Paris for Beginners

Sometimes the best compass to follow is your heart. 

Actress Rachael Coopes had a serious boyfriend and successful career in Australia when she was awarded a scholarship to study at a renowned clown school in Paris.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime, so she upped sticks and fully surrendered herself to the possibilities of Paris. Cue a coveted pied-à-terre with a view of the Eiffel Tower, quaffing champagne at midnight with her glamorous new amies, and learning how to flirt in French. But for all its charm and sensual pleasures, Paris had a hard lesson or two to teach her about life, and love.

Paris for Beginners is about growing up (even when you're already, supposedly, a fully-fledged adult) and figuring out what you need in life, set against the perennially alluring backdrop of the City of Lights.

Rachael Coopes is an Australian actress and writer best known for her roles in the cult SBS series, Life Support, the internationally-renowned McLeod's Daughters and All Saints. In 2004, she was awarded the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship and the Ian Potter Cultural Trust to study in Paris with Philippe Gaulier, mentor and teacher to Sacha Baron Cohen. Currently a presenter on Australia's beloved Play School, she's graced the stage and screen for thousands of ecstatic toddlers, starred in Australia's most loved dramas, developed engaging television for kids, and written award-winning theatre. Her previous book, Find Your Strength, is also published by Affirm Press.