Gleaner April May 2024

From David’s Desk

We’re back, as the last Gleaner promised, and it feels to me like we’ve moved into luxury accommodation after far too many years in a fast-sinking pub. It’s very, very, nice. For those (few) of you who, like me, have been formed by, and are often stuck in, the 20th century, please get over it and admire the beautifully renovated building.

It’s a tribute to a very gifted and committed team of architects from AN+A. and the builders (Iceberg), designers (MAAT), craftspeople and associates who made it happen. None of it would have been possible without the vision and dedicated support of the building’s owner since 2020, Liz Allen. Thank you Liz. Come in and see our sparkling new premises, browse.

I’ve been so taken up with the thrills and spills of the renovation and relocation that I’ve had precious little reading time or energy.

So can I just remind people of two brilliant Australian crime books, just out: Sanctuary by Garry Disher and Pheasants Nest by Louise Milligan.

The first is an accomplished and well-wrought stand-alone work from a prolific master of the genre, the other a brilliant first-time effort from a high-profile writer of the highest quality investigative journalism. Very different books, but they share a capacity for intelligent and sensitively nuanced exploration of important material.

Louise is one of a pantheon of stellar authors who will be appearing at Sydney Writers’ Festival in May. We are proud to continue our long association with the festival which began 20 years ago. This issue we are highlighting some of our must-see events, but the full program has many rich surprises, so check out swf.org.au

David Gaunt, director

Step inside: find a huge range of books and much, much more on the beautiful ground floor.

Shop Talk

Peter Goldsworthy: The Cancer Finishing School

A GP of 40 years’ practice and a celebrated writer, Peter Goldsworthy (“Dr Pete” to his patients) brings his characteristic black humour to the tale of his own cancer journey. In conversation with David Marr.

Gleebooks Glebe shop, 3 May, 6 for 6.30pm, free/$9/$12

Nick Bryant: The Forever War

The Forever War tells the story of how America’s political polarisation is 250 years in the making. Hear Nick discuss why the hate, divisiveness and paranoia we see today are a core part of America’s story.

Gleebooks Glebe shop, 12 June, 6 for 6.30pm, free/$9/$12

These are just two highlights of our packed program of literary events and book launches. See gleebooks.com.au for more

Grab a coffee and relax in the cafe on the new mezzanine level.

Our revamped events space hosts talks, literary events and book launches and more. Below left: Visit the cosy kids’ nook.

Fiction

The Sydney Writers’ Festival is just around the corner. As a sponsor for the past 20 years, Gleebooks is thrilled to once again play a role in presenting a stellar line-up of Australian and international authors in talks, lectures, panels and more. Authors stepping up to give insights into their books and their craft this year include Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry), Ann Patchett ( (Resurrection Walk) and Celeste Ng (Our Missing Hearts). There are more than 250 local authors on the program, including three Miles Franklin winners, Chandran (Safe Haven), Melissa Lucashenko (Edenglassie) and (Wifedom), and Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan (Question 7 are free and ticketed. We have highlighted events throughout this issue –check out the full program at swf.org.au

Gleebooks will be in the middle of the action with a pop-up shop at the Carriageworks festival hub at Eveleigh – come up and say hello!

Kate Grenville: Restless Dolly Maunder

Renowned historical fiction writer Kate Grenville (pictured), whose bestseller, The Secret River, won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, draws on family memories for her latest stunning novel centred on her grandmother. In the 19th century, marriage was a clever girl’s only escape, but Dolly was determined to make the most of her meagre lot – even if it meant constantly uprooting her family in the quest for a life she could call her own. Discover how Kate inhabits her grandmother’s story, in conversation with Nicole Abadee.

Thursday 23 May, Carriageworks, $15/$25

AUSTRALIAN FICTION

To Sing of War

Catherine McKinnon

In December 1944, in the New Guinea jungle, Australian nurse Lotte Wyld reunites with her first love, soldier Virgil Nicholson. Meanwhile, at Los Alamos, physicists

Miriam Carver and Fred Johnson join Oppenheimer’s mission to build a war-ending weapon, while Kitty Oppenheimer faces personal constraints. In Japan’s Miyajima, Hiroko Narushima protects her family. Each seeks belonging amid independence, grappling with secrets and fears. To Sing of War is a resonant tale of friendship, love, and the human struggle against the backdrop of history.

$32.99, 4th Estate. Out May

ALSO OUT

For Everything a Time

Mark McAvaney

$34.99, Ultimo. Out May

$32.99, Allen & Unwin. Out now

$34.99, Ultimo. Out now

Why Do Horses Run?

Cameron Stewart

After being lost and wordless for three years, a man named Ingvar aimlessly traverses endless landscapes. His journey leads him to a secluded tropical valley where widow Hilda offers him shelter. Both haunted by their pasts, they find solace in each other’s silent company. This poignant debut delves into themes of love, loss and the human urge to escape. Amid nature’s dualities, it explores the enduring forces of compassion and belonging.

Audrey’s Gone AWOL

Annie de Monchaux

Audrey Lamont realises she’s lost herself after decades of family dedication. Feeling invisible and neglected by her husband Simon, she escapes to rural France, seeking solace with her aunt and eccentric locals. While waiting for her sudden absence to spark a change of heart in Simon, Audrey finds unexpected fulfilment in French countryside charms. Yet, Audrey going AWOL may not only save her marriage but also redefine her life. In this tale of reinvention, Audrey learns that change, even later in life, is not only possible but liberating.

Ordinary Human Love

Melissa Goode

$34.99, Ultimo. Out May

Depth of Field

Kirsty Iltners

$34.99, UWA.

Out May

Only the Astronauts

Ceridwen Dovey

A lovelorn mannequin orbits the Sun in a red car, pining for its creator. Tamponauts embark on a daring Mars mission, while Voyager 1 encounters enigmatic Oortians near the solar system’s edge. These object-astronauts are not high priests of the universe but something a little ... weirder. From their inverted perspectives, they observe humans, bearing witness to a civilisation unable to live up to its own ideals. And yet each finds something worthy of love. This is a transformative new collection from the author of Only the Animals $34.99, Picador. Out now

The White Cockatoo Flowers Stories

Ouyang Yu

No Church in the Wild

Murray Middleton

The End of the Morning

Charmian Clift

Charmian Clift’s never-before-published novel

The End of the Morning follows Cressida Morley and her eccentric family who live on a wild beach during the Great Depression. Outsiders in their small working-class community, they rant and argue and read books and play music. As Cressida matures, she plans her escape, questioning who she will become. This final and unfinished work, regarded by Clift as her most significant, is now released posthumously as a novella.

Accompanied by a selection of Clift’s essays and an afterword by her biographer Nadia Wheatley, it offers a glimpse into her literary legacy.

$34.99, NewSouth. Out now

Literary legends: Susan Wyndham, Nadia Wheatley and Brigitta Olubas discuss the work of Clift, Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower on Wednesday, 22 May, State Library of NSW, $20

All the Beautiful Things You Love

Jonathan Seidler

Elly and Enzo are ending their 10-year relationship, prompting Elly to sell their shared belongings in hopes of healing. Amid the clutter of memories in their London flat, she lists items like the table from Italy and a vintage couch on Marketplace. But as she navigates this process, unexpected challenges arise which reveal deeper insights about love and loss. All the Beautiful Things You Love explores the complexities of relationships and the significance of keepsakes in moving forward.

$34.99, Macmillan, Out now

Bromantic: Jonathan Seidler discusses rom-coms with James Colley, Saturday, 25 May, Carriageworks, $15/$25

Psykhe

Five years after violence erupted between young migrants and police in Melbourne’s inner west, a police-led trip to hike the Kokoda Trail seeks to rebuild trust. But fresh allegations of racial profiling have the community on a knife’s edge. And new cop Paul quickly realises it will take more than community policing to fix relations with local youth. No Church in the Wild explores contemporary Australian society and its underlying prejudices, from inner-city high-rises to the jungles of Kokoda.

$34.99, Picador. Out now

A father and son ponder fame, fortune, and the path of receding from the world. On Christmas Eve, a lonely immigrant ventures from suburbia to the city. Spouses grapple with their son’s need for an English name. Between Shanghai and Montreal, a Chinese student and his Canadian admirer exchange letters. Ouyang Yu’s The White Cockatoo Flowers is a collection of stories that celebrates lived experiences and language complexities, exploring cultural transitions and identities. $32.99, Transit Lounge. Out now ALSO OUT

Ghost Cities

Siang Lu

$32.99, UQP. Out April

The Gorgon Flower

John Richards

$32.99, UQP. Out now

Kate Forsyth

Different from birth, Psykhe possesses the beauty of Venus and the rare gift to save mortals’ lives, earning both rejection and reverence. But a conflict with Venus strips her of everything, leaving her desperate to support her family. Befriended by the enigmatic Nokturna, Psykhe falls for Ambrose, unaware of his true identity. Forbidden from seeing his face, Psykhe risks all to save him, journeying to the Underworld to confront its queen, Proserpina. Kate Forsyth revitalises the timeless tale of Psyche and Eros, celebrating female resilience, desire and empowerment.

$34.99, Adult Local Vintage. Out May

The Gift of Greek Myth: Kate Forsyth discusses Psykhe with playwright Tom Wright, 24 May, Carriageworks, $15/$25

Fiction

Refuge: Viet Thanh Nguyen and Shankari Chandran

The life stories of refugees have all the narrative tropes of myth, repletewith world-shattering conflicts, perilous voyages and courageous heroes – who sometimes get to live happily ever after. Hosted by refugee law expert and advocate Daniel Ghezelbash, this free event brings together Pulitzer Prize for Fiction-winner Viet Thanh Nguyen (A Man with Two Faces) and Miles Franklinwinner Shankari Chandran (Safe Haven), whose latest books draw on firstperson accounts of seeking asylum and illuminate the realities of this all-toocommon experience. Go beyond the media reports, with these dramatic tales of escape and its aftermath.

Thursday, 23 May, Leighton Hall, John Niland Scientia Building, UNSW, Kensington, free Safe Haven Shankari Chandran

$34.99, Ultimo. Out May

Arriving in Australia seeking asylum, Fina aids refugees in Port Camden where she finds a new family. After speaking out for those getting detained, she faces arrest and deportation. Luckily, a special investigator uncovers the truth by delving into a mystery tied to Fina’s fate. The secrets revealed will divide the town and the nation. Safe Haven is about displacement and seeking refuge – but ultimately it is a story about finding home – and the lengths you’ll go to find safety and love.

Shankari Chandran will also be appearing at SWF with Yumna Kassab, 25 May, Carriageworks, $15/$25.

