A&U acquires Davis’s “The Modern Dad”

Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to the nonfiction title, The Modern Dad, by Aotearoa New Zealand author Louis Davis.

The Modern Dad provides advice about how to be a “loving, helpful father and modern man,” said the publisher, which said Davis also wanted to counter “stereotypes around being both a Māori dad and a young dad”. “It’s a warm, funny, open-hearted and deeply practical guide – the book [Davis] wants to be handed to every male when he finds out he’s going to be a father and wants to know what to do next,” said A&U.

Each chapter of the book deals with a key question about modern fatherhood and ends with a “next best steps” action plan.

Davis (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua) was named NZ Tik Tok Creator of the Year in December 2025, with 3 million followers across his online platforms. His short, comedic videos focus on his life as a stay-at-home dad of 3 young girls, said the publisher, and have turned him “from a local star into an international one: he regularly has global A-listers sharing and interacting with his posts”.

According to A&U, “Davis is the antithesis of the rise of the internet bro and manages to talk about fatherhood and masculinity in a way that – crucially – appeals to men just as much as women.

“Louis embodies the warm, modern masculinity of Hamish Blake’s How Other Dads Dad and the gentle comedy-with-a-heart mental-health-focused chats of The Imperfects. We know that this book will find an instant home with men who want to be the best dad they can.”

A&U plans to publish The Modern Dad in August 2026.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions