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Our top ten bestsellers of the week
The Mindfulness Colouring Book: Anti-Stress Art Therapy for Busy People by Emma Farrarons
The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity by Norman Doidge
Leap by Myfanwy Jones
The Strays by Emily Bitto
Blood Year - Terror and the Islamic State by David Kilcullen (Quarterly Essay 58)
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Drunk Tank Pink: The Subconscious Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel,…
Mark's Say, June 2015
For those of you who’ve read Drusilla Modjeska’s most recent novel, The Mountain, you’ll be aware of her affection for the people of Papua New Guinea. The Mountain is set primarily in the lower reaches of Mt Lamington, an active volcano in Oro Province. Modjeska first went to PNG as the wife of a young academic, in the late 1960s, at a time full of optimism as the nation was preparing for independence. She began returning to PNG many…
Photos from SEAM (Sustain Education Art Melanesia)
Our managing director Mark Rubbo recently travelled to Papua New Guinea to learn more about SEAM, which was founded by author Drusilla Modjeska. You can read about his trip, and the project, here.
Below are some photos.
Arriving at the village
The welcoming ceremony
A Bird of Paradise headdress
Bilums – traditional string bags from Papua New Guinea
Fjord
The audience as Stephen demonstrates the Schoolmate
Children from the school
Children from the school
A final group shot (Mark…
Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Australian Novelists 2015
We love this year’s list of Best Young Australian Novelists by Sydney Morning Herald. Here’s our thoughts on the five shortlisted authors’ books.
Maxine Beneba Clarke is the author of short-story collection Foreign Soil.
Our Head Book Buyer Martin Shaw has been a fierce supporter of Beneba Clarke’s debut short-story collection ever since he first read an early version of it, pre-publication. At the time, he wrote: “With stories of migration and emigration ranging across America, Africa, the…
What we're reading: Jane Harrison, Jessica Treadway and Masha Gessen
Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on or the music we’re loving.
Bronte Coates is reading Becoming Kirrali Lewis by Jane Harrison
I’ve been on a little bit of an OzYA journey lately, having just read and loved Ellie Marney’s smart, sexy and suspenseful Every series and the first two books of Jaclyn Moriarty’s pretty-much-perfect-in-every-way The Colours of Madeleine series.
Then, earlier this week I…
Meet the final two stars of the Readings Children’s Book Prize Shortlist
Both of these authors are enjoying new success writing for a younger age group having published several novels for adults and teens. One of them comes from a writing family and has followed in her mother’s footsteps, while the other spent many years working as a nurse before turning to her favourite childhood past-time of making up magical stories.
Meet Karen Foxlee and Allison Rushby.
In these interviews, you’ll find out what sparked the idea in Karen Foxlee’s mind for…
This week's young adult highlights
Here are four of our favourite young adult novels of the month.
1. Pieces of Sky by Trinity Doyle (YA Book of the Month)
“Death and its aftermath are rendered complex and chaotic in this stunning debut novel. There are no trite answers to the aftermath of tragedy, just a gradual discovery of the capacity to endure. Pieces of Sky is beautifully written, packed with longing and sadness, but also filled with hope. I inhaled it in enormous gulps like…
News from Australia's annual bookselling conferences
Martin Shaw reports back from the Leading Edge Books and Australian Book Industry Award 2015 conferences.
So we’re all fresh from our annual conference which, as ever, re-charged the bookselling batteries with previews of the many highlights on the literary calendar for the remainder of 2015. Perhaps the book carrying the biggest buzz was the latest novel from Jonathan Franzen – Purity – advance copies of which naturally disappeared fast. But there were also some home-grown authors causing a stir…
Is The Tsarnaev Brothers by Masha Gessen a good pick for book clubs?
Each month we choose a newly released book that we feel is perfect for a book club. Then we roadtest it.
Here are our thoughts on whether Masha Gessen’s The Tsarnaev Brothers: The Road to a Modern Tragedy is a good pick for for book clubs.
Does the book make for good conversation?
Absolutely! This book raises so many questions that there is simply no doubt that good conversation will be had. Gessen’s exploration of terrorism and the immigrant experience…
Introducing our event program for June
With the Emerging Writers’ Festival opening last night, it feels necessary to start our highlights reel for June with two free events we’re hosting as part of their festival program.
On Wednesday 27 May (well, it’s almost June), the ever lovely Andy Griffiths will talk about his grassroots beginnings to being a bestselling author for children. This event is for aspiring writers, not for young readers – it’s strictly for writers over 18 years old. Find out more here.
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