Showing titles in Australia, New Zealand & Oceania

Have you ever wondered about the origin of the terrifying Wendigo? How about the Philippine shape-shifting vampire? What about the Māori forest spirits? Join award winning podcaster and researcher Kamuela Kaneshiro as he takes you on a thrilling trip through Asia, the Americas, and other fascinating cultures touching the Pacific Ocean. And as you marvel at this captivating assortment of deities, monsters, and historical backdrops, you’re sure to have your imagination sparked by the wonders of the world.

Widowed and at a crossroads in her life, Sandra Porter knows she must find the courage to find her true self. Deciding it's time to push her boundaries, she makes a booking to trek the Larapinta Walk across the centre of the remote Northern Territory. Renowned nature photographer Graysen Hughes has come to the outback seeking solace after the death of his wife. Always a loner, Graysen isn't happy when the tour guide insists on the participants walking in pairs. After a suspicious accident and the sudden disappearance of their guide, the group struggles on.

A beautifully raw and poignant collection of poetry and prose, Pillow Thoughts III continues the series from poet Courtney Peppernell. Fix yourself a warm drink and settle into Peppernell's words as she pens a tribute to her fans who are bravely continuing their journey from hurt to healing.

Bruce Pascoe has been described as a ‘living national treasure’ and his work as ‘revelatory’. This volume of his best and most celebrated stories and essays, collected here for the first time, ranges across his long career, and explores his enduring fascination with Australia’s landscape, culture, land management and history. Featuring new and previously unpublished fiction alongside his most revered and thought-provoking nonfiction - including extracts from his modern classic Dark Emu - this collection is perfect for Pascoe fans and new listeners alike.

As either realist or romancer, Henry Lawson was described in his own lifetime as the "first articulate voice of the real Australia", later to become fondly known as the "bard of the bush". His death in 1922 left Australia with a wealth of literary works unequalled by any artist. In this selection of short stories, accompanied by classical music, Lawson captures the true Australian spirit of his fellow countrymen.

The twenty-third book in the dramatic and intriguing story about the colonisation of Australia: a country made of blood, passion, and dreams. A new century has dawned as Australia forms their country. New hopes characterise the lives of the young Australians. Some had to the Outback in search of gold and glory. Others find their fulfilment in politics and seize power in the newly-formed country. Some are even moving north to conquer new lands.

The twenty-second book in the dramatic and intriguing story about the colonisation of Australia: a country made of blood, passion, and dreams. Australia is back to fighting with the British against the Boers in South Africa. Sloan Shannon are amongst those fighting against the Boers. He is wounded and captured, but finds himself saved by a Boar nurse. Suddenly, he must flee with her to her people – those people that he thought was his enemies.

The fifteenth book in the dramatic and intriguing story about the colonisation of Australia: a country made of blood, passion, and dreams. After being accused of high treason, Michael Wexford seeks revenge upon those who took everything from him. It is 19th century Australia: Irishman Michael Wexford is unravelling his existence in the penal colonies after defying the justice system. Considered a criminal beyond reform or redemption, Michael plots his revenge. Meanwhile, siblings Kitty and Patrick Cadogan venture out to the Norfolk Island in search of their brother, praying that he is not the miscreant everyone makes him out to be.

Michael Faudet's latest book takes the listener on an emotionally charged journey, exploring the joys of falling madly in love and the melancholy world of the brokenhearted. Beautifully captured in poetry, prose, and short stories, Faudet's whimsical and sometimes erotic writing has captured the hearts and minds of thousands from around the world.

This is the story of a dark night of the soul, of traversing the depths of despair, and of rebirth. It shows the reality of hitting rock bottom. Not by a self-reported narrative written after the fact, but through unfiltered poetic expression written in real time during breakdown and recovery. The poems within this collection were written over a 24-month period and are presented in chronological order. They show the inner tumult and turmoil of a man desperately trying, and failing, to hold together the crumbling status quo of his prior existence.

Life, love, and work intertwine with nature and a unique series of poems, in Tom's revised edition of his successful book of poetry. No matter what the day-to-day challenges are, as life unfolds, Tom shows us - through his poetry - that life is about enjoying what we can in every single moment.

From teenage memories of staying with a cross-dressing cousin in Sydney, to estranged siblings scattering the ashes of a family member, not to mention perplexing encounters in Jordan, these eight stories reflect on family, friendship, desire, and belonging in a queer world. Ashley Sievwright is the author of the novels The Shallow End (Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize Best First Novel) and Walter.

