teenage impulsivity.

Cherry Bomb

Word is The Dolls got their record deal through nepotism, but if it wasn’t for Nina sleeping with the right people they wouldn’t be anywhere at all. Now her aunt’s career is threatening to take off again and eclipse her own, and nobody likes her new material. A stretch in rehab’s starting to look like a good career move.

Teaching

Workshops + Teaching

“Jenny Valentish teaches her craft with the same real world insights and fearless wit that makes her writing so compelling” — Michael Dwyer, journalism lecturer, Australian College of the Arts College of the Arts.

Manuscript Assessment + Coaching

“Jenny gave me so much clarity and an incredible amount of direction that I had lost along the way – too overwhelmed by a project 10 years in the making” – Mel Bampton, Triple J

Media Training

“The media training Jenny provided for my artist was extremely beneficial and made a massive difference in my artist’s ability to engage with media in a relaxed and personable manner” – Nate Flagrant, Flagrant Artist Management

Talks + Panel Moderation

“She’s smart and experienced, a terrific listener and an excellent speaker: Jenny Valentish is a talented writer who understands how to deliver quality for festival audiences” – Rosemary Sorensen, director, Bendigo Writers Festival