FIVE SEASONS IN SEOUL

A life-changing year in South Korea

A heartfelt, sumptuous journey through one of the most fascinating cultures and landscapes on the planet, Five Seasons in Seoul is for armchair travellers and memoir lovers alike.

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'The beauty of this book is in the quiet and simple moments of Christine's memories: the joy of sharing a meal with colleagues turned friends, the lightness of an afternoon cycling in nature, the simplicity of walking around your favourite neighbourhood.'

Madeleine Cleary, author of

The Butterfly Women

'We’re used to the yearly pattern of four seasons, but in Korea they have a fifth, between late summer and autumn, when, as Christine Newell writes in this thoroughly engaging memoir of her time in Seoul, “the energies of yin and yang are perfectly balanced”...With admirable ease, she vividly evokes the sights, tastes and feel of the city, ranging from the exotic to the kinky, incorporating customs, beliefs – and a little romance.'

The Age, Saturday 22 March

'From her days as a tap-dancing dinosaur in Melbourne to life in the high-stakes, adrenaline-fuelled world of musical theatre in South Korea, Five Seasons in Seoul is a sensory treat. A skilled storyteller, Newell writes with candour, humour and charm about rejection, grief, anxiety and fear — and finding yourself where you least expected.'

Ariane Beeston, author of

Because I'm Not Myself You See

ABOUT CHRISTINE

As a non-fiction writer, Christine loves nothing more than a compelling true story and has a strong interest in writing that explores travel, wellbeing and mental health. Her debut memoir, Five Seasons in Seoul, was longlisted for the 2024 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize (under a different title) and was published by Affirm Press in March 2025. It was chosen as Dymocks Non-Fiction Book of the Month, was the Non-Fiction Pick of the Week in The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age Australia, and was featured on Arirang Radio, Korea.

Christine has appeared on panels at the Manly Writers' Festival and the inaugural Dandenong Ranges Literary Festival. She has also spoken about her memoir and journey to publication at the Korean Cultural Centre Australia and on ABC Melbourne and ABC Radio National. Her writing has been featured in Onya Magazine and The Age Australia.

With a background as a professional musical theatre performer, Christine has always been a storyteller. Her stage credits include the 1999 – 2001 national tour of The Sound of Music, starring Lisa McCune, John Waters and Bert Newton, and the Australian productions of The Wizard of Oz and Anything Goes.

In 2016, Christine wrote and produced her own one-woman show, Places I Have Been, which premiered to a sold-out audience at the Kew Court House and inspired her to write her memoir.

Christine is currently completing a Master of Arts in Writing and Literature at Deakin University. When she's not writing, she can usually be found enjoying a coffee at her local cafe, meditating at the park or watching K-dramas with her cat, Darcy, by her side.