Deborah Hemming

Deborah Hemming writes fiction that examines belonging, influence, and the stories people tell about themselves. Goddess follows Agnes Oliver, a rising writer drawn into the circle of Geia Stone, a famous actress who has reinvented herself as a wellness entrepreneur. An invitation to Geia’s exclusive retreat on a Greek island places Agnes among followers captivated by the host’s beauty, authority, and promises of transformation. As unusual events accumulate, Agnes begins questioning both the retreat and her own desire for acceptance. House of Anansi Press published Goddess in 2023 and presents it as a novel about celebrity culture, self-doubt, seduction, and the wellness industry. Hemming previously wrote Throw Down Your Shadows, a finalist for the ReLit Novel Award, and studied English and information studies in Nova Scotia. Goddess extends her interest in uncertain young protagonists by placing personal insecurity inside a polished commercial world where intimacy, branding, and control become difficult to separate.