AUSTRALIAN FICTION

The Work

Bri Lee

Lally has invested everything into her gallery in Manhattan and the sacrifices are finally paying off. Pat is a scholarship boy desperate to establish himself in Sydney’s antiquities scene. When they meet at New York’s Armory Show their chemistry is instant – fighting about art and politics is just foreplay. With an ocean between them their international affair ebbs and flows like the market, while their aspirations and insecurities are driving them both towards careerending mistakes. Dazzling, funny and unforgettable, The Work is an epic and forensic exploration of modern love and passion, politics and power. $32.99, Allen & Unwin. Out now

‘Tender and humane, a haunting debut.’

TIM WINTON

‘Hugh Mackay is one of this country’s most perceptive social commentators.’

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

Host City

$35, Hunter. Out now ALSO OUT

David Owen Kelly

$32.95, Puncher and Wattman. Out now

A Minor Fifth

G.S. Dickson

INTERNATIONAL FICTION

Table for Two

Amor Towles

Amor Towles fans are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter fiction – six stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood. The New York stories, most of which take place around the year 2000, explore the intricate dynamics of modern marriages. In Rules of Civility, the indomitable Evelyn Ross’s journey from New York to LA unfolds through seven perspectives, offering a noirish tale of reinvention. Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting fiction. $34.99, Hutchinson Heinemann. Out May

The Silence Factory

Bridget Collins

Henry dreams of silence, of escaping the clattering of carriages through cobbled streets, the distant cries of drunken brawls, the relentless ticking of the clock. He encounters a mysterious gentleman offering precious silk that promises to drown out the world’s noise. Summoned to cure Sir Edward’s daughter’s deafness, Henry investigates the silk’s origins, ignoring warnings from the governess. Drawn deeper into Sir Edward’s world, Henry discovers the true cost of the silk. From the author of The Binding, The Silence Factory explores complicity, desire, and corruption. $32.99, HarperCollins. Out now

ALSO OUT

The Hive and the Honey

Paul Yoon

$32.99, Scribner. Out April

The Underground Library

Jennifer Ryan

$34.99, Macmillan. Out now

Enlightenment

Sarah Perry

James

It’s 1861 on the Mississippi River. Enslaved Jim hides on Jackson’s Island to avoid separation from his family. Huck Finn, escaping his violent father, unintentionally joins him as the two find themselves on a perilous raft journey down the Mississippi River. Each bend on the adventure brings salvation or demise. James is an enthralling and ferociously funny novel that leaves an indelible mark, forcing us to see Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in a wholly new and transformative light.

$34.99, Mantle. Out now

Pity

Fellow worshippers at Aldleigh’s Bethesda Baptist chapel in Essex, Thomas Hart and Grace Macauley, share a spiritual connection despite their age difference. Their bond is tested when love enters their lives. Thomas falls for James Bower, curator of the local museum, and they become fascinated by the vanished astronomer Maria Veduva. As Thomas struggles with unreciprocated feelings, he finds solace in astronomy. Meanwhile, Grace encounters Nathan, sparking a passionate but short-lived romance. Their separate paths lead them to revelations about love, life, and the mysteries of Aldleigh. $34.99, Mantle. Out now

Paul Lynch: Prophet Song

In his Booker Prize acceptance speech, Paul Lynch admitted his fifth novel, Prophet Song, had been difficult to write. “The rational part of me believed I was dooming my career,” he said, “though I had to write the book anyway. We do not have a choice in such matters.” Set in Ireland’s near future, Prophet Song depicts a collapsing society in the grip of an increasingly tyrannical government. The Booker Prize judges described it as a novel “to remind us of all that is worth saving”. Sit down with Paul and host Michael Williams to discuss this timely and terrifying parable.

Friday 24 May, City Recital Hall, $45-$65

A once thriving town is dealing with its lost purpose. Brothers Alex and Brian, rooted in their family’s mining heritage, confront personal challenges as the town declines. Alex, in middle age, faces the repercussions of a shattered personal life, while his son Simon explores identity through sex work and drag performances. Set across three generations of a south Yorkshire mining family, Pity explores resilience amid loss and the potential for transformation. Andrew McMillan’s poignant debut novel captures both lamentation for the past and hope for the future.

$32.99, Canongate. Out now

Picture: Ray Burmiston

Andrew McMillan

Percival Everett

Fiction

INTERNATIONAL FICTION

Caledonian Road

Andrew O’Hagan Earth

Renowned art

historian Campbell Flynn embarks on a tumultuous journey into middle age. Fuelled by a craving for admiration and novelty, he finds himself entangled with Milo Manghasa, a captivating and enigmatic student. As the year unfolds, a series of scandals and secrets emerges, threatening to expose the true nature of Campbell’s privilege. With his life on the brink of public scrutiny, Campbell confronts the consequences of his actions in this unputdownable tale of downfall and redemption from the author of Mayflies $34.99, Faber. Out now

John Boyne

It’s the tabloid sensation of the year: two wellknown footballers standing in the dock, charged with sexual assault. As the trial unfolds, Evan Keogh reflects on the events that have led him to this moment. He’s a talented footballer who wanted to be an artist. A gay man in a sport that rejects diversity. A defendant whose knowledge of what took place on that fateful night threatens more than just his freedom or career. John Boyne’s Earth is a gritty story about a young man whose direction in life veers off into the unexpected $29.99, Doubleday. Out now

ALSO OUT

Shanghailanders

Juli Min

$34.99, Dialogue.

Out May

Antiquity

Hanna Johansson

$27.99, Scribe.

Out April

$34.99, Picador.

Out now

$32.99, Canongate.

Out May

$26.99, Faber.

Out now

Long Island

Colm Tóibín

Eilis Lacey, a married Irish woman, faces a seismic upheaval in her life. In 1976 Long Island, Eilis grapples with the claim that her husband Tony has fathered a child with another woman. With her marriage, family and sense of belonging at stake, Eilis confronts difficult choices surrounding her husband’s child that test her resilience and redefine her identity. Colm Tóibín crafts a compelling narrative exploring love, loyalty and the complexities of human relationships in this poignant tale.

All Fours

Miranda July

A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, beds down in a nondescript motel and immerses herself in a temporary reinvention that turns out to be the start of an entirely different journey. Part absurd entertainment, part tender reinvention of the sexual, romantic and domestic life of a 45-year-old female artist, July once again hijacks the familiar and turns it into something new and thrillingly, profoundly alive.

The Gentleman from Peru

André Aciman

We spend more time than we know trying to go back. We call it fantasising, we call it dreaming ... but we’re all crawling back, each in his or her own way. A group of college friends stranded at an Amalfi Coast hotel in Italy become intrigued by the daily routine of a mysterious, white-bearded stranger who they spot smoking on the verandah each night. When they invite him to lunch, they discover his miraculous abilities and life-changing story. The Gentleman from Peru tells a tale of regret, fate, and epic love, blending atmospheric insight with sensual storytelling.

Love and Longing

Love is indeed a many splendoured thing in the work of K Patrick and Christos Tsiolkas (left), who know first hand the pleasures of writing queer love stories. Hosted by Madeleine Gray (Green Dot), this conversation brings together two authors to discuss their sensual new novels. K’s Mrs S pulses with lust and longing at an elite boarding school, while Christos’ critically acclaimed The In-Between follows a fledgling relationship between two middle-aged men. Swoon with K and Christos in this heartfelt discussion of romance, regret, desire and hope.

Thursday 23 May, Carriageworks, $35-$45

Picture: John Tsiavis

Day One

Abigail Dean

In the version of Day One that Marty wishes was true, strange inconsistencies emerge, sparking questions and igniting a media frenzy. The conspiracy theorists that obsess over exposing the truth leave the community changed forever. Survivors cope with guilt, families are torn apart, and outsiders hunt for truth. As events spiral out of control, the true story is revealed, piece by shocking piece. Day One is an unflinching and heart-breaking exploration of our obsession with tragedy – and what it really means to live it.

$39.99, Hemlock Press. Out now

The Road to the Country

Chigozie Obioma

In a nation torn apart by civil war, two brothers find themselves on opposing sides. Kunle embarks on a quest to reunite with his sibling, leading him into the chaos of battle. Along the way, he forms unbreakable bonds and encounters a woman who alters his fate. Chigozie Obioma’s epic tale explores redemption, love and bravery amid the turmoil of the Biafran War, weaving myth and reality into a captivating narrative of resilience and sacrifice.

$34.99, Hutchinson Heinemann. Out May

The Husbands

Holly Gramazio

Lauren’s life takes a surreal turn when she discovers a stranger in her flat claiming to be her husband. Shockingly, evidence supports his claim, leading to the realisation that her attic is conjuring endless husbands for her. But when you can change husbands as easily as changing a lightbulb, how do you know whether the one you have now is the good-enough one, or the wrong one, or the best one? And how long should you keep trying to find out?

$34.99, Chatto & Windus. Out now

To the Dogs

Louise Welsh

Jim Brennan is flying high as the big man at the university. He has a beautiful, accomplished wife, two healthy children, an Audi and a pedigree bichon frisé. Then his son Elliot is arrested on drug charges. Jim’s past resurfaces through menacing demands from people he thought he had left behind. This is a darkly comic novel from the award-winning writer of The Cutting Room, exploring organised crime, institutional corruption and moral compromise in Glasgow. $32.99, Canongate. Out now

Francesca de Tores’ (above) new novel Saltblood tells the story of Mary Read’s remarkable journey of gender identity, survival and transformation in a wild adventure of passion and loss in the golden age of piracy. She joins Lauren Groff (The Vaster Wilds, Matrix) to explore their portrayals of ordinary women doing extraordinary things – and heroines so fierce they jump off the page. Thursday, 23 May, Carriageworks, $15/$25

Picture: Andrew North

Fiction

CRIME & THRILLERS

A Refiner’s Fire

Donna Leon

When two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice’s campi, the son of a local hero is implicated. But when Commissario Guido Brunetti is asked by a wealthy foreigner to vet this man, Monforte, for a job, he discovers that Monforte might not be such a hero after all. Soon, he discovers the sordid hypocrisy surrounding Monforte’s past, culminating in a fiery meeting of two gangs and a final opportunity for redemption. A Refiner’s Fire is Donna Leon at her very best: an elegant, sophisticated storyteller whose indelible characters become richer with each book. $34.99, Hutchinson Heineman. Out June

The Cryptic Clue

Amanda Hampson

In ZigZag Lane, in the heart of Sydney’s rag-trade district, tea ladies Hazel, Betty and Irene find themselves in hot water. With a track record of solving crimes, they are called upon by a local police officer to thwart a security threat. Meanwhile, Irene receives a coded message leading to a bank robbery’s spoils, sparking a treasure hunt with unexpected twists. As trouble brews at Empire Fashion Wear, Hazel must rally her friends to save their jobs and role as tea ladies.

$34.99, Viking. Out now

Red River Road

Anna Downes

$34.99, Affirm.

Out April

Close to Death

Anthony Horowitz

$34.99, Century.

Out now

$34.99, HarperCollins.

Out now

$32.99, Raven.

Out now

Think Twice

Harlan Coben

Sports agent Myron Bolitar is thrust into a baffling mystery when FBI agents accuse his “deceased” former client, Greg Downing, of a recent double murder. Convinced of Greg’s death years earlier, Myron embarks on a quest to uncover the truth. The more Myron and his close friend Win dig into what really happened, the more dangerous their world becomes. Secrets, lies and a murderous conspiracy that stretches back into the past are at the heart of this blistering new thriller from Harlan Coben.

$34.99, Century. Out May

City in Ruins

Don Winslow

Sometimes you have to become what you hate to protect what you love. Danny Ryan, once a humble dock worker turned Las Vegas casino tycoon, enjoys a life of luxury. But his ambition triggers a ruthless power struggle with Vegas elites, vengeful FBI agents, and a rival casino owner. As past enemies resurface, Danny faces a choice: surrender everything or resurrect his ruthless past to save his empire and loved ones. City in Ruins is a sprawling crime saga spans gritty Providence to the glittering casinos of Vegas, exploring themes of love, ambition, and revenge.

The Last Murder at the End of the World

Stuart Turton

Outside the island there is nothing – the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island, 122 villagers and three scientists coexist harmoniously until a scientist is brutally murdered. The crime triggers a security system drop, wiping their memories and exposing them to the lethal fog. With 107 hours until the fog smothers the island, they must solve a crime they no longer remember. A gripping murder mystery from the author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Aussie Crime All-stars

From parched paddocks to sleepy coastal towns, the bodies keep piling up – and Australian readers can’t get enough.

This panel event brings together some of Australia’s hottest local crime writers, with Sulari Gentill (The Mystery Writer), McKenzie (The Tipping Point, pictured) and Benjamin Stevenson (Everyone on this Train Is a Suspect).

Dust off your Akubra for a thrilling chat about the outback noir genre and what makes Aussie crime fiction unique, with host Alex Adsett.

Thursday 23 May, Carriageworks, $25-$50

Picture: Emma Stergio

Crime lords

Three aficionados of crime dissect their thrilling bodies of work with fellow crime writer Benjamin Stevenson (Everyone on this Train Is a Suspect).

International superstar Michael Connelly (Resurrection Walk, pictured) joins forces with local legends Chris Hammer (The Seven) and Michael Robotham (Lying Beside You), whose compulsive whodunnits have been adapted by streaming services Netflix, Stan and Network 10/BBC, respectively.

They discuss how to make a memorable murderer and plot a bestseller, as well as the abiding appeal of this timeless genre.

Friday 24 May, Riverside Theatre, Parramatta, $50

CRIME & THRILLERS

$34.99, Macmillan

Out May

$32.99, Allen & Unwin. Out now

ALSO OUT

They Thought I Was Dead

Peter James

Meet Sandy, the wife of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a woman with a dubious past, a complicated present and an uncertain future. Sandy disappears, triggering a nationwide search of no prevail. For the first time, Peter James reveals the truth behind Sandy Grace’s mysterious vanishing in They Thought I Was Dead. This gripping tale revealing Sandy’s journey will captivate longtime fans of the series and new readers alike.

Pheasants Nest

Louise Milligan

Kate Delaney’s life takes a terrifying turn after humiliating the wrong man on a girls’ night out. Now, brutalised and bound in a car by a stranger, she faces unimaginable fear. As a journalist, Kate knows the grim statistics of missing women all too well. With hope fading, she clings to memories of her loved ones. Meanwhile, detectives confront the grim reality of unsolved cases. Award-winning writer and journalist Louise Milligan has crafted a gripping thriller infused with heart and originality.

A Calamity of Souls

David Baldacci

$34.99, Macmillan. Out now

It Takes a Town

Aoife Clifford

$34.99, Hardie Grant. Out now

Sanctuary

Garry Disher

Grace is a skilled thief seeking a way out of her solitary and risky lifestyle. When she stumbles upon Erin Mandel’s antique shop, she sees an opportunity for a fresh start and a chance at normalcy. However, danger lurks as both Grace and Erin become targets of men with their own agendas. With tension escalating, Grace must navigate treacherous waters to protect herself and find a place to call home. A thrilling new standalone set in regional South Australia from one of the country’s most esteemed crime authors, Garry Disher. $34.99, Text. Out now

When We Were Silent

Fiona McPhillips

$34.99, Bantam. Out April

Picture: Kat Westerman

Fiction

HORROR FANTASY

The North Wind

Alexandria Warwick

For 300 years, the land surrounding Edgewood has been encased in ice as the Shade, a magical barrier that protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond, weakens. Only one thing can stop the Shade’s fall: the blood of a mortal woman bound in wedlock to the North Wind, a dangerous immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules. When the North Wind sets his eyes on Wren’s sister, Wren will do anything to save her – even if it means sacrificing herself in the process. $32.99, Simon & Schuster. Out now

When Among Crows

Veronica Roth

Pain is Dymitr’s calling. To slay the monsters he has been raised to kill, he had to split his soul in half to make a sword from his own spine. Pain is Ala’s inheritance. When her mother died, a family curse to witness horrors committed by the Holy Order was passed onto her. The curse will claim her life unless she can find a cure. One night in Chicago, Dymitr comes to Ala with a bargain: her help in finding the legendary witch Baba Jaga in exchange for an enchanted flower that just might cure her. When Among Crows is an emotionallycharged contemporary fantasy of love, sacrifice and ancient enchantments. $22.99, Titan. Out May

The Ministry of Time

Kaliane Bradley

$32.99, Sceptre. Out May

The Dragons of Deepwood Fen

Bradley P Beaulieu

$32.99, Ad Astra. Out now

You Like It Darker

Stephen King

Stephen King has, for half a century, been a master of stories that delve into the darker part of life, and this collection, with tales about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, is as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King writes to feel “the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind”, and in You Like It Darker, readers will feel that exhilaration too.

$34.99, Hodder & Stoughton. Out May

SPECULATIVE FICTION

$34.99, Text.

Out now

$34.99, Luminous.

Out now

The Mark

Frida Isberg

In Reykjavik in the near future, society grapples with the divisive Empathy Test, measuring compassion and identifying anti-social behaviour. Two-thirds of people have “marked” themselves in a public register, while tensions rise as spaces exclude the “unmarked”. As a national referendum approaches, the novel follows four characters who must navigate this shifting landscape of ethical dilemmas, prejudice and trauma. The Mark is a brilliant, topical novel about misinformation, partisanship and how societies polarise.

The Morningside

Téa Obreht

Once the pride of Island City, The Morningside now crumbles amid half-submerged streets. Silvia, an 11-year-old newcomer, arrives with her secretive mother, oblivious to their past. Aunt Ena’s enchanting tales of their homeland spark Silvia’s imagination, especially when she encounters Bezi Duras, rumored to inhabit the penthouse with her enigmatic dogs. Driven by curiosity and hints of her own past, Silvia embarks on a quest to uncover the truth about Bezi Duras and the mysteries shrouding her own origins.

Fantastical Worlds

Australian fantasy

heavyweight Garth Nix (The Old Kingdom series, pictured) takes to the stage with ascending local star Shelley Parker-Chan (The Radiant Emperor duology) and global sensation Samantha Shannon (The Roots of Chaos series) to explain how they create expansive universes for their epic stories, heroes and heroines. Hosted by Aimée Lindorff. Thursday 23 May, Carriageworks, $35-$45

Dully Dispatch

Spoilt for choice is an understatement right now. We are packed to the rafters with outstanding new release books. It’s marvellous – here is a taste.

Thunderhead. A mysterious word and one you are going to be hearing everywhere. Sydney writer and poet Miranda Darling’s novel Thunderhead lands in-store in April and it’s Letitia’s pick of the month. Sparse, lyrical, funny, terribly sad at times and entirely original, this is a beautiful story of one day in a woman’s life – a life she feels trapped in or estranged from. Darling has given a precise voice to the internal and intrusive dialogue we so often live with – especially in times of distress. Those private thoughts that can scare us, keep us awake or leave us feeling untethered? Thunderhead puts them on the page and we all feel less alone as a consequence.

Is sinister literature a genre? If so, New Zealand’s Catherine Chidgey may have cornered the market. Having loved her 2023 novel Pet (a Dully favourite), we couldn’t wait to read The Axeman’s Carnival, an intimate story of a marriage told entirely from the point of view of a domesticated magpie. What starts as a novel conceit is actually a devastatingly effective fly-on-the-wall device. This is an inventive, riveting and menacing read, and Chidgey is a true storyteller.

A tender and suspenseful Australian novel not to be missed, Letitia recommends Cool Water by Miles Franklin-shortlisted author Myfanwy Jones. Moving between the present day (her character Frank has a real Richard Ford’s Frank Bascombe feel) and 1950s country Australia, Jones writes wonderfully memorable characters and deftly explores boyhood, fathers and sons, and an unforgiving small-town life. Every word rings true here.

Koko recommends Free Therapy, an Irish debut by Rebecca Ivory (we can’t get enough Irish literature at Dully). This collection of stories peers into the lives of all sorts of people, exploring the mundane and dramatic aspects of life we can never truly control. Each story is vulnerable and laid bare, evoking pain, laughterand yearning. These understated stories, morally grey characters and Ivory’s writing style will stay with you for a long time.

Book recommendations are a beautiful thing – and they flow both ways. Lachlan is indebted to a Dully local who put him onto Garry Disher and his Hirsch police series set in rural South Australia. In good news, Disher has a new book out in April –Sanctuary – and Lachlan gives it the big thumbs up. A standalone novel, Sanctuary is about a high-end thief trying to lie low and change her life, while her dangerous past inevitably

catches up with her. Great (flawed) characters and a propulsive story – when you read Garry Disher, you know you’re in the hands of a master.

Speaking of quality crime writing, Dasha has just finished the new Tana French novel, The Hunter. A sequel to The Searcher, we are reunited with retired Chicago police officer, Cal Hooper – still living in a remote Irish village. Beautifully written, this is a slowmoving, quietly suspenseful story. With wonderful characters and a vivid landscape, French doesn’t disappoint.

Dasha has also discovered the work of Janice Hallett and her most recent novel A Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels This is a page-turning mystery about a cold case investigation into a cult – uniquely told through a series of email, texts, interview transcriptions and news articles. Highly recommended.

And for a bit of a flashback, Soren recommends Submarine by Joe Dunthorpe (a 2008 book and beloved 2010 film adaption). It is a hilarious coming-of-age story set in Wales (a win). Oliver Tate is a brilliant Adrian-Mole-type – meaning that despite the fact he is entirely egotistical, emotionally illiterate and unfortunately 15, there is a subtlety in the prose that affords him inexplicable pathos. Soren laughed a lot through this one. Though it was strangely light on actual submarines.

Happy reading all. See you in the bookshop.

The Dully Team

• Follow us on Instagram gleebooks_dulwich. Good times guaranteed.

Garry Disher’s Hirsch crime series is a favourite with Dully staff and locals.

Children

PICTURE BOOKS

The Land Recalls You

Kirli Saunders & David & Noni Cragg

Do not mourn the hands that raised you ... Do not weep for songs of land. Honouring the Stolen Generations, and all who have been taken, The Land Recalls You is a powerful story of returning, written with love and reverence by award-winning Gunai author Kirli Saunders (OAM) and illustrated by debut Bundjalung artists David and Noni Cragg. $26.99, Scholastic. Out May

Dinosaur in My Pocket

Ashleigh Barton & Blithe Fielden

James loves two things more than anything in the world: dinosaurs and miniatures. So when his class goes on an excursion to a museum and James finds a miniature dinosaur in the gift shop, he can’t help himself: he steals it. But as the day continues, James’s guilt grows. And so does the dinosaur! The only thing that can cure James’s guilt – and shrink the dinosaur back to its proper size – is doing the right thing.

$24.99, Lothian. Out now

ALSO OUT

Happy All Over

Emma Quay

$24.99, ABC Books.

Out now

This Is My Book

Tim Harris

$19.99, Puffin.

Out May

Country

Aunty Fay Muir

$24.99, Wild Dog

Out now

$26.99, HarperCollins. Out May

The Garden of Broken Things

Freya Blackwood

One day, curious Sadie follows a cat into the tangled vines behind the lonely house at Number 9, Ardent Street. Deep in the undergrowth, past all the twisted, rusted things, Sadie finds the cat sitting on the lap of a woman, bent with time and weariness. Sadie has found The Garden of Broken Things. This is a beautifully tender story about curiosity and the joy of listening from award-winning creator Freya Blackwood.

The Little Books of the Little Brontës

Sara O’Leary & Briony May Smith

GLEEBOOKS BOOK CLUB

Grey

Many years ago, the four children of the Brontë family – Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne – lived in a windswept house by the Yorkshire moors with their father. Although their lives were often filled with sadness and their world was only as large as the distance they could walk, their inner worlds were bound only by their imaginations. Hungry for stories, these children devoured novels and poetry, history and fables. And with the gift of a group of toy soldiers, they were inspired to make their own tiny books, laying the ground for some of English literature’s most enduring classics. $32.99, Walker. Out May

Laura Dockrill & Lauren Child

The child feels grey, despite the joyful orange balloon, the huge yellow sun and the bright green trees. But when a reassuring hand reaches out and shares words of kindness, the child begins to see the warmth of colour again, and understands that their colours will always be there and that they will always be loved. Laura and illustrator Lauren Child have created a beautiful book full of empathy and understanding that will provide comfort and hope to readers of all ages. $27.99, Walker. Out May

Calling all bookworms: we want to hear about your favourite reads! We’d love to feature more of our wonderful book clubbers in our Gleaner magazine. So if you’ve got a book you’d like to review or if you want to write about an author that’s visiting, send us an email at rachel@gleebooks.com.au. We have exciting giveaways waiting for you!

Children

FICTION 8-12

Tweet

Morris Gleitzman

The people of the world are puzzled. Their feathered friends are trying to tell them something, and they’re not sure what it is. Then a boy and his pet budgie discover the secret. Join Jay and Clyde, and their friends Maxine and Dora, on an exciting, funny, risky journey to save their families. And every other family too. $17.99, Penguin. Out now

EARLY FICTION 5-8

Orris and Timble

Kate Di Camillo

Orris the rat lives alone in an old barn until the day his solitude is disrupted by a sudden flutter of wings and a loud screech. A small owl has become caught in a trap. Can Orris rescue the owl, despite the fact that owls and rats are natural enemies? With humour and tenderness, Kate DiCamillo brings us the first of three tales celebrating unlikely friendship and the power of sharing stories and doing the right thing.

$24.99, Candlewick. Out May

Frog Squad #1 Dessert Disaster

Kate & Jol Temple

Step into a topsecret world where frogs don’t just eat flies, they eat danger! Frog Squad comes to the rescue of a mega tanker in distress – and it’s full of ice-cream! Will these brave rescue frogs be fast enough to stop Professor Cain and The Organisation of Amphibious Devious Scoundrels (TOADS) from controlling the global supply of ice-cream?

$16.99, HarperCollins. Out now

Wurrtoo

Tylissa Elisara

The Apprentice Witnesser

Bren MacDibble

Bastienne Scull is nearly 12 years old and lives a simple life as an apprentice to the Witnesser of Miracles in a small village mostly populated by women and girls. Basti knows that miracle-hunting is a lot like mystery-solving, and her little world is full of wonder and intrigue and unexpected adventure. A supremely enjoyable middle grade novel from the multi award-winning, bestselling author of How to Bee, The Dog Runner and The Raven’s Song

$17.99, Allen & Unwin. Out now

Wurrtoo the wombat lives a quiet and solitary life in his burrow on Kangaroo Island, hoping to one day travel to the mainland and marry the love of his life, the sky. When Wurrtoo inadvertently saves Kuula the koala from a bushfire, he acquires the adventure companion he didn’t know he needed. Tylissa Elisara draws on classic children’s literature in the tradition of Winnie the Pooh and Blinky Bill as well as stories from her own Narungga, Kaurna and Adnyamathanha heritage in this story about friendship, adventure and facing your fears. $19.99, Lothian. Out March

TEEN

$24.99, Allen & Unwin. Out now

ALSO OUT

Into the Blue

Cristy Burne

Blair and his cousin embark on an adventurous day out, snorkelling on the wreck of the Omeo, but their excitement turns to panic when Blair loses his brother’s cherished GoPro camera on the seabed. No one knows about his mistake except his cousin, and she urges Blair to keep it a secret. Terrified to confess but racked with guilt, Blair is left floundering in the deep. This new adventure story from award-winning children’s author Cristy Burne helps readers learn about the importance of honesty and owning your actions. $14.99, Fremantle. Out now

Deep Is the Fen

Lili Wilkinson

Merriwether Morgan doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is: simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. But an ancient Toad ritual is being held in the nightmarish Deeping Fen, and if Merry doesn’t rescue her best friend Teddy, she’ll lose him forever. Deep Is the Fen is a bewitching journey behind the closed doors of a secret society, featuring sinister toadmen, resistance witches and a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance. Ages 13+

Quiet

Tom Percival

$24.99, Simon & Shuster. Out now

Mouse on the River

Alice Melvin

$29.99, Thames & Hudson. Out now

Children

YOUNG ADULT

Ghost Roast

Shawneé and Shawnelle Gibbs

Despite Chelsea Grant’s efforts to distance herself from her father’s ghost-hunting antics, her reputation as “Ghost Girl” persists. As she navigates high school’s social intricacies, a misadventure leads to her summer punishment: working at Paranormal Removal Services, where she discovers her own supernatural abilities. Ghost Roast is a gripping paranormal escapade, blending elements of first love, obscured histories, and the daunting challenge of belonging when your father earns a living as a ghostbuster. $2.99, HarperCollins. Out now

NONFICTION

The Inventor’s Workshop

Ruth Amos

Discover how Ada Lovelace’s code inspired Charles Babbage’s work on the first modern computer; see how Lewis Latimer’s technology made Thomas Edison’s light bulb possible; and much more. With mini-biographies of more than 50 inventors and beautifully illustrated timelines showing how the creations of today exist because of the inventions that came before. Ages 7+ $26.99, Magic Cat. Out April

ALSO OUT

Cora Seen and Heard

Zanni Louise

$17.99, Walker.

Out May

The Kindness Project

Deb Abela

$16.99, Puffin.

Out May

$19.99, Farshore. Out now

The Reappearance of Rachel Price

Holly Jackson

Eighteen-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mum’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness. Rachel is gone, presumed dead. The case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. But then Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again. This is a stunning new YA thriller from the bestselling, award-winning author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Gleebooks event: Erin Gough: Into the Mouth of the Wolf

Part thriller, part queer romance, Into the Mouth of the Wolf is the long-awaited new YA novel from the awardwinning author of Amelia Westlake shades of We Were Liars and Eleven, Into the Mouth of the Wolf explores love and grief in an uncertain climate. Meet author Erin Gough and hear her talk about her new book at this special free Gleebooks event. Where: Gleebooks, 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe

When: Thursday 9 May, 6pm for 6.30pm, free, RSVP at gleebooks.com.au

GRAPHIC NOVELS

$34.99, Allen & Unwin. Out now

$19.99, HarperCollins. Out May

When the World Was Soft

Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation

Yindjibarndi believe that all creation is written in their landscape and was sung long ago, filling their Ngurra (Country) with sacred meanings and deep religious significance. These stories are passed down through generations, with grandmothers and grandfathers singing songs and telling stories, just as their ancestors did. Now, they are sharing these stories with others. Illustrated by Alex Mankiewicz with artwork by members of the Juluwarlu Art Group, When the World Was Soft is a powerful cultural gift for all ages.

Lightfall #3: The Dark Times

Tim Probert

The Lights have gone dark in Irpa. Danger lurks as the air grows colder and threats lie in the shadows at every turn. While the rest of their fellowship seeks safety, Bea and Cad team up with a small group of survivors to travel to the Citadel of Knowledge, pursuing answers to their world’s darkest mysteries. But their journey reveals even more secrets. Until an unexpected ally shines a light in the darkness, providing a clue to a mystery from long ago ... and a beacon of hope for the future.

Picture: Sally Flegg

BIOGRAPHY

$36.99, Jonathan Cape. Out now

$29.99, Black Inc.

Out now

$49.99, Scribe. Out April

Knife

Salman Rushdie

On the morning of 12 August 2022, Salman Rushdie was in New York, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man rushed down the aisle towards him, wielding a knife. What followed was a horrific act of violence. Now, for the first time, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath. Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, with gravity, with unflinching honesty. It is an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art – and finding the strength to stand up again.

Bullet Paper Rock

Abbas El-Zein

By the time he graduated from high school, Abbas El-Zein had nearly drowned in the Mediterranean, survived the breakout of civil war and lived through the violent death of two close family members.He witnessed Syrian and Israeli soldiers invade his country and, from his bedroom balcony, saw the mushroom cloud of the explosion that killed hundreds of American and French marines. Butwhile war and tragedy struck every now and then, everyday life continued unabated, rich with humour, serendipity and love of many kinds. Bullet Paper Rock is a story of survival, of desire and loss, language and violence.

The Mountains Are High

Alec Ash

What is it like to radically change your life? Writer Alec Ash meets the Chinese people who are doing just this, “reverse migrating” from the cities to the remote countryside of southwest China – and joins them himself, in an extraordinary and inspiring journey of selfdiscovery. The Mountains Are High is a beautifully written memoir about the catalysts for change and personal development that comes from taking a leap of faith, and how remodelling your attitude to conventional success can genuinely transform your life. As one of the “new migrants” tells Alec when he arrives – it is easy to change your environment and far more difficult to change your mind.

Hazzard and Harrower: The Letters

Edited by Brigitta Olubas and Susan Wyndham

$39.99, HarperCollins. Out now

Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower finally met in London in 1972 after years of having exchanged letters, cards and occasional phone calls. Over four decades, they discussed daily life, obstacles to writing, reading, politics and Hazzard’s travels. Edited by Brigitta Olubas and Susan Wyndham, this collection offers a remarkable insight into the lives and friendship of two renowned writers, shedding light on their complex relationship amid the backdrop of their times. In this free event, Olubas and Wyndham will reflect on the correspondence of two important writers, and share what they have learned about the art of writing letters and the relationships that they can sustain and destroy.

Thursday, 23 May, Carriageworks, free

If Everyone Cared Enough

Margaret Tucker

Margaret Lilardia Tucker

MBE, affectionately known as Aunty Marge, was a pioneering Aboriginal activist and one of the first Aboriginal women to publish for mainstream audiences. If Everyone Cared (1977) was a groundbreaking publication, despite it being altered to placate non-Indigenous readers unfamiliar with Aboriginal cultures. In this new edition, Margaret’s original manuscript is restored, reclaiming her authentic storytelling voice. From her happy early memories to the hardships endured at the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home, her autobiography chronicles her resilience and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights.

$32.99, National Library of Australia. Out May

Alphabetical Diaries

Sheila Heti

A thrilling confessional from the award-winning author of Pure Colour, Alphabetical Diaries is an A-to-Z account of Sheila Heti’s thoughts over a 10-year period. In the vein of Joe Brainard’s I Remember and Edouard Leve’s Autoportrait, this book is passionate and reflective, joyful and despairing.

$24.99, Fitzcarraldo. Out now

ALSO OUT

How to Avoid a Happy Life

Julia Lawrinson

$36.99, Fremantle.

Out April

Did I Ever Tell You This?

Sam Neill

$36.99, Text.

Out now

Nonfiction

Robyn Davidson: Unfinished Woman

Twenty-five years in the making, Robyn Davidson’s unforgettable memoir charts her expeditions since crossing the Gibson Desert with camels – the subject of her debut, Tracks, which her then-landlord, Doris Lessing, presciently declared “a classic”. Robyn’s exploits include having a “volcanic” love affair with Salman Rushdie in London, migrating with nomads in Tibet and marrying an Indian prince in the Himalayas. She finally returns to the long-avoided country of her childhood and her mother’s tragic suicide. Explore her remarkable life, in conversation with Michaela Kalowski.

23 May, Carriageworks, $35/$40. Robyn will also appear at a free event, 22 May at Gordon Library

Bruce Pascoe and Lyn Harwood: Black Duck – A Year at Yumburra

Bruce Pascoe (pictured) and Lyn Harwood invite us on to the Country they call home in Black Duck: A Year at Yumburra, which reflects on life after publishing Dark Emu. In the aftermath of devastating bushfires in north-eastern Victoria, the couple rebuilt their farm. Here, they run the Aboriginal social enterprise Black Duck Foods, committed to traditional food-growing processes that care for Country and give back to the community. Sit down with Bruce and Lyn, in conversation with Kerry O’Brien, to explore how Australian agriculture can be transformed through the practices of the past, as chronicled in Pascoe’s latest book, a deeply personal story about the consequences and responsibility of disrupting Australia’s history.

5 May, Carriageworks, $35/$40. Bruce Pascoe also appears at How to Rewrite History Books, with archaeologist David Wengrow, 24 May, Carriageworks, free

BIOGRAPHY

Because I Love Him

Ashlee Donohue

A very personal account of love, loss, addiction, motherhood and domestic violence.

Donohue chronicles the profound impact of life on the margins on herself, her family and her community. A proud Dunghutti woman, born and raised in Kempsey NSW, Donohue was determined to keep her family together, despite the unforgivable acts and inevitable fallout, to give her children what she never had –the presence of their father. This deeply engaging and inspiring memoir gives the reader a look into a life unravelling and the journey from addict to empowerment.

$27.99, Magabala. Out May

Love, Death and Other Scenes

Nova Weetman

$32.99, UQP.

Out now

The Rebel’s Clinic

Adam Shatz

$49.99, Apollo.

Out now

$49.99, Hardie Grant. Out now

$34.99, NewSouth.

Out now

$34.99, Granta.

Out May

Power of Balance

Kerryn Phelps

From her pioneering role as one of Australia’s first TV doctors to her leadership in the LGBTQIA+ community and her tenure as president of the Australian Medical Association, Kerryn Phelps has left an indelible mark on Australian society. Her unexpected transition to politics, culminating in her election as an independent member of parliament, underscored her commitment to effecting change. Candid and reflective, Phelps reveals her struggles, triumphs and the ideals that drive her, from advocacy on issues like Medevac and COVID-19 management to her involvement in the Teal movement.

How to Knit a Human

Anna Jacobson

How do you write a memoir when your memories have been taken?

Anna Jacobson awakens in hospital, greeted by nurses and patients she doesn’t recognise, but who address her with familiarity. How to Knit a Human is Anna’s quest to find herself and her memory after experiencing psychosis and electroconvulsive therapy in 2011, at the age of 23. As the memory barriers begin to crumble, Jacobson weaves her experiences around the gaps of memories that are still not accessible. This book is a reclamation of story and self.

Splinters

Leslie Jamison

In this blend of memoir and criticism, Leslie Jamison turns her attention to some of the most intimate relationships of her life, including her consuming love for her young daughter and a ruptured marriage that was once swollen with hope. Splinters examines what it means for a woman to be many things at once: a mother, an artist, a teacher, a lover.

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY

$35.99, HarperCollins. Out April

$34.99, Allen & Unwin. Out May

Sister Viv

Grantlee Kieza

Amid the horrors of World War II, Australian Army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel faced an unimaginable tragedy on Bangka Island in 1942. Forced by Japanese soldiers into the sea, she miraculously survived a massacre that claimed the lives of her fellow nurses. Enduring years as a prisoner of war, Vivian emerged as a symbol of resilience and compassion. Her extraordinary journey, from surviving the massacre to becoming a pioneering figure in Australian nursing, is a testament to her courage and dedication. Sister Viv, by the acclaimed author of The Remarkable Mrs Reiby, recounts the extraordinary life of a true hero who defied the odds and devoted herself to caring for others.

The Diggers of Kapyong

Tom Gilling

In April 1951, amid the Korean War’s fierce battles, Australian soldiers found themselves on the frontlines overlooking the Kapyong Valley, a critical position between Mao’s army and Seoul. Backed by New Zealand and American forces, they faced relentless Chinese offensives. The Diggers of Kapyong tells their story, highlighting the mateship, sacrifice, and heroism that defined Australia’s role in this brutal conflict. Through the soldiers’ eyes, the book captures the intensity of war and its lasting impact on those who fought.

HISTORY

Palestinians and Israelis

Michael Scott-Bauman

In this comprehensive and stimulating overview, Michael ScottBaumann succinctly explores the IsraeliPalestinian conflict and charts its history from the late 19th century to the present day. Each chapter starts with a lucid explanation of the politics and ends with personal testimony from the diaries, interviews and memoirs of Israelis and Palestinians whose lives have been marked by conflict. By presenting competing interpretations from both sides, Scott-Baumann examines the key flashpoints, including the early role of the British, the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the dramatic impact of the Six-Day War of 1967 and the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

$32.99, History Press. Out now

The Afghans

Asne Seierstad

In her compelling, intimate and thoughtprovoking new book, Seierstad introduces us to three people whose lives have been shaped by the fall and rise of the Taliban – Jamila, Bashir and Ariana – as well their families, friends, foes and co-fighters. Jamila is a women’s rights activist; Bashir is a Taliban commander; Ariana is a law student who had one semester left when the Taliban came to power. Through them, we experience and come to understand the lead-up to the Taliban retaking power in 2021, how the first year of Taliban rule unfolded, and where this leaves Afghans today, and tomorrow.

$34.99, Virago, Out now

ALSO OUT

Write Cut Rewrite

Dirk Van Hulle and Mark Nixon

$79.99, Bodleian Library. Out May

Nonfiction

HISTORY

Dark Brilliance

Paul Strathern

Between the end of the Renaissance and the start of the Enlightenment, Europe lived through an era known as the Age of Reason. This was a period which saw advances in areas such as art, science, philosophy, political theory and economics. However, all this was achieved against a background of internal conflicts and international wars, and as the US was beginning to import slaves from Africa. Focusing on key characters from the 17th to 18th centuries, including Rembrandt, Newton, Descartes, Louis XIV and Charles I, Dark Brilliance is a fascinating and wide-ranging history that explores the human costs of imposing progress and modernity.

$36.99, Atlantic. Out April

POLITICS

Somebody Told Me...

Danny Wallace

Danny Wallace fell down the modern rabbit hole of lies, conspiracies and disinformation and found families torn apart by accusations and fake news, reformed conspiracy theorists, influencers who see profit in stoking paranoia, and the shadowy nameless, faceless trolls on the other side of our screens. He discovers how disinformation and well-told lies can spread across a country, a continent, even the world and asks whether you can do anything to stop it – even with the truth on your side.

$36.99, Ebury. Out May

ALSO OUT

Because I Am Not Myself You See

Ariane Beeston

$36.99, Black Inc.

Out May

$34.99, Michael Joseph. Out now

$36.99, Ebury. Out now

The Wide Wide Sea Hampton Sides

In July 1776, Captain James Cook began his third voyage in HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, in Hawaii, Cook was killed – stabbed by the indigenous population. Cook was renowned for humane leadership, dedication to science and respect for indigenous societies so what brought him to this end, so far from his reputation?

