Author In-Conversation: Tess Woods

The Cairo Bridal Shop is Tess’s love letter to her grandmother and to Egypt. Join us for this special conversation as we turn the pages of this deeply personal book.

About the book:

A sweeping story of sisterhood, love and defiance, The Cairo Bridal Shop by Tess Woods blends family drama, romance, politics and the stories of the ancient pharaohs to create an unforgettable portrait of modern Egypt.

The novel follows three sisters bound by their late mother’s bridal shop and by the lives they are fighting to claim. Sarah longs for a child while trapped in a crumbling marriage, Aya risks everything to save the man she loves from political imprisonment, and Lola grapples with her identity in a society where being herself could cost her everything. As pressure mounts from family, culture and the state, the sisters must navigate impossible choices — and hold on to each other through it all.

Deeply personal, The Cairo Bridal Shop draws on Tess’s early childhood in Egypt and her family’s migration to Australia in 1979, a decision shaped by political instability and fears for their safety during a volatile period in the Middle East. It is also inspired by her beloved grandmother, a bridal dressmaker who rebuilt her life in Australia. The novel stands as a love letter to her grandmother and to Egypt, honouring both its beauty and its contradictions.

Tess is the author of the breakout novel The Venice Hotel, which achieved significant commercial success, hit #3 in the Australian Fiction chart in its first week, was shortlisted for the ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and made the top ten in the Better Reading Top 100 for 2025. The novel marked a major turning point in Tess’s career, taking her from an under-the-radar author to a bestseller.

She is also the founder of the wildly popular Festival of Fiction, Australia’s answer to the traditional literary festival which celebrates storytelling across genres from romance to crime, fantasy and children’s books. The event has grown rapidly, doubling in size year on year and selling out annually, now featuring close to 100 authors.

The Cairo Bridal Shop is a vivid novel about family, identity and the courage it takes to shape your own life even when the odds are stacked against you.

About the author:

Tess Woods once had a simple life until her compulsion to write made-up stories complicated everything. She’s now an award-winning and Australian Top 10 bestselling author of contemporary fiction. Tess also works as a physiotherapist in private practice, and she shares a clinic and a home on the stunning Western Australian coast with her husband. She’s the mother of two brilliant grown-up children who she loves to travel with, and a fluffy cat who keeps her company while she writes. Tess was born in Alexandria to an Egyptian family and has drawn from her heritage to write The Cairo Bridal Shop, the book of her heart.

“Illuminating, compelling and affecting. These women stole my heart and kept me guessing until the last page. I loved it!” -Sally Hepworth