It's the bicentennial year and as Gordon's life is going nowhere, he takes up Wayne's offer to stay as weather operators at an isolated lighthouse at the top end of the Northern Territory. As a would-be writer and a budding

Grace Lisa Vandenburg counts. The letters in her name (19). The steps she takes every morning to the local café (920); the number of poppy seeds on her slice of orange cake, which dictates the number of bites she'll take to finish

The Roman poet Ovid, exiled to a remote village on the edge of the Black Sea, tells the story of his meeting with a feral boy, brought up among wild animals in the snow. It is a luminous encounter between civilization and na

Piecing together the puzzle of exiled artist, Lang Tzu, last of a wealthy Chinese lineage, writer Steven Muir finds himself caught in a strange and haunted landscape. Both know the solitude of the only child and the poignanc

'Bible-black humour...enough visitations, portents and religious lunacy to qualify as the second-greatest story ever told' - "Elle". 'It is as if a Faulkner novel had been crossed with "Whistle Down the Wind" and

01 Sarah Gordon knows what she wants: the family homestead, Wangallon. When it comes to working the homestead she's a natural but as a woman, it's not her birthright. Even when her beloved brother, Cameron James, first born and heir,

Miles Franklin Shortlist 2010

Jenny arrives in the ancient and fantastic city of Naples in flight from a sombre drama, unaware that a larger drama awaits her. Introduced to a Neapolitan woman, in an idle moment she follows up the invitation an

01 From the bestselling author of Red Dust comes the inspirational story of a young woman battling to save the family farm no matter what it takes ...

Winner of the 2009 Prime Minister's Literary Award Winner of the 2008 Dylan Thomas Prize The Boat will take you everywhere. In 1979, Nam Le's family left Vietnam for Australia, an experience that inspires the first and last stori

Set among the surf and sandhills of the Australian beach - and the tidal changes of three generations of the Lang family - this is an Australian classic. A short-story collection which has become a bestseller and adapted for film, television

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger and her younger brother are being taken by their mother to live with a foster fami

Captain Morgan Pentland flies for Border Watch, patrolling the vast Australian coastline. With steely determination, she's fought hard to reach this point in her career, but her private life is a shambles. Will she e

Miles Franklin Winner 2009 When paramedic Bruce Pike arrives too late to save a boy found hanged in his bedroom he senses immediately that this lonely death is an accident. Pike knows the difference between suicide and misadventure. He understa

Miles Franklin Winner 2009 More than once since then I've wondered whether the life-threatening high jinks that Loonie and I and Sando and Eva got up to in the years of my adolescence were anything more than a rebellion against the

Coolly impassioned, this book tells shocking truths about love and sex. These are the kind of revelations that best friends whisper to each other and then decide to forget they ever revealed. It will make you question whethe

On the verge of her fourteenth birthday, Plum knows her life will change. But she has no idea how. Over the coming weeks, her beautiful neighbour Maureen will show her how she might fly. Her adored older brothers will court catastr

Rome's leaders are frightened: the brilliant, ruthless Gaius Julius Caesar must be crushed before he can overthrow the government and become dictator. This novel opens in Gaul, scene of Caesar's magnificent victory

A love story and a novel about addiction. From the heady narcissism of the narrator's first days with his new lover, Candy, and the relative innocence of their shared habit, Candy charts their decline.

Winner of Miles Franklin 2007 -

'It is strange and fascinating to me to think of people -- Avila in particular -- praying me into existence.' Sydney Peony Kent is nineteen years old. She was a longed-for IVF baby, 'product of an unknown egg and unknow

01 Sydney University is Australia's pre-eminent finishing school for politicians, and its Students' Representative Council is the nursery where generations of future leaders have cut their first dodgy preference deals and performed th

Winner of the 2008 Australia-Asia Literary prize. 01 David Malouf's imagination inhabits shocking violence, quick humor, appealing warmth and harsh cruelty with equal intensity. He shares tales of bookish boys, taciturn men and intim

A divorced, middle-aged English professor finds himself increasingly unable to resist affairs with his female students. When discovered by the college authorities he is expected to apologize to save his job, but instead he r

A masterful, taut and atmospheric novel of political espionage and intrigue, telling the story of the Petrov defection during the Cold Was of the 1950s. Australian author.

Elizabeth Costello is an Australian writer of international renown. Famous principally for an early novel that established her reputation, she has reached the stage where her remaining function is to be venerated and applaud

When Abigail Durant inherits a cottage from her friend, the world famous knitting guru Eliza Carpenter, she's sees it as her chance to start anew after the distressing end of her last relationship. Only problem is, the cot

Tait has just been released from a psychiatric institution. He has received a grant to write poetry and is eager to settle into a routine but has come to perceive the world as a scene of struggle. As Tait b

The Fern Tattoo is a beguiling novel about the certainty of fate and the randomness of love that announces David Brooks' return as one of Australia's most distinctive literary novelists.

01 'The denuded earth of the iron-ore loading yards, the huge jetties thrusting their way out into the clear blue sea, the endless ponds of the solar salt farm, stretching stark and white over hundreds of hectares . . . all appeared a

Meet the Deans.

After a crippling injury which cut short a golden sporting career, Jasper Dean's uncle became Australia's most beloved murderer. After a lifetime of brilliantly impossible ideas and a brief stint as the country's

Maya de Jong, an eighteen-year-old country girl from the West, comes to live in Melbourne and starts an affair with her boss, the enigmatic Maynard Flynn, whose wife is dying of cancer. When Maya's parents, Toni and Jacob, arrive to stay with h

'A hotel as a work of art in little ol' Mangowak? It was about as unlikely as an indoor creek.' Robbed of his zest for life by the absurd innovations of the local shire, including knocking down the only pub in his beloved home town and roofi

A contented woman finds herself considering a bizarre sexual invitation that just days before filled her with scorn. A mediocre man is pulled into a strange dance with his stalker. A father gives his daughter a Christmas p

In war-torn Asia and stricken Europe, men and women, still young but veterans of harsh experience, must reinvent their lives and expectations, and learn from their past, to dream again. Some will fulfill their destinies, oth

It can take just minutes to lose love, but a whole lifetime to find it again. At 7, she discovers that love isn't necessarily forever. At 21, she finds love but it escapes her. At 35, she learns that love can be dangerous. By 49, s

From the master storyteller and award-winning author John Clanchy comes a collection of five new tales of contemporary families, exploring the fascinating - and often fraught - relations between fathers and daughters.

A

This novel tells the story of the search for Mike Langford, a war photographer with a reputation for risk-taking, who disappears inside Cambodia after its fall to the Khmer-Rouge. The search for him explores the pers

A parable of war and the unthinkable atrocities that humanity perpetrates in a time of cataclysmic social change, this is also a poignant story of love, war and human resilience.

01 Just like a delicious box of assorted chocolates, this swoon-worthy collection of romantic stories - inspired by Elizabeth Barrett Browning's famous romantic sonnet and written by the cream of Australia's romance wr

How do we find ourselves when we lose others?This striking novel from the author of the widely acclaimed cult bestseller Candyexplores the life of a young woman as she deals with the deaths of the two important men in her li

02 Lifelong friendships are put to the test in a Martin Amis-style dissection of privilege and mid-life crisis set against the backdrop of a marathon relay swim in Jamaica. Compulsive reading from an unflinching observ

Full of unforgettable characters, a page-turning pace and outrageously good dialogue, this is a glorious novel - thoughtful, funny, heartbreaking and wise - about outsiders and secrets, and what it really means to be a

Described by Naomi Klein as 'Brilliant and hilarious', "Jennifer Government" is a thriller for the "No Logo" generation.

Betrayed by her husband, Annabelle retreats in confusion to the supposed sanctuary of her old family home in tropical Townsville. There she meets and begins to work with ex-stockman and Jangga, Bo. Intrigued by his assertion

Nate Monk is Kieran's father. He's a single parent of a 'differently wired' child, a talented musician who once stood on the cusp of success and a man resigned to a pragmatic life of responsibility over opportunity. Both share the

An Australian soldier in British service parachutes into the roaring embattled skies of the night before D-Day, and lands in a vast lake of flooded fields. His encounter with a mysteri

02 'Is it history that tells us who we are? Or is it the story we tell ourselves ... that defines who we are?' (The Australian) A profound and moving story about the land, the past, exile and acceptance from the award-

It's a long time since the infamous corruption Inquiry tore the state of Queensland apart. But for George Verney, disgraced journalist and bit-player in the great scandals of his day, the Inquiry has never quite finished.