On this voyage Cook carried secret orders and grew strange, delivering savage punishments and leading his ships into danger. The mission revealed the sharp edge of a colonial sword, leaving catastrophe in its wake.

Thorns, Lust and Glory

Estelle Paranque

Anne Boleyn has mesmerised the English public for centuries. Her execution, orchestrated by her own husband, never ceases to intrigue. How did this courtier’s daughter become the queen and what was it that really tore apart this illustrious marriage, making her the whore of England, an abandoned woman executed on the scaffold? While many stories of Anne Boleyn’s downfall have been told, few have truly traced the origins of her tragic fate. A fascinating new perspective on Tudor history’s most enduring story, Thorns, Lust and Glory is an unmissable account of a queen on the edge.

In This Economy?

Kyla Scanlan

At a time when experts overcomplicate simple things, choosing to generate smoke rather than clearing the air, In This Economy? shows that understanding the markets – and the systems they operate in – is easier than you think. Whether you’re worried about your mortgage rate, job security, bank account balance, or the health of the broader economy, this concise and witty guide will give you the confidence to make smarter financial decisions – no matter what the headlines say.

$36.99, Ebury Edge. Out May

A History of the World in 47 Borders

Jonn Elledge

$34.99, Wildfire.

Out April

In the Long Run

Jonathan White

Democracy is futureoriented and selfcorrecting: today’s problems can be solved, we are told, in tomorrow’s elections. What happens to democracy when the future seems no longer open? In this eye-opening history of ideas, Jonathan White investigates how politics has long been directed by shifting visions, from the birth of ideologies in the 19th century to Cold War secrecy and the excesses of the neoliberal age. As an inescapable sense of disaster defines our politics, White argues that a political commitment to the long-term may be the best way to safeguard democracy.

$39.99, Profile. Out now

Girt by

Sea

Rebecca Strating and Joanne Wallis

$36.99, La Trobe University. Out now

POLITICS

A Little History of the Australian Labor Party

Nick Dyrenfurth and Frank Bongiorno

The Australian Labor Party is one of the oldest labour parties in the world and the first to form a government. From the prime ministerships of Watson and Fisher to the tragedies of Hughes and Scullin, through the 1940s legends Curtin and Chifley to the governments of Whitlam, Hawke, Keating, Rudd and Gillard, A Little History of the Australian Labor Party recounts times of triumph and failure, as well as resilience. This updated edition examines Labor’s recent performance in state and territory politics and takes the national story up to the Albanese government. $27.99, NewSouth. Out now

New Cold Wars

David E Sanger

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David E Sanger delivers a gripping narrative of America’s dual conflicts with Xi Jinping’s China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia. From the optimistic turn of the millennium to the present, Sanger unveils a tale of misplaced confidence as the US grapples with a new reality of military, economic and technological rivalry. With insights from top officials, foreign leaders, and tech giants, the book explores critical questions surrounding Putin’s gambles in Ukraine, China’s response to chip embargoes, and the global repercussions. $45, Scribe. Out now

Putin and the Return of History

Martin Sixsmith

Putin is a paradox. In the early years of his presidency, he appeared to commit himself to friendship with the West. He said he supported freemarket democracy and civil rights. But the Putin of those years is unrecognisable today. He is an autocratic nationalist, dedicated to repression at home and anti-Western militarism abroad. So, what happened? Putin and the Return of History traces the forces and the myths that have shaped Putin’s politics of aggression – the subjugation of the individual to the cause of the state, the sacrifice of human lives in battle, the willingness to deceive and the belief in Great Russia’s mission to change the world.

$32.99, Continuum. Out April

$29.99, Scribe Out April.

$36.99, Wildfire. Out May

12 Rules for Strife

Jeff Sparrow and Sam Wallman

We don’t need to wait for a leader or saviour. We don’t need to limit ourselves to comments and clicks. In this stunningly original comic-book tour of a serious topic, Jeff Sparrow and Sam Wallman explore 12 powerful ideas distilled from the history of struggle for better lives, better working conditions, and a better world. They show how solidarity can be built across growing divisions – without compromising our values. In fun, short, shareable chapters, 12 Rules for Strife shows how together we can change everything.

Deterring Armageddon

Peter Apps

Deterring Armageddon: A Biography of NATO chronicles the alliance’s journey from its post-World War II formation to its response to contemporary challenges like Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. It is a tale of tension, danger, rivalry, conflict, big personalities and highstakes military and diplomatic posturing – as well as espionage, politics and protest. From the Korean War to the pandemic, the Berlin and Cuba crises to the chaotic evacuation from Kabul, it tells how the alliance has shaped and been shaped by history – and looks ahead to what might be the most dangerous era it has ever faced.

Lech Blaine on Peter Dutton

Who is Peter Dutton, andwhat happened to the Liberal Party?

In his Quarterly Essay, Bad Cop: Peter Dutton’s Strongman Politics, Lech Blaine traces the making of a hard man – from Queensland detective to leader of the Opposition, from property investor to minister for Home Affairs. Dutton’s raison d’être? Make Australia Afraid Again. Then he will offer himself as the lesser of two evils. A serious strongman for the age of anxiety. This is a story of ambition, race and power, and a politician with a plan. It is a revelatory portrait that is sardonic, perceptive and altogether compelling. Hear Lech discuss his essay in a free lecture.

23 May, Carriageworks, free

Picture: James Brickwood

Nonfiction

Closing address: Kate Manne on the future of misogyny

When Kate Manne’s first book Down Girl, a tightly argued analysis of misogyny, was published shortly after the full exposé of Harvey Weinstein, she became ‘the philosopher of #MeToo’ – someone who could explain in crisp and compelling terms what misogyny is and how it works. With her trademark combination of philosophical rigour and vivid storytelling, her next book Entitled took aim at male privilege and how it hurts women. Her new book Unshrinking: How to Fight Fatphobia targets particularly prevalent and oppressive aspects of misogyny –fatphobia and diet culture – proposing a radical rethinking of our bodies and the world. Join Kate to consider what recent activism has changed, what has resolutely stayed the same and what has worsened.

Friday 24 May, City Recital Hall, $45-$65

ESSAYS

Peripathetic

Cher Tan

Peripathetic examines the allure of uncertainty and the perpetual quest for novelty, capturing the essence of navigating unpredictable territories. Cher Tan’s essays explore themes of mundane jobs, online personas, multilingualism and the intersection of desires and realities. With luminous prose, she traverses borders both physical and abstract, challenging conventional narratives and embracing the unconventional. Drawing inspiration from outsider artists and rebels, this book celebrates the defiance of norms and the pursuit of authenticity in a world filled with contradictions.

$34.99, NewSouth. Out May

On Kim Scott

Tony Birch

Noongar writer Kim Scott has won the Miles Franklin Award twice for his novels. In this moving essay, Tony Birch shows how Scott uses fiction as a pathway to truth. We meet a writer who “inhabits a range of guises, faces he wears to interrogate the complex and messy frontier history of colonial encounters”. This is an illuminating essay on the author of the Miles Franklin Award-winning novels Benang and That Deadman Dance $22.99, Black Inc. Out now

Griffith Review 84: Attachment Styles

Edited by Carody Culver

$27.99, Griffith Review. Out May

The attachments we form shape our experience of the world and our understanding of who we are. Alongside our personal relationships –from filial to friendship, from collegiate to romantic – sit the complex emotional connections we form with places, ideas and objects. How do we navigate these varying attachments, and what can they offer us when our lives are so mediated by technology? Griffith Review 84 explores this complex issue through nonfiction, short fiction, conversations and interviews. Contributors include, Debra Oswald and Richard Glover, Danny Lavery, Hsu-Ming Teo, John Kinsella, Brooke Maddison and others.

TECHNOLOGY

$39.99, Princeton University Press. Out now

$36.99, Cornerstone. Out now

AI Needs You

Verity Harding

Verity Harding presents a humanist manifesto urging society to take charge of artificial intelligence. Drawing on lessons from past technological revolutions like the space race and the internet, Harding advocates for a future where democratically determined values shape AI’s development. Rejecting comparisons to the atomic bomb, she envisions a peaceful, purpose-driven AI rooted in societal trust. AI Needs You empowers individuals to shape AI towards the public good, ensuring it reflects our best values and serves humanity’s interests.

Read Write Own

Chris Dixon

Today’s internet, once envisioned as decentralised and democratic, is now dominated by a few giants like Apple, Google and Facebook. In Read Write Own Chris Dixon proposes saving the original dream with blockchain networks, differentiating them from mere cryptocurrency speculation. With a 25-year software industry background, Dixon outlines three internet eras: ‘read,’ ‘read-write,’ and now ‘read-writeown’ or web3, where blockchain empowers user communities. This book is essential for anyone curious about the internet’s past, present and future, offering insights and strategies for a better digital world.

POETRY & ANTHOLOGY

Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Australia

Edited by Samantha Faulkner

Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Australia, compiled by poet and author Samantha Faulkner, showcases the distinct identity of Torres Strait Islanders through their diverse voices and journeys. Hear from emerging and established writers from today and the recent past, including Eddie Mabo, Thomas Mayo, Lenora Thaker, Ellie Gaffney, Jillian Boyd-Bowie, Aaron Fa’Aoso and Jimi Bani. These and many more storytellers, mentors, traditional owners, doctors and teachers from the Torres Strait share their joy, culture, good eating, lessons learned and love of family, language and Country. $32.99, Black Inc. Out now

Naag Mountain

Manisha Anjali

Naag Mountain is a poignant journey spanning continents, from the Asian subcontinent to the South Seas, illuminating the harrowing realities of human trafficking on sugar plantations in Fiji and Australia. Through a blend of history, myth and surrealist imagery, Manisha Anjali’s debut collection of poetry resurrects the forgotten narratives of a displaced and exploited people. Characters from folklore and history converge in a vivid tapestry, where the living, the dead, and the natural world communicate through music, language and dreams.

$27, Giramondo. Out now

Wrong Norma

Anne Carson

Anne Carson is probably our most celebrated living poet, winner of countless awards and routinely tipped for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Famously reticent, asking that her books be published without cover copy, she has agreed to say this: “Wrong Norma is a collection of writings about different things, like Joseph Conrad, Guantanamo, Flaubert, snow, poverty, Roget’s Thesaurus, my Dad, Saturday night, Sokrates, writing sonnets, forensics, encounters with lovers, the word ‘idea’, the feet of Jesus, and Russian thugs. The pieces are not linked. That’s why I’ve called them “‘wrong’.”

$34.99, Jonathan Cape. Out May

Poetry prescriptions

Sydney Story Factory has been working with students from their creative writing workshops to create poetic prescriptions for all manner of modern ailments. Visit the Prescription Poetry Booth to revitalise your broken heart,

cure the blister on your heel and everything in between. Presented with Story Factory Sydney.

25 May, Carriageworks, free

Survival, sustenance stories

Social change is driven by conversation, in sharing ideas, and translating those ideas for audiences who don’t agree or understand what is at stake. For many First Nations writers and journalists, this has been a huge priority over the last year, in particular, and one that comes with a cost. In a conversation with legendary truth-tellers, find out what sustains them to keep on going in the face of profound challenges. With Larissa Behrendt, Tony Birch, Narelda Jacobs and Amy Thunig (pictured).

26 May, Carriageworks, $40/$45

LGBTQIA+ STUDIES

Detachable Penis

Sam Elkin

Sam Elkin relates his bumpy journey from lesbian to transgender lawyer in the aftermath of the 2017 marriage equality postal survey. As Victoria’s first queer law service attorney, Elkin navigates debates on trans inclusion in sports, children’s access to puberty blockers, and birth certificate law reform against a backdrop of moral panic. Reflecting on the ‘transgender tipping point’, Elkin candidly discusses surgeries, hormone therapy, and the complexities of transition. Part love letter and part cautionary tale, Detachable Penis offers a darkly humorous glimpse into Elkin’s unique life in the law. $29.99, Upswell. Out now

ALSO OUT

Kindred Spirits

Shannon Brett

$49.95

State Library of Queensland.

Out May

The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs

Gregory S Paul

$69.99, Princeton.

Out May

World Atlas of Rivers, Estuaries, and Deltas

Jim Best, Stephen Darby, Luciana Esteves and Carol Wilson

$89.99, Princeton. Out May

Nonfiction

SUSTAINABILITY

$34.99, Monash

University Press.

Out May

Wild Quests

Satyajit Das

Thirty years ago, two trips to Africa and Antarctica profoundly changed Satyajit Das’s life. During his encounters with remarkable wild animals in continents across the world, he came to question the underlying preoccupations and tensions in humans’ complex and troubled relationship with nature. During a time of ecological emergency and habitat destruction, what responsibility does the ecotourist have to the natural world? Brimming with passion, wit and candour, Wild Quests combines travelogue, history and science to provide penetrating insights into animals, humans and the future of the planet.

SCIENCE SOCIOLOGY

Why We Remember

Dr Charan Ranganath

We talk about memory as a record of the past, but here’s a surprising twist: we aren’t supposed to remember everything. In fact, we’re designed to forget. Over the course of 25 years, Dr Charan Ranganath has studied the flawed, incomplete and purposefully inaccurate nature of memory to find that our brains haven’t evolved to keep a comprehensive record of events, but to extract the information needed to guide our futures. Using fascinating case studies and testimonies, Why We Remember unveils the principles behind what and why we forget and shines new light on the silent, pervasive influence of memory on how we learn, heal and make decisions.

$34.99, Faber. Out now

The Way We Are

Hugh Mackay

Drawing on thousands of interviews over a lifetime of research, Hugh Mackay, much loved and highly respected social psychologist, presents a compelling portrait of Australia today. He celebrates the march towards gender equality and explains the stubborn persistence of misogyny, the anti-social consequences of social media, the complex legacy of the Baby Boomers, and the “fake wisdom” that guides too much of our thinking. Inspiring, provocative and powerfully argued, The Way We Are is the most important – and uplifting – book you’ll read all year. It will encourage you to reflect deeply on the question: What kind of society do we want to become?

$36.99, Allen & Unwin. Out now

NATURE

Humpback Highway

Vanessa Pirotta

Acclaimed wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta has been mugged by whales, touched by a baby whale and covered in whale snot. In Humpback Highway, Pirotta dives beneath the surface to reveal the mysterious world of humpback whales — from their life cycle and the challenges humans present, to why whale snot and poo are important for us and the ocean. $32.99, NewSouth. Out now

Metamorphosis

Erica McAlister, Adrian Washbourne

Before humans stamped their mark on this planet, insects had shaped it into the colourful and extraordinary world we all share today. Whether it’s the astonishing properties of resilin, the protein that makes fleas jump; the proboscis of the mosquito’s mouth being used to develop smart needles; or the computational dynamics gleaned from studying locust swarms in Africa – Erica McAlister and Adrian Washbourne reveal the wonder of insects, the historical figures who have made great breakthroughs in understanding them, and the increasingly vital role they play in ensuring life, as we know it, continues. $34.99, CSIRO publishing. Out now

James Bradley: The World in the Ocean

The acclaimed author of Clade and Ghost Species sinks beneath the waves once more in his latest nonfiction book, blending science, history and personal reflection to explore our natural world’s fathomless recesses. Praised by Tim Winton as a “beautiful, lucid hymn to the sea”, Deep Water: The World in the Ocean is a reckoning with the environmental catastrophe overtaking us. Dive into the most unknown place on earth with James, joined by journalist Helen Sullivan. 24 May, Carriageworks, $15/$25. James will also be speaking with Bruce Pascoe, for In Defence of Nature, 26 May, Carriageworks, $15/$25, and at Manly Library, 21 May, $5.

$36.99, Macmillan. Out now

$36.99, Torva. Out now

If You Live To 100, You Might As Well Be Happy

Rhee

Kun Hoo

Rhee Kun Hoo was in his 70s and retired from a prestigious career in psychiatry when he took up writing. In his youth Rhee lived an extraordinary life, filled with action and purpose. He served time in prison for opposing his country’s totalitarian government. He led the efforts to fix South Korea’s fledgling mental health system. Now in his twilight years, Rhee turns his pen to the often-overlooked value of ageing, sharing his wisdom and philosophy for finding a life well-lived, exploring forgiveness, facing your insecurities and opening yourself to the simple everyday joys.

$36.99, Rider. Out May

Quietly Confident

Kate James

With research showing that as many as 50% of us are introverts, why are so many of us still playing an extrovert’s game? In Quietly Confident, career coach Kate James addresses the challenges faced by introverts in a society that often favours extroversion. Drawing on her experiences working with introverted individuals, James explores how introverts can overcome barriers to success in their personal and professional lives. This book offers practical guidance for embracing authenticity, claiming worth, and finding one’s rightful place in the world.

Reason to Be Happy

Kaushik Basu

The ability to reason is one of our most undervalued skills. In everyday life, the key is to put yourself in the shoes of a clever competitor and think about how they might respond. Whether you are dealing with events on the scale of the Cuban missile crisis or letting go of anger, leading economist Professor Kaushik Basu shows how game theory – the logic of social situations – can help us achieve better outcomes and lasting happiness. Full of fascinating thought experiments and puzzles, Reason to Be Happy is a paean to the power of rationality.

When Things Don’t Go Your Way

Haemin Sunim

Living the Artist’s Way

Julia Cameron

HEALTH

Ultra-Processed People

Chris van Tulleken

For too long we’ve been told we just need to make different choices, when really we’re living in a food environment that makes it nigh-on impossible. Most of our calories now come from ultra-processed food – food that is industrially processed and designed and marketed to be addictive. Through food science and a UPF diet, Chris gets to the bottom of what’s really going on and discovers why exercise and willpower can’t save us and what UPF is really doing to our bodies, our health, our weight, and the planet.

$24.99, PEN Cornerstone. Out May

PSYCHOLOGY

Strangers to Ourselves

Haemin Sunim provides simple but powerful wisdom for navigating life’s challenges. Through his trademark combination of beautiful illustrations, insightful stories, and contemplative aphorisms, Sunim helps us reframe our mindsets and develop emotional agility. Whether you’re in the middle of a crisis or simply seeking to improve your mental and emotional wellbeing, When Things Don’t Go Your Way is a soothing balm that can help us all find courage and comfort when we need it most.

$29.99, Penguin Life. Out now

Julia Cameron has inspired millions through creative recovery with her essential tools to unleash creativity.

Rachel Aviv Zen Buddhist teacher

In Living the Artist’s Way she reveals a personal side and shares a pathway towards a happier, lighter life. Through the practice of morning rituals and the faith of listening, Julia shows how we can set the stage to receive guidance in both our lives and creative art. It is an invitation to tap into our own wisdom and ultimately, guide ourselves back to creativity.

$39.99, Souvenir Press. Out now

Strangers to Ourselves shares the experiences of five people who have come up against the limits of psychiatric explanations for who they are. It asks, do the stories we tell around mental illness affect its course, its outcomes, even our identities?

Drawing on in-depth reporting, written testimonies and formative events in her own childhood, award-winning New Yorker writer Rachel Aviv offers a subtle, compassionate, revelatory account of how we understand ourselves in periods of crisis and distress.

$26.99, Vintage. Out April

MUSIC

Yuupurnju Anthology

The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain

Kazuo Ishiguro

Memorably introduced by Ishiguro himself, The Summer We crossed Europe in the Rain collects the 16 song lyrics he wrote for US singer Stacey Kent, which were set to music by her partner Jim Tomlinson. An exquisite coming together of the literary and musical worlds, the lyrics are infused with a sense of yearning, melancholy, love and the romance of travel. The collection is illustrated by the acclaimed Italian artist, Bianca Bagnarelli, whose work perfectly captures the atmosphere and sensibility of the songs, marking a seamless blend of creativity across mediums.

$39.99, Faber. Out now

Yuupurnju: A Warlpiri

Song Cycle documents a ceremonial song cycle performed by Warlpiri Elder Henry Cooke Anderson Jakamarra in 2013 at Lajamanu, Northern Territory. This cycle, part of the traditional kurdiji “shield” ceremony, recounts a Dreaming narrative involving ancestral women on a journey across the country. The book includes the songs’ lyrics in Warlpiri, English interpretations by Jakamarra and other Warlpiri Elders, and detailed musical notation by ethnomusicologist Myfany Turpin. $80, Sydney University Press. Out May

THEATRE

Shakespeare on the Noongar Stage

Clint Bracknell and Kylie Bracknell

Hecate is a groundbreaking and audacious adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the Noongar language and from a Noongar perspective. The project in its early stages involved the development and presentation of Sonnets in Noongar, a selection of sonnets as part of the World Shakespeare Festival at the Globe Theatre in 2012 in London. This dazzling project is brought to life in this short book designed to inspire language recovery and restoration in Australia, in a period when serious attention is being paid to many endangered languages. It demonstrates the power of performance to build community strength.

$29.99, Upswell. Out April

$49.99, Canongate.

Out May

$34.99, Bloomsbury.

Out April

VISUAL ART

3 Shades of Blue

James Kaplan

In 1959, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and the other members of Miles’s sextet came together to record the seminal jazz album Kind of Blue 3 Shades of Blue examines the meandering paths which led Miles, Coltrane and Evans to the mountaintop of 1959 and the aftermath. It’s a book about music, business, race, addiction and the US cities that gave jazz its home. Kaplan meditates on creativity and the great forebears of this golden age who would take the music down strange new paths. Above all, this is a book about three very different men – their struggles, their choices, their tragedies, their greatness.

Human? A Lie that Has Been Killing Us Since 1788

Ziggy Ramo

We’ve had 235 years of continued destruction in the name of ‘civilised progress’, under an oppressive colonial system that punches down on almost everyone. We all deserve more. But to move forward we have to be honest about the past. Human? A Lie that Has Been Killing Us Since 1788 is a book, an album and an exhibition by one of the most exciting voices of this generation. With his powerful debut, Ramo asks, “Would you still fight for human rights if it meant giving up your privilege?”

mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri

Judy Watson

Judy Watson is one of Australia’s most globally collected and exhibited artists. Her practice is centred on truth-telling as a Waanyi woman, particularly in relation to environmental protection; historic government policies concerning Indigenous Australians; and collecting institutions that house cultural material often acquired under distressing circumstances. She refers to her researchdriven practice as “rattling the bones of the archive”. mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri includes paintings, sculptures and print works from her 30-year career. Its title, from a poem in Waanyi language by the artist’s son Otis Carmichael, translates as “tomorrow the tree grows stronger”’.

$74.95, Queensland Art Gallery. Out now

VISUAL ART

$39.99, Tate. Out now

El Anatsui

Edited by Osei Bonsu

El Anatsui’s Behind the Red Moon is a monumental sculptural installation made of thousands of metal liquor bottle tops and fragments. Crumpling, crushing, and stitching them into different compositions, large panels are pieced together to form massive abstract fields of colour, shape and line. The work builds on Anatsui’s interest in histories of encounter and the migration of goods and people during the transatlantic slave trade. Behind the Red Moon explores elemental forces interwoven with human histories of power, oppression, dispersion and survival. In this book contributions by art historians, artists and writers illuminate these themes, and a conversation between the artist and Tate curator Osei Bonsu casts light on the full range of Anatsui’s extraordinary work.

Katy Hessel: The Story of Art without Men

How many women artists do you know? Who makes art history? And what is the Baroque anyway? Enter art historian and curator Katy Hessel’s The Story of Art Without Men, a response to EH Gombrich’s classic chronicle, The Story of Art, first published in 1950, which was recently updated to include ... one woman. Katy’s revisionist history builds on her popular podcast and Instagram account, The Great Women Artists, where her fresh approach has garnered fans worldwide and earned her a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list. Overturn art history as you know it with Katy, in conversation with curator Beatrice Gralton.

Saturday, 25 May, Carriageworks, $35-$40

ARCHITECTURE

Amalfi Houses

Ana Cardinale and Matthieu Salvaing

The Amalfi Coast has always been a sought-after destination among artists and the international jet set thanks to its spectacular topography, which combines a rugged coast and cliff-side villages with the climate and the light of the Mediterranean. Its visitors include major names that helped make it famous, such as Gore Vidal, Greta Garbo, John Steinbeck, Maria Callas, Princess Margaret, and Hillary Clinton. Amalfi Houses showcases these historic and contemporary villas and tells the stories of the people who have inhabited and transformed them.

With photographs by Matthieu Salvaing.

$160, Rizzoli. Out June

Cats of Japan

Jocelyn Bouquillard

Long before Hello Kitty, cats were fetishised and revered by every strata of Japanese society, especially by artists. Cats of Japan beautifully reflects the complex nature of the country’s attachment to felines in dozens of prints by the greatest masters of Japanese printmaking including Hokusai, Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi, Utamaro, and Kunichika. Regarded as symbols of wealth and taste, they can be seen as having human qualities, yet also take on monstrous forms. Each of these prints captures its subject’s personality with meticulous detail, vibrant colors, and intricate patterns. With 120 illustrations. $49.99, Prestel. Out now

New Coastal

Ingrid Weir

Ship captains, artists, poets and pirates have long been drawn to the life of the sea. In New Coastal, we meet the modern-day incarnations of these renegade spirits – including musician Daimon Downey, actor Lukas Haas and actress Matilda Brown – who have crafted original and authentic lives animated by the freedom of the ocean. Travelling from a romantic boathouse to a verandah overlooking the water and a bonfire picnic on the beach, Weir also shows how to create the coastal look for yourself, no matter where you live.

$60, Hardie Grant. Out May

Elixir

FOOD AND DRINK TRAVEL

$49.99, Bloomsbury.

Out now

$44.99 , Plum

Out now

FRAGRANCE

$24.99, Penguin. Out May

How to Eat 30 Plants a Week

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall presents a delectable collection of plant-based recipes that not only tantalise the taste buds but also promote gut health. From vibrant soups and salads to hearty meat and veg dishes, Hugh demonstrates how to effortlessly incorporate more plants into your diet. With diverse ingredients including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and – yes! – even coffee and chocolate, each recipe provides flavour and nutrition.

Wholesome by Sarah

Sarah Pound

Sarah Pound has amassed a dedicated online following with her fresh, flavour-packed recipes. In her debut cookbook, she focuses on making life easier for busy home cooks with simple, hearty, family-friendly dinners. As well as recipes for soup, one-pot gems and drool-worthy salads, there are chapters on new ways with budget-friendly staples, such as pasta, mince and the humble can of tuna. Sarah shares foolproof formulas for building perfect stir-fries, killer marinade, spice rub and salad dressing ideas; plus loads of practical tips to streamline life in the kitchen.

Perfume: A Century of Scents

Lizzie Ostrom

Signature scents and now lost masterpieces; the visionaries who conceived them; the wild and wonderful campaigns that launched them; the women and men who wore them – every perfume has a tale to tell. With charming illustrations and engaging narratives, Perfume: A Century of Scents explores a century of perfume in 100 scents. Lizzie Ostrom’s beautifully written book takes you on a lush journey into the scents that have changed the world.

Kapka Kassabova

Set in the historic valley of the Mesta, Elixir conveys the profound interconnections between people, plants, and place. Kapka Kassabova immerses herself in this enchanted region, engaging with generations of foragers, healers and mystics. Through their stories, she unveils the ancient wisdom of herbalism and the enduring bond between nature and culture. Despite ecological and cultural challenges, Kassabova discovers hope in the valley’s resilience and its ability to heal collective wounds. Elixir is a compelling quest for remedies in the Anthropocene, urging us to reconsider our relationship with each other, the Earth and the universe.

$24.99, Vintage. Out May

Made in Ibiza

Liam Aldous

Ibiza has been at the centre of Mediterranean life since the arrival of the Phoenicians almost 3,000 years ago. Over the centuries, other great civilisations left their mark, and in the 20th century hippies and bohemians famously found in Ibiza a refuge from conformity. To the present day, the island continues to attract artists and craftspeople from around the world. Together with the native Ibizans who embrace the traditions of their forebears, these foreign-born inhabitants form a vibrant creative community that plays a vital role in maintaining the unique character of the island. With 575 illustrations including specially commissioned photography by Ana Lui and Salva López.

$120, Merrell. Out May

WE’RE ON THE WEB

Find

Apeirogon Colum McCann

The Commanders Lloyd Clark

The Ghost Ships of Archangel William Geroux

The Last Leonardo Ben Lewis

The Anatomy of Grief Dorothy P Holinger

The Cellist Daniel Silva

Games for Your Mind Jason Rosenhouse

King of the Blues Daniel de Vise

Anatomy of 55 More Songs Marc Myers

Blood and Ruins Richard Overy

The Dog Lover’s Pocket Bible Malini Roy

How to Think Like a Woman Regan Penaluna

After Ireland Declan Kiberd

Bald: 35 Philosophical Short Cuts Simon Critchley

The Cow Catrin Rutland

The Golden Egg Donna Leon

Meatless Martha Stewart Living

The Psychedelic Reader Timothy Leary

Summer Ali Smith

William Shakespeare Gill Davies

The Lost Pianos of Siberia Sophy Roberts

Open Water Caleb Azumah Nelson

Chevalier

The Lost Art of Scripture Karen Armstrong

The Murder of Professor Schlick David Edmonds

The Remarkable Life of the Skin Monty Lyman

Talking to Strangers Paul Auster

Lives of Houses Kate Kennedy & Hermione Lee

The Morning Star Karl Ove Knausgaard

Red Hot Kitchen Diana Kuan Taking a Long Look Vivian Gornick

Reid All About It

At the end of the 19th century, a craze for all things Japanese spread over the Western world. After two centuries of self-imposed seclusion, the country had begun to open up to outside eyes, and its art and craftwork were eagerly sought after by collectors and artists. By 1878 ‘Japonisme’ was being described by the writer George Augustus Sala as “a sort of religion”.

Because of its links with the tea trade, Boston, Massachusetts was an epicentre of the movement. In the 1890s, the JB Millet Company of Boston embarked upon an extraordinary venture: a complete pictorial record of the country, entitled Japan –Described and Illustrated by the Japanese

The result is one of the most opulent photographic books ever produced. Over 250 hand-coloured photographs show buildings and landscapes – Mount Fuji, cherry blossoms, temples, bamboo groves, rice fields and bridges – as well as Japan’s inhabitants, including street vendors, farmers, schoolchildren, geishas and Buddhist monks. This reproduction, in two luxurious volumes, is the first time this landmark work has been reproduced in its entirety.

Altogether, the book represented an enterprise of enormous scale and ambition, with an approximate production cost of $200,000 – a staggering sum at the time, equivalent to millions today. The Japanese excelled in the hand-colouring of decorative objects such as fans, lanterns and prints, and by the 1880s they were applying this expertise to colouring photographs. It is estimated that a total of 350 individual colourists would have worked for a year on their own part of the work, with each

Japan – Described and Illustrated by the Japanese (2012). Folio Society Limited Edition, $2,500. One of 980 publicly available copies of which this is No. 732. Condition: Fine volumes in near fine slipcases which show only minor shelf wear. Chiyogami endpapers hand-printed in Japan, gilded on all three-page edges, presented in cloth-bound slipcases.

colourist completing, at most, three prints a day. The result was a book described in the introduction as “An ambassador extraordinary sent by the Japanese to the American people”. It remains a fascinating reflection of Japanese-American relations at a pivotal moment in both countries’ history, and one of the most remarkable publishing ventures of the 19th century.

Stephen Reid

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