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We Were Not Men (Campbell Mattinson, Fourth Estate)
Released June 2021
Campbell Mattinson’s We Were Not Men charts the story of twin brothers Jon and Eden in an episodic exploration of male kinship. Told from Jon’s perspective, the book begins with the... Read more
The Covered Wife (Lisa Emanuel, Pantera Press)
Released June 2021
When young lawyer Sarah meets the smart, handsome Daniel, the attraction is instant. Influenced by the charismatic Rabbi Menachem Lev and his wife Chani, who take the new couple under... Read more
The School (Brendan James Murray, Picador)
Released June 2021
Brendan James Murray is a full-time high school English teacher and an award-winning writer. His new nonfiction work The School chronicles a year in his classroom, in a public school... Read more
Walking in Gagudju Country: Exploring the monsoon forest (Diane Lucas and Ben Tyler, illus by Emma Long, A&U Children’s)
Released June 2021
Combining their expertise in and passion for botanical work, wild landscapes and the culture of the Top End bush, authors Diane Lucas and Ben Tyler join with illustrator Emma Long... Read more
Echo in the Memory (Cameron Nunn, Walker Books)
Released June 2021
Cameron Nunn presents an ambitious work of historical fiction in his latest novel Echo in the Memory. Seamlessly telling the stories of two adolescents existing almost 200 years apart, the... Read more
Coco, the Fish with Hands: Endangered Animal Tales 1 (Aleesah Darlison, illus by Mel Matthews, Puffin)
Released June 2021
Coco, the Fish with Hands is a simple book that reads almost like a souvenir from a conservation habitat visit. Its story is practical and streamlined, introducing an individual handfish,... Read more
The Other Half of You (Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Hachette)
Released June 2021
Michael Mohammed Ahmad’s latest novel continues the story of Bani Adam, a young Lebanese Muslim man growing up in Sydney. Bani, the protagonist of Ahmad’s 2018 novel The Lebs, now... Read more
Everything Harder Than Everyone Else (Jenny Valentish, Black Inc.)
Released June 2021
Don't be fooled by the Motörhead-inspired title: journalist Jenny Valentish’s latest work of nonfiction isn't about music but is instead an accessible deep dive into extreme bodily endurance. A spiritual... Read more
Fil & Harry (Jenny Blackford, illus by Kristin Devine, Christmas Press)
Released May 2021
This charming novel is the first book in a new list from Christmas Press aimed at that tricky age between picture books and middle fiction. Written by Jenny Blackford, whose... Read more
Common Wealth (Gregg Dreise, Scholastic)
Released May 2021
In light of the recent change to the lyrics of ‘Advance Australia Fair’, as well as the ongoing debate surrounding January 26, this impassioned plea for recognition and unity from... Read more
Artificial Intimacy (Rob Brooks, NewSouth)
Released May 2021
According to evolutionary biologist Rob Brooks, the future holds an abundance of artificial intimacy. New sex technologies, from sex robots to virtual reality porn, will anticipate our every desire. So... Read more
The Little Boat on Trusting Lane (Mel Hall, Fremantle Press)
Released May 2021
In this debut novel set in an exaggerated version of the alternative wellness industry, Richard, an ageing wellness guru, runs his alternative healing centre from a rundown houseboat in the... Read more
The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen (Krissy Kneen, Text)
Released May 2021
According to many writers, examining memory is a largely creative act. If so, then Krissy Kneen shows us in The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen that it is also an... Read more
Flock: First Nations stories then and now (ed by Ellen van Neerven, UQP)
Released May 2021
Flock is a far-roaming collection of short fiction showcasing the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers. The 20 stories are by a mix of established luminaries and emerging... Read more
Two-Week Wait: An IVF story (Luke C Jackson & Kelly Jackson, illus by Mara Wild, Scribe)
Released May 2021
This graphic novel is the delicately told story of one couple’s journey through the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) process. Two-Week Wait is based on the IVF experiences of authors Luke and... Read more
Can’t Say it Went to Plan (Gabrielle Tozer, HarperCollins)
Released May 2021
Schoolies is revered as a holiday unlike no other, where, for the first time, teenagers are free—from school, from adults, from responsibility. Can’t Say it Went to Plan follows three... Read more
Before You Knew My Name (Jacqueline Bublitz, A&U)
Released May 2021
We know the phrase from books, from crime shows, from the news: ‘The body was found by a jogger.’ Someone is murdered and somebody else finds them, while just going... Read more
Bear and Rat (Christopher Cheng, illus by Stephen Michael King, Puffin)
Released May 2021
This picture book is a heartwarming, tender tale of the loving relationship between two friends. The elegantly simple story in Bear and Rat holds a timeless, universal appeal with themes... Read more
Elsewhere Girls (Emily Gale & Nova Weetman, Text)
Released May 2021
Acclaimed authors Emily Gale and Nova Weetman have teamed up to write this beautifully rendered time-slip narrative that delves into the personal and social struggles of young women past and... Read more
Monster (Ashleigh Synnott, Puncher & Wattmann)
Released May 2021
Monster is a collection of dark, finely written short stories by debut author Ashleigh Synnott. The stories are peopled with eccentric, predominantly female characters living atomised, often isolated lives. Mental... Read more
