'Enchanting, amusing, life-affirming and wise.' TONI PEAREN From much-loved Play School presenter, actor and award-winning storyteller Rachael Coopes comes Paris for Beginners, a coming-of-age memoir about going to the other side of the world to find your true self.

When Rachael was in her late twenties, she was awarded a scholarship to study at Philippe Gaulier's renowned Paris clown school, which counts the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen and Emma Thompson among its alumni. Rachael left behind a burgeoning acting career, a loving and talented boyfriend and an art deco apartment in Sydney, and surrendered to the possibilities of the City of Lights.

From getting cosy with bed bugs in the Marais to evenings spent commiserating over an aperitif with her fellow students, Rachael's time in Paris had its ups and downs. But it was during her years there that she truly found her feet, letting go of the inner 'good girl' that had held her back in Australia and finally coming to understand herself – both on stage and in life.

Under the tutelage of the enigmatic Gaulier, Rachael flapped her arms like butterfly wings, begged for her life at make-believe gunpoint, studied Shakespeare, Chekhov and Greek tragedy, and tapped into the very real emotions that helped make her the performer she is today.

'My time in Paris was a deeply joyous and formative chapter of my life, a time when I felt anything was possible,' said Rachael. 'Writing this book was like writing a love letter to a lost amour – to Paris and the past, and all the emotion that is stirred in us when we revisit those corners of ourselves.'

For fans of Almost French and Emily in Paris, Paris for Beginners is a beautiful memoir about acting, friendship and heartbreak. Ultimately, it's a story about growing up (even when you're already, supposedly, a fully-fledged adult) and figuring out what you really need.

About the author

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.