This work is a reissue of this bestselling Australian Vintage classic with the new ISBN: 00918 40163. It is published tying in with the premiere of the play "Leaning Towards Infinity" in Sydney in 1997, and with the publication

02 What has happened to Ingrid? Beautiful Ingrid inherits a fortune and leaves Australia, and her friends, and Ralph who loves her, to marry Gil Grey and set up home amid the New York art world. There she becomes the ste

Simone Harlowe is young and clever, an Aboriginal lawyer straddling two lives and two cultures while studying at Harvard. Her family life back in Sydney is defined by the complex relationship she has with her father, Tony, a promin

They may never have a life together, but they will have their moment. They will have this much. England, September 1934, Two young lovers, Catherine and Daniel, have trespassed into the rose garden of Burnt Norton, an aba

Strangers did not, as a rule, find their way to Chez Dom, a small, rundown Tunisian cafe on Paris' distant fringes. Run by the widow Houria and her young niece,

Set in Darwin, Paul Crabbe meets Eduard Keller, a Viennese refugee with a mysterious past. Keller is the piano teacher and Crabbe the unwilling pupil, for Keller is unspeakably demanding, a relentless disciplinarian. But as

Lauren is a curator at the National Aboriginal Gallery in Canberra. She's good at her job, passionate about the Arts, and takes work seriously. It's easy for Lauren to focus on work, that is, when she's not focussing on Adam. Laure

Brooks's luminous second novel, after 2001's acclaimed "Year of Wonders", imagines the Civil War experiences of Mr March. An idealistic abolitionist, March has gone to serve the Union cause as chaplain to the troops. But the

Dhurgham Moghaddam is a twelve year old boy, the youngest child of a Baghdadi family who has disappeared. This is the story of his journey from Syria, to Indonesia and then, on a sinking boat with over two hundred other boys

"People were supposed to remember who they were and where they lived. They were supposed to remember who loved them and who did not and where their grandmothers were born. Martin Jeremiah Westley didn't remember any of it, in

Winner of the 2008 CAL Waverley Library Award for Literature (?The Nib'). 01 'What is a spy? Are they born, or are they made?' With these words, Vincent Austin analyses his future occupation. Some spies are made, he says, but his k

Art, relationships and a profound appreciation of the natural world collide in this utterly compelling account of two families. From the outset Cherry and Jack share an unspoken bond, and in learning to understand ea

Julia Heath is experiencing a tree-change nightmare; a dismal country town with no decent coffee, a yoga teacher husband who is having an affair with the butcher?s wife and slowly sending them bankrupt, a mother-in-law coming to stay and a son

It is 1904. At the age of 42, the handsome and influential Australian George Ernest Morrison, Peking correspondent for The Times of London, is considered the most eligible Western bachelor in China. But Morrison has yet t

A novel of hope and love set in the extraordinary landscape of Antarctica.

An ancient man with no past hails a taxi driven by a petty crim with no future. Reluctantly the pair embarks on a journey in search of a legendary whaler and murderer known as The Norseman. To guide them they have only a half-remembered sea-f

Held prisoner by her reclusive religious parents, Hester's friends - spoon, tree, broom and axe - they tell her to do forbidden things, like go outside. This is where Hester discovers the staggering beauty of the livin

Political Animals explores the inner workings of Canberra life: the mutually exploitative relationship between politics and the media; the factional infighting; the sexual tension; the political deal-making; the fragility of ethics when ambitio

Brothel mistress Hannah is Ikey Solomon's wife, whilst Mary is his sometimes mistress. When Hannah and Mary are banished to Australia, they set about raising their separate families. Ikey is drawn to the colony, where the de

Reveals the inner life of the artist and prompts us to consider the line between reality and illusion, the mystery of artistic creation and the meaning of art and love.

In this exquisite gem of a novel, Achilles is maddened by grief at the death of his friend Patroclus. From the walls of Troy, King Priam watches the body of his son, Hector, being drag

After the tragic death of her husband in a light-plane accident, Gemma Sinclair is left with the daunting task of managing the vast outback station he's bequeathed her. But she remains haunted by Adam's dying words, no

01 Nina, Meredith and Annie have decided to hit the road one more time. It's twenty years since they toured together as members of the gospel choir Sanctified Soul. How far have they all come since then? Do they still

Xanthe is drawn to Ithaca, the birthplace of her father, Manoli, and her maternal grandfather, Mentor. She is translating Mentor's manuscript, his story of leaving Ithaca and his life in Australia - fleeing the Kalgoorlie riots, working in M

An ageing portrait artist meets a woman who unsettles him, yet inspires him to paint her. Reluctantly, at first, they are drawn together. The artist must watch and wait to trap the shy beast. For the

An evocative novel telling the true story of Dorothea Newell, an Englishwoman who emigrated to Australia with her family in the 1830s. Surviving a shipwreck and marooned on an island just off the mainland, Dorothea and the o

Miles Franklin Shortlist 2009 Man Booker Longlist 2010 The bestselling cult author of Loaded and Dead Europe turns his blowtorch onto the belly of middle-class suburban Australia and its notions of child-rearing and ac

Summer, Sydney, and holed up in a tiny flat off Broadway are idealistic American Adam, weary activist Graeme, and wild, misunderstood Katie. Each is searching for answers to life's biggest questions - why are we here; what is love; wh

A Stairway to Paradise is classic Madeleine St John: poignant, witty, full of sharp and subtle observations. Alex and Andrew are friends. And Barbara...Barbara is a goddess. Here is the eternal triangle, the story of three people l

In the aftermath of the Great Depression few opportunities existed for working-class boys, but at just eighteen Danny Dunn has a good deal going for him: brains, looks, sporting ability - and an easy charm. His parents run The Hero, a favour

In a small hotel on an island renowned for its hospitality and beauty, the Balinese staff and their Western guests are unexpectedly taken hostage. During the overnight siege, the hotel's cook is compelled by the crisis to provide spiritual a

This Is How tells the story of Patrick Oxtoby, an outsider longing to fit in. When his fiancé Sarah breaks off their engagement, Patrick leaves home and moves to a boarding house in a seaside village a few hours away. In spite of h

When his fiancee breaks off their engagement, Patrick Oxtoby leaves home and moves to a boarding house in a seaside town. But in spite of his hopes and determination to build a better life, nothing goes to plan and Patrick is soon

This is a luminous exploration of public and private reckoning in a Melbourne suburb during the upheavals of the 1970's. It's a celebration of the rhythms and the intricacies of surburban life, as well as

Adventurous Caro is one of two Australian sisters who have come to post-war England to seek their fortunes. Courted long and hopelessly by young scientist Ted, she is to find that love brings sorrow as well

01 'I'm not about to attack,' she said. She smirked with one side of her mouth and looked up at me through the black spray of her fringe. Her eyes were dark and already she was playing some kind of game with me, or that's how it seemed. Her voi

Set in gloomy Glasgow, this is the story of wee Donald - who kisses then loses the love of his life when he's only 13 years old (and nothing much goes right for him after that) who tries to find the secret of life (and

The breathtaking new novel from the Miles Franklin-shortlisted author of The Fern Tattoo. During World War I a friendship between two young Englishmen, Axel and Edward, is forged on the battlefields of France. There, inspired by ba

Much loved, award-winning author returns with a lyrical work full of hope and children set in modern-day Paris. Valley of Graceis an interwoven narrative of modern day Paris.Fanny and Gerard fall in love in a way that

The Vintage and the Gleaning is set in a winemaking town in the north-east of Victoria, close to the Murray River. Smithy is a retired shearer turned vineyard worker who has recently been forced to give up drinking after a lifetime of alcoho

Miles Franklin Shortlist 2009 It is 1839. A young Aboriginal girl, Mathinna, is running through the long wet grass of an island at the end of the world to get help for her dying father, an Aboriginal chieftain. Twenty years la

When awkward teenager Charlie Hudson is beaten up during a family holiday at the beach, beautiful Tess Bailey rescues him - and sets the unusual course for his life. In this startling novel, Matt Nable follows the fortunes of Charl

In late 1992, 8 year-old William looked out from the back verandah of his home and saw the mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion. There was no sound, but William was aware of the smell of burning. Later, his father dead by f

Sydney in the 1950s. On the second floor of the famous F. G. Goode department store, in Ladies' Cocktail Frocks, the women in black are girding themselves for the Christmas rush. Among the staff-Patty Williams with her wