Inside the Dame Jacinda Ardern book publicity juggernaut

Tuesday, 3 June 2025

The Guardian had one. So did the Sydney Morning Herald. The Rest Is Politics emailed subscribers in red italics, boasting of one.

Exclusive extracts, exclusive interviews and the first reviews are rolling off the presses as the world’s media reads, reacts and shares the first look of Dame Jacinda Ardern’s memoir, A Different Kind of Power.

Extracts from the book have appeared in media around the world over the last few days ‒ her conversation with the Queen and asking for advice about working and mothering appeared in The Guardian shortly after the Star-Times published the world-first extract, about Ardern discovering she was pregnant, during coalition negotiations with NZ First, and after failed fertility treatments.

Newsroom’s review, published today, says it’s the first (the first of a few, perhaps). The Listener published its own on Monday.

In publishing, generally an exclusive means no other media have it ‒ although the term can be stretched to print exclusive or broadcast exclusive, or an exclusive in a given country (which is a bit of a stretch in the age of the internet). In the Ardern book tour world, though, everyone has an exclusive.

Media, in being sent advance copies, were required to abide by a strict embargo on publishing details of the book.

But today it’s officially on sale. It’s been reviewed by Stars Wars actress Natalie Portman and billionaire philanthropist Melinda Gates and even has its own website.

By Monday evening, New Zealand time, The Rest Is Politics podcast was sharing details of its “exclusive” interview with Ardern, inviting media to quote from its transcript.

But it was a bit late ‒ Ardern had already been interviewed, by Sunday Magazine, the New Zealand Herald, TVNZ’s Hilary Barry, and The Guardian. (The Guardian, in an email to subscribers, was even offering New Zealand media the opportunity to “bid” for an interview with editor-in-chief Katharine Viner, about her interview with Ardern.)

On Tuesday, Fairfax newspapers Sydney Morning Herald and The Age were sharing their own “exclusive” extracts on their sites.

Ardern has also been interviewed by America’s CBS, and the ABC (“in her first Australian TV interview”, an accompanying story says). The interviews are almost certain to continue and will mark a period of intensive publicity for Ardern, who has largely stayed away from New Zealand media since stepping down as prime minister in early 2023.

Ardern has been busy on the private speaking circuit, however, and as well as this book, has a children’s book in the works, and a documentary which premièred at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

At the weekend Ardern, who is a fellow at Harvard University, told social media followers she’d attended an early book event in Massachusetts. While there is no word yet of a book tour in New Zealand, Ardern will be promoting the book in the US and UK over the next two weeks, including in London on June 14.

Later this week Ardern will have appearances in New York and Washington DC. General admission tickets (purchased through the book’s own website jacindaardernbook.com) were selling for US$36 (NZ$60). Reserved seating at the New York event was sold out.

At the DC event, as well as a ticket, you could buy a signed book for US$47 (NZ$78).

Back where it all started, in Parliament, on Tuesday morning Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he hadn’t read the book yet.

Former Labour leader David Cunliffe, who also appears several times within the pages, said it was on his reading list but hadn’t got there yet.

Former Labour prime minister Helen Clark told The Post she also hadn’t read it yet.

Penguin Random House New Zealand director Becky Innes told The Post “a handful” of extracts had been published in world media “most of which are not exclusive”.

While there had been “massive interest” from global media, most review copies were only landing with media on Tuesday. New Zealand and Australia book tours were on the agenda when Ardern returns to Australasia, with timings and details to be confirmed.

“Pre-orders are certainly the largest Penguin NZ has seen in a while,” said Innes. “It’s too early to know how day one is going but anecdotally so far today booksellers are telling us people are coming in to look for it as a result of media over the weekend, and we are getting re-orders.”

What the critics say (spoiler, it’s all positive)

Henry Cooke, The Listener

“Well written and gives you real glimpses inside the brain of the prime minister through insane crises ‒ something no other PM has done since Bolger. It is also frustrating in what it doesn’t decide to tackle, in how it glides over the ways her project has been undone since leaving office. But I do really recommend it.”

Steve Braunias, Newsroom

“There are a lot of good pages in the book. It’s a classy work of literature ‒ it always helps when a memoirist can actually write.”

Jenna Price, Sydney Morning Herald

“Here was I expecting a detailed account of her many battles as prime minister – but she spends just as much time talking about her hopes and feelings and relationships as she does on how she came to be nominated to lead the New Zealand Labour Party and how she came to be prime minister.”

Frances Stead Sellers, The Washington Post

“Part political, part domestic memoir. She writes about leading as a woman and managing the uneasy work-life balance. Her anecdotes will resonate with any working mother.”