Sarah Wilson

New York Times bestselling author, founder of I Quit Sugar and leading voice on anxiety, purpose and modern wellbeing

The Numbers

13 bestselling books across 52 countries. Ranked in the top 200 most influential authors globally, two years running. Winner of the US Gold Nautilus Prize. Clients include Google, Microsoft, Apple, BlackRock, the New York Times and Harvard University.

Overview

Sarah Wilson is one of Australia's most influential writers and public thinkers — and one of the few keynote speakers on anxiety who write from direct lived experience, not just research. Her career began in political journalism in Canberra's Press Gallery, before she became the youngest opinion columnist at News Ltd, editor of Cosmopolitan Australia at 29, and inaugural host of MasterChef Australia. In 2012 she founded the global I Quit Sugar movement, growing it into 13 bestselling books across 52 countries before selling the business in 2022 and donating all proceeds to charity.

Her New York Times bestseller First, We Make the Beast Beautiful — described by Mark Manson as "the best book on living with anxiety I've ever read" — draws on her own experience living with bipolar disorder alongside seven years of research. She's since become a leading voice on anxiety, purpose and navigating uncertainty, advising corporates and universities including Harvard and the University of Cambridge, and hosting the Wild with Sarah Wilson podcast to a global audience of hundreds of thousands.

Career Highlights

• Multi-New York Times and Amazon bestselling author of 13 books across 52 countries

• Author of First, We Make the Beast Beautiful — called "the best book on living with anxiety" by Mark Manson

• Winner of the US Gold Nautilus Prize for This One Wild and Precious Life

• Ranked among the world's top 200 most influential authors, two years running

• Founder of the global I Quit Sugar movement; sold the business in 2022, donating all proceeds to charity

• Former editor of Cosmopolitan Australia; inaugural host of MasterChef Australia

• Guest lecturer, University of Cambridge Sustainability & Leadership programme

• Clients include Google, Microsoft, Apple, BlackRock, NAB, IKEA, Harvard University, the New York Times, Woolworths and the Climate Council

• Editor's Pick TEDx talk on civilisational collapse

Key Speaking Themes

• Anxiety, resilience and mental wellbeing

• Purpose, meaning and modern philosophy

• Climate change and navigating uncertainty

• Values-led business and leadership

• Social media, misinformation and human attention

Signature Talks

• How to Turn Anxiety Into a Superpower — a nuanced conversation recasting anxiety as a philosophical and creative experience, drawn from her own lived experience and seven years researching First, We Make the Beast Beautiful

• How to Run a Business — and a Life — Based on Values — practical lessons from 1,000+ interviews with global thinkers, from the Dalai Lama to Oprah's life coach

• The Future of Wellness in Your Organisation — evidence-based wellness trends that actually work, drawn from 15+ years of research

• Anxiety and Young People — a tailored version drawing on her National Press Club address on Australia's youth anxiety epidemic

What Your Audience Will Gain

Audiences leave with practical tools for managing anxiety and uncertainty, delivered with genuine lived experience rather than secondhand theory. Sarah blends journalistic rigour, philosophical depth and personal honesty to help people navigate the emotional and social challenges of modern life.

Best Fit

Mental health and wellbeing programmes, leadership conferences seeking authentic (not performative) content on anxiety and resilience, and sustainability or purpose-driven events wanting a rare speaker who's genuinely walked away from a successful business for values reasons.