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Harry and Gran Bake a Cake (Fiona McIntosh, illus Sara Acton, Puffin)
Released March 2025
Fiona McIntosh (The Sugar Palace), the much-celebrated author for grown-ups, makes her debut in picture books with the simply delicious Harry and Gran Bake a Cake. A day in the... Read more
How Australian Democracy Works: And Why We Need It More Than Ever (ed by Amanda Dunn, T&H)
Released March 2025
At a time when democracy seems under threat globally, Australia’s democratic system is often seen as one of the best. Compulsory voting, democracy sausages and electoral boundaries set by a... Read more
SoXiety (Tamlyn Teow, Riveted Press)
Released March 2025
Tamlyn Teow’s SoXiety offers a thought-provoking, immersive experience that mirrors the anxiety of today’s world. Teow’s graphic novel, the first in a new collection called The Book of Kin, is... Read more
The Colours of Home (Sally Soweol Han, T&H)
Released March 2025
As the title The Colours of Home suggests, colour plays a central role in this beautiful picture book by Korean-Australian artist Sally Soweol Han (Nightsong, Tiny Wonders). The story follows... Read more
The First Sunrise (Vanessa Stevens, illus Paul Seden, Magabala)
Released March 2025
The First Sunrise is the first Mbabaram creation story to be published and was passed down to Mbabaram, Yidinji, Kaanju and Taribelang Bunda woman Vanessa Stevens from her father, Colin... Read more
The Buried Life (Andrea Goldsmith, Transit Lounge)
Released March 2025
In The Buried Life, Andrea Goldsmith – renowned for her sharp insights into contemporary life and relationships – once again delves into the complexities of human connection. Known for The... Read more
Wild Dark Shore (Charlotte McConaghy, Penguin)
Released March 2025
In Charlotte McConaghy’s latest novel, the aptly named Salt family are the last caretakers of a seed vault on an ocean-battered subantarctic island. In the final weeks before the base... Read more
Melanesia: Travels in Black Oceania (Hamish McDonald, Black Inc)
Released March 2025
As a foreign correspondent, Australian journalist Hamish McDonald (Demokrasi) frequently flew in and out of Melanesian hotspots during his career. Fascinated by the region’s complexity, he traversed it slowly by... Read more
Australian Football’s 100 Year Club: Celebrating Three Great Teams (Andrew Clarke, Gelding Street Press)
Released March 2025
Hawthorn’s Hawks. Footscray’s Bulldogs. North Melbourne’s Kangaroos. Australian Football’s 100 Year Club: Celebrating Three Great Teams celebrates the centenary of these three iconic Aussie Rules clubs in 2025. From the... Read more
The Food of Bharat: A Chef’s Journey Through India’s Rich Culinary History (Helly Raichura, Hardie Grant Books)
Released March 2025
Self-taught chef Helly Raichura started her career in 2018, hosting a supper club called Enter Via Laundry out of her Melbourne home, and she quickly gained national popularity. Raichura set... Read more
This Stays Between Us (Margot McGovern, Penguin)
Released March 2025
Margot McGovern’s second young adult novel, This Stays Between Us, may have taken seven years, but it’s worth the wait. This gripping thriller, set in the year 2000, is a... Read more
So Many Ways to Be Curious (Jayneen Sanders, illus Clare Elsom, Educate2Empower)
Released March 2025
So Many Ways to Be Curious is a nonfiction picture book that lives up to its title – a practical guide to nurturing curiosity in children. Jayneen Sanders, a passionate... Read more
Soaring with the Sugarbird Lady (Dianne Wolfer, Fremantle)
Released March 2025
Soaring with the Sugarbird Lady is based on the true story of Robin Miller, who single-handedly flew life-saving vaccines to remote Western Australia in the late 1960s. This new middle-grade novel... Read more
Ariana Treasure: The Missing Book (Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern, illus Karen Erasmus, Wombat)
Released March 2025
Ariana Treasure: The Missing Book is the first in a new series for beginner readers by Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern. Ariana’s family own the Treasure Chest, a local thrift shop filled... Read more
The Body Next Door (Zane Lovitt, Text)
Released March 2025
Nestled in Melbourne’s western suburbs, Carnation Way is a quiet street of identical-looking houses with one distinction: number 37 was the scene of a murder 13 years ago. In the... Read more
Sunny at the End of the World (Steph Bowe, Text)
Released March 2025
Steph Bowe’s Sunny at the End of the World, published posthumously, provides clear evidence of Bowe’s creative skills levelling up. The book is set across dual timelines in 2018 and... Read more
Signs of Damage (Diana Reid, Ultimo)
Released March 2025
Diana Reid’s third book is an engrossing, meticulously crafted drama that explores memory, trauma, repression and self-preservation, examining how these themes intersect, overlap, are misinterpreted or deliberately distorted to devastating... Read more
Spirit of the Crocodile (Aaron Fa’Aoso & Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White, A&U)
Released March 2025
Spirit of the Crocodile is a memorable upper-middle-grade novel by Torres Strait Islander actor and director Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker (who previously collaborated as co-writers of Fa’Aoso’s adult... Read more
Unbury the Dead (Fiona Hardy, Affirm)
Released March 2025
Fiona Hardy’s Unbury the Dead is a masterful blend of fast-paced crime and Australian noir, balancing grit and dry humour with effortless skill. Set against the vivid backdrops of rural... Read more
Time Together (Luke Horton, Scribe)
Released March 2025
Phil’s mother has passed away and, in an attempt to feel closer to her in this period of mourning, he invites his friends – Bella and Tim, Jo and Lucas,... Read more
