Q&A with Sarah Clutton
- Allen & Unwin
- Jun 17
- 3 min read
We chat with author of The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains, Sarah Clutton.

In The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains, readers meet a wildly endearing nine-year-old whose journey from Ireland to a small Tasmanian town is as heartwarming as it is heart-wrenching. With wit, wisdom, and more emotional insight than most grown-ups, Alfie unearths long-buried family secrets and reminds us all of the power of truth, love, and second chances.
We caught up with the author to talk about the inspiration behind Alfie, writing from a child’s perspective, and why sometimes it takes a little boy with a big heart to bring a fractured family back together.
A&U: Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for chatting with us. Alfie Bains is such a charming, unexpected hero. Where did his voice come from?
SC: Alfie is one of those rare characters who just appeared fully formed on the page. I have my own children and I guess there was a little of them in there, but he is all his own person and was a joy to write.
A&U: The novel explores the power of family - both the ones we’re born into and the ones we find. Why was that important to you?
SC: I am fascinated by family in all its forms. I love exploring the ideas around what makes a family. Within each family ecosystem there exists such different expectations and rituals and histories. My own immediate and extended family has been formed in various different ways, and so I have always been interested in adoption and stepfamilies and sperm donor families and blended families. These situations force us to examine our own beliefs about what makes a family. How do we co-exist and thrive in the messiness of love and jealousy and heartbreak and betrayal? It is incredibly interesting to me as a person and a writer.
A&U: What was it like writing from the perspective of a child dealing with such grown-up truths?
SC: I had to dig deep to find my inner child when writing Alfie, and to remember those feelings of frustration when grown-ups were making decisions for me. I often felt outraged by my own lack of agency as a child and so I wanted to explore that in the context of a situation where adults feel they are protecting a child by not telling them the truth. This so often happens, and I think we underestimate the damage it can do.
A&U: The Tasmanian setting is so vivid. What does that landscape bring to the emotional weight of the story?
SC: The Northwest Tasmanian coastline where the story is set is ruggedly beautiful and bewitching. I think the raging power of the ocean and the beauty of that landscape makes a fantastic backdrop for the emotional struggle that each of the protagonists goes through. They can ponder the power of nature and its place in our personal struggle. Plus, it's fun to write!
A&U: How did you balance humour and heartbreak in a story with such emotional depth?
SC: I think it's a fine balance. You have to be careful with humour in heartbreaking stories. But so often in life, when presented with one awful thing after another, we have to laugh or we would be constantly curled up sobbing on the floor. I think it's about finding the kernels of the ridiculous in any difficult situation and being able to honestly examine them, and being prepared to open up to them. With some honesty and some levity, life feels much better to me.
A&U: What would you say is the remarkable truth at the heart of Alfie’s journey?
SC: I suppose there are many truths, but I think what Alfie does is force the other characters to be honest with themselves and to confront what is true to them. He has a unique way of peeling back the layers of complexity that adults add to situations and presenting them back in a different way. Seeing the truth of the world through a child's eyes, but with a factual clarity born of a precocious mind is the gift that Alfie brings to this story.
A&U: What do you hope readers take away about the nature of forgiveness and understanding?
SC: In this story, many of the characters learn to let go of the hurts inflicted by others that are ultimately holding them back. Perhaps readers will see that letting go and forgiving those who have hurt us can be the catalyst for our personal growth towards happiness. Who knows?

The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains
by Sarah Clutton
For readers who love The Midnight Library and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, here comes your next favourite life-affirming, delightful and funny novel.
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