Madam

What would you do if your husband suddenly left you with two kids to support? Go back to school? Go into real estate?

Or start a new career as a pimp?

Upon discovering that sex work is decriminalised in New Zealand, Antonia Murphy decides to build her own business: an ethical escort agency. It seems like a good idea, but she isn’t sure how it’s done, so she connects with the online sex worker community.

MadamAntonia: Hi! I’m new to all this, and I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about being a sex worker?

phryne: Well. There’s sex and there’s sex. What do you plan to offer?

These smart, sassy women teach her more than she could have dreamed of – the importance of pineapple juice, how to remove chilli oil from, ahem, sensitive places, and what ‘Greek’ means (hint: there are no togas).

Clueless but hopeful, Antonia launches The Bach: a healthy, safe place where women can earn great money and provide compassionate, shame-free pleasure for clients. At least, that’s the idea . . .

A poignant and darkly comedic memoir from a mother who opened an ethical escort agency in small town New Zealand – and dared to make a difference. Now a major international TV series starring Rachel Griffiths and Martin Henderson.

About the Author

Antonia Murphy is an award-winning journalist and the author of Dirty Chick and Madam, which has been adapted into a television series. She is also the founder of The Bach, a legal, feminist escort agency. A San Francisco native, she lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her partner and two children.