Dirty Pretty Things is the international best seller by Michael Faudet. A finalist in the 2015 Goodreads Readers Choice Awards, his whimsical and often erotic writing has already captured the hearts and minds of literally thousands of people from around the world. He paints vivid pictures with intricate words and explores the compelling themes of love, loss, relationships, and sex. All beautifully captured in poetry, prose, quotes, and little short stories.

Since its release as a small mixed-media podcast, DKMH has topped charts all over the internet. Written and produced by Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery, the DKMH platform is expanding to print. This exciting debut collection of poetry and prose is an analysis of ego, love, anger, and anxiety. Each poem investigates our individual driving forces and how experiences shape us into the humans we are, deeply personal yet strangely familiar and universal.

For fans of Lang Leav, beloved pieces from Lullabies and Love & Misadventure are collected together in this treasury. In addition, 35 new poems that have not been published in any Lang Leav collection offer something new to discover.

Australia in the 1830s was a wild place. Reuben Whitney, escaping an inaccurate perception of him in England, enjoys an adventurous passage aboard the Paramatta, and sails "down under." Joining the police force, he makes his mark in conflicts with the Aborigines and Bushrangers. Finally, he saves the life of a squire's daughter who has emigrated to Australia following her father's financial ruin. This story is filled with adventure, close calls, and historical information about the early days of Australia!

The sixteenth book in the dramatic and intriguing story about the colonisation of Australia: a country made of blood, passion, and dreams. Michael knows that he cannot outrun his past, yet it is the longing for freedom that keeps him alive. Australia... For some, a land of opportunity where bravery and honour rule the once savaged wilderness, for others, a brutal prison where even the best of men are driven to commit some of the cruellest acts in the name of freedom. Michael Wexford is aware that his past follows him wherever he goes, yet Kitty and Patrick Cadogan are determined to clear his name, no matter the cost.

The twenty-first book in the dramatic and intriguing story about the colonisation of Australia: a country made of blood, passion, and dreams. The fires of nationalism are being kindled across the continent – especially in the hearts of the young. The children of The Seafarers and The Mariners are growing up in a young country only just coming to nationhood. Some cry for unity while others raise the spectre of race hatred and violence. It is hard to see how these young Australians could ever realise their dream of one free and mighty land.

The twentieth book in the dramatic and intriguing story about the colonisation of Australia: a country made of blood, passion, and dreams. Jon Fisher and Harry Ryan return to Australia. At their return, Jon Fisher learns of the problem that his family are facing with the conflict of the wealthy squatters and the so-called 'selectors'. The threat of war and internal fighting looms over the family as we near the turn of the century.

The seventeenth book in the dramatic and intriguing story about the colonisation of Australia: a country made of blood, passion, and dreams. Destinies intertwine and brutal battles ensue to secure a brighter future. During the 1860s, Australian settlers, among them Lady Kitty Broome and Adam Vincent, venture out on new, exciting adventures which will lead to a war between cultures, friends and lovers, as they fight for the future of their world.

The eighteenth book in the dramatic and intriguing story about the colonisation of Australia: a country made of blood, passion, and dreams. Despite resistance from the native Maoris and Hauhaus, the settlers find themselves in a war between cultures. The settlers try to claim the bold frontier of New Zealand, but face opposition from two native tribes. The journey will be dangerous, and the consequences bloody. It is a matter of perishment or prevalence. Loyalty will be tested, love will fade, men will fall, but neither of the parties will back down without a fight.

Christos Tsiolkas spent a year of 'discovery and rediscovery' reading Patrick White. In this passionate and original book, he shows how the Nobel Prize winner's work still speaks to us. In the Writers on Writers series, leading writers reflect on another Australian writer who has inspired and fascinated them. Provocative and crisp, these books start a fresh conversation between past and present, shed new light on the craft of writing, and introduce some intriguing and talented authors and their work.

Capturing everyday lives and exceptional dreams, Australian novels have held up a mirror to the nation, reflecting the good and the bad. Touching on colonial invasion, the bush myth, world wars, mass migration, the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and the emergence of a modern global, multicultural nation, Carl examines how these pivotal events and persuasive ideas have shaped some of Australia's most influential novels and how these books, in turn, made us.

Misty saved the life of Dr Ben Moore, but that brief wonderful connection was just a memory. Misty, the midwife, shuts out her daydreams and sets off for a new life in Lyrebird Lake, where she meets the new locum...and looks into Ben’s sea blue eyes! Ben moved to Lyrebird Lake for a chance to start again. But he wasn’t doing well in the single parent role. Can Misty and Ben find the connection that saved his life once? Is Misty is the perfect person to make Ben’s family complete? And then there’s the magical myth of the lyrebirds.

Aboriginal lawyer, writer and filmmaker Larissa Behrendt has long been fascinated by the story of Eliza Fraser, who was purportedly captured by the Butchulla people after she was shipwrecked on their island off the Queensland coast in 1836. In this deeply personal audiobook, Behrendt uses Eliza's tale as a starting point to interrogate how Aboriginal people – and indigenous people of other countries – have been portrayed in their colonisers' stories.

When Jess heads west for a fresh start in a small mining town, she soon learns that the dusty outback plains are a far cry from her former life in the city - but she finds herself loving the isolation and local people she lives with. All she has to do is keep her head down and work hard to create a better life for herself and Johnno, the only person she has ever truly cared about.

Aboriginal lawyer, writer and filmmaker Larissa Behrendt has long been fascinated by the story of Eliza Fraser, who was purportedly captured by the Butchulla people after she was shipwrecked on their island off the Queensland coast in 1836. In this deeply personal audiobook, Behrendt uses Eliza's tale as a starting point to interrogate how Aboriginal people – and indigenous people of other countries – have been portrayed in their colonisers' stories.

A delightful selection of entertaining poems, short essays, and written conversations involving the people of 20th century rural Australia and some of their working animals. This collection includes “When Dad Drives Home From Town,” “When the Sailor Rode the Brumby,” “The Old Barn School,” and many more.

Constable Rhys Morton is new to Featherwood Falls and knows one thing for certain—he wants to remain in this village as much as he wants to remain a cop. But just as he uncovers troubling historical information, an accusation threatens his security and he must weigh up his options. Should he pursue the cold case and risk ruffling powerful feathers, or protect his future and a budding romance?

Esson’s first collection of poems, Bells and Bees, was published in 1910; a second collection, Red Gums and Other Verses, in 1912. Although Esson published no further poetry collections, his verse continued to appear in magazines such as The Bulletin until the late 1920s.

American lawyer Julie Chen files a class-action lawsuit involving a multinational technology corporation and the Chinese government’s internet firewall, known as Golden Shield. When she hires her strong-minded sister Eva as her translator, what compromises will they make in order to win? And can they put aside their past differences to speak the same language?

From celebrated New Zealand poetess F.D. Soul comes her highly anticipated second collection of poetry, prose, illustrations, and wisdom. Her messages grapple with relationships: interpersonal relationships, her relationship with herself, and the relationship between poetry and the world. Unchaptered and raw, Between You and These Bones unfolds much like a memoir or meditation yet maintains all the musicality of poetry.

Part expression, part confession, part question, it is an intimate look at the impact of mental illness, trauma, and neglect. A critical dissection of the interconnected roles that family, religion, society, education, and government play, as well as their impacts upon an individual. A commentary on current affairs, historical trends, and the bleak potential of our collective future, Can’t Quite Express is also both an example of, and an encouragement for, writing therapy.

For the last nine centuries, Hawaiian tradition has used the wickedness of the Maui king Hua to depict the consequences of sacrificing righteousness for superficial political gains. His reign was known for its pointless warfare, waste of resources, and corruption. Condemning his dutiful high priest to death under false pretenses, Hua and his subjects finally earn the wrath of the gods. Drought and famine decimate Maui. The lush countryside of Hana becomes a wasteland. As they flee, the curse follows. Atonement resides with the sons of the murdered priest. If they can be found.

King David Kalākaua introduces us to the people upon whom the legend of the Pele family is based. They departed Samoa as war refugees in the 12th century, settling in the foothills of Mauna Loa. As earthquakes and eruptions occurred during their interactions with the Hawaiians, this family of kahuna were accorded what the king described as “unique sanctity and power”. Pele was as mighty as she was beautiful. The tales of the volcano goddess earned the attention of Kamapuaa, the outcast son of the chief of Oahu who terrorized the island with his band of renegades.

The fifth and final volume of poetry by the author of Wild Cat Falling was originally published in India in 2013. There are 45 poems from the Master of the Ghost Dreaming, as he reels and sways through his long held interest in Buddhism and the Blues. While still writing about rejuvenation and the great cycles of Life, there is a strong awareness of finality, of passing on, of Death. Always lyrical, this is a wonderful offering from the award-winning poet.