Love, Expanded goes to Atlantic Books

Erika Koljonen, Non-Fiction Editor at Atlantic Books, has bought World Rights in Wren Burke’s Love Expanded: How Asexuals and Aromantics and Redefining Love, Life and Family from Judith Murray at Greene & Heaton. Love Expanded will be published in hardback, eBook and audio on 3^rd June 2025.

 

What if romantic love wasn’t the only kind we prioritised? What would happen if we put the same emphasis on platonic love? How would we understand and relate to each other? How would we change?

In this quietly radical book, Wren Burke makes a case for breaking out of our outdated social and cultural conventions that tell us romance alone will bring us true happiness. By shifting our focus to love all its manifestations, Love Expanded offers us a way through the loneliness epidemic: one that prioritises community and companionship over the search for ‘the one’.

This illuminating book is for anyone who wants deeper, more authentic connections; for those who crave partnership but not romance; for single people in a world which benefits couples. It offers us new languages for consent that take apart old-fashioned scripts in favour of better, clearer communication, and different approaches to dating that focus less on seeking instant attraction and more on building friendships.

You don’t need a romantic partner to be complete; you’re already whole.

 

Wren Burke grew up in a quiet corner of Hertfordshire, where they spent a lot of time wondering why everyone else was so interested in the whole ‘dating’ thing. Without much of a local queer community, they turned to the internet to find their people, and to stories for their representation.

They spend their free time birdwatching, playing video and tabletop games, and over-analysing fictional characters in everything from Shakespeare to science fiction. Love Expanded is their first book.

 

Wren Burke says,

‘Most people don’t know what asexuality and aromanticism are, let alone the pressure we face living in a romance-obsessed, sex-obsessed society. There are some incredible books explaining our identities out there, but I’ve yet to see anything that really explored how asexual and aromantic people live, love and create families outside the norm… or how everyone can fight back against the message that only a romantic partner will make them happy. That’s why Love Expanded is so important: it shows how much everyone is burdened by our fixation with romance and sex, and how much bolder and freer we could all be. As a closeted teen, I could never have imagined I’d one day see my perspective on the world turned into a book. It’s been incredible to have Atlantic supporting me in this journey, giving a voice to a community that’s so used to being ignored and unheard.’

 

Erika Koljonen says,

‘From the moment this landed in my inbox I knew this was an important, polemical book to publish. The asexual and aromantic communities are, unfortunately, still marginalised and misunderstood, and as Wren so eloquently shows in Love Expanded, these are issues that impact all of us. I’m thrilled they’ve chosen Atlantic and Allen & Unwin UK as the home for their first book!’

 

Judith Murray says,

‘Wren Burke’s thoughtful and thought-provoking book comes at a time in our turbulent world when tolerance and diversity and inclusion are under attack, just when we need such values most. In this book, they show us that humanity *is* diverse and that we are all the better and richer in every way by understanding, including and celebrating that diversity in ourselves and in the other human beings with whom we share our world. Wren also reminds us how liberating it is for all of us to realise the joyous potential of other forms of love, especially friendship – Love Expanded indeed!’