Hembury Books Publishes Fiction And Non-Fiction Books.
Andrew Pettifer
Andrew Pettifer is a British–Australian author whose work explores the quirks of the human condition, the joys of travel, and a lifelong devotion to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
Born and raised in London, Andrew enjoyed a 35-year career as a chartered building services engineer, holding senior roles with global firms Arup and Mott MacDonald after relocating to Sydney in 2007. Throughout his working life, he cultivated an interest in leadership, human behaviour and storytelling. He has written extensively for the engineering industry, with articles published in The Fifth Estate and the CIBSE Journal.
In 2023, Andrew retired to pursue his passion for travel, sport and writing. With career ambitions fulfilled and a shared desire to live life to the full, he embarked on a midlife gap year with his wife Tracy that took them across five continents and every state in Australia. These journeys – filled with humour, insight and a fascination for people and places – inspired his upcoming travel memoir Travels with Tracy.
Andrew’s first book, When the Final Whistle Blows, is a deeply personal chronicle of the 2024/25 Spurs season under Ange Postecoglou, and a heartfelt tribute to Cameron Whyte, former leader of the Sydney OzSpurs and a warrior in his fight against cancer. Both books will be published by Hembury Books in 2025.
Andrew’s writing invites readers to reflect on their own stories, embrace new adventures at any age, and find meaning in life’s unpredictability. With a talent for finding humour in everyday moments, he shares tales of reinvention and resilience – and the emotional rollercoaster of following Tottenham Hotspur for over sixty years.
Travels with Tracy
by Andrew Pettifer
It was time to step into travel and see where it would take us physically, emotionally and spiritually – to challenge the voices in our heads, evolve our life stories and learn from what the world had to offer.
Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? Who do you want to meet? These were the questions that were on Andrew Pettifer and his wife Tracy’s minds when creating a bucket list for their midlife gap year one warm, summer evening, a glass of wine in hand, a notes app open in the other.
Andrew’s second book, Travels with Tracy: Tales from a Midlife Gap Year, is not your typical travel memoir. With successful careers behind them, supportive families and a lifetime of hard work up their sleeves, Andrew and Tracy decided to pack up their lives and embark on a richly diverse two-year journey across four continents, and every state in Australia.
From exploring the outback in an RV to five-star hotels and open-top sports cars, their journey unfolds with a variety of experiences most can only imagine. Brimming with unforgettable adventures and encounters with remarkable people, Andrew takes readers from the Shibuya crossing and earthquakes in Tokyo to the Louvre and the Olympics in Paris, then all the way to the Amazonian rainforest and the breathtaking Galápagos Islands.
Closer to home, he braves the Alps 2 Ocean trail in stunning New Zealand and discovers the wonder of crossing the Nullarbor while playing the world’s longest golf course. As their travels unfold, Andrew and Tracy begin to ponder what makes life important, think deeply about what makes us who we are, and together come to understand life’s ultimate question – who do you want to be?
In Travels with Tracy, Andrew’s thoughtful search for truth and identity – delivered with wit and a fast pace – will inspire you to box up your life and dive headfirst into an adventure of your own.
When the Final Whistle Blows
by Andrew Pettifer
“This is a touching story about a Tottenham Hotspur fan experiencing the 2024/5 season from Australia. But it is also a deeply meaningful book which shows how sport connects us, and the memories that it leaves with us”
– Jack Pitt-Brooke, Tottenham Hotspur correspondent, The Athletic
When the Final Whistle Blows by Andrew Pettifer is the story of a season – and a farewell. This deeply personal memoir chronicles Tottenham Hotspur’s 2024/25 campaign under former coach Ange Postecoglou, and transforms into a heartfelt tribute to fellow fanatic and friend, Cameron Whyte, beloved former leader of Sydney’s OzSpurs.
Capturing moments of shared heartbreak and humour – the madness of midnight matches watched in pubs, hotels and cruise ships around the world – it embodies the stubborn hope that unites Tottenham Hotspur supporters across the globe.
Told alongside Andrew’s year of travel, a season of remarkable highs and lows unfolds with fierce battles on the pitch, moments of thrilling promise and frequent, frustrating setbacks. And yet, something far more profound begins to emerge – the final chapter in the life of Cameron ‘the Commander’ Whyte, a warrior in his fight against cancer.
While Spurs chase glory, Cameron inspires those around him by facing his final days, and his decision to pursue voluntary assisted dying, with the same fortitude he brought to every match. And when Spurs finally lift the Europa League trophy – just four days before Cameron’s passing – a story of glory, grief, friendship and incredible grace is complete.
Exploring the depths of loyalty and friendship, the power of community and the pain of letting go, When the Final Whistle Blows is for every sports fan who believes in hope, and for the Commander, who showed how to live – and how to leave – with dignity.
Hembury Books is a hybrid publisher in Sydney. We strive to delight authors of all genres. Retain your rights and royalties with Hembury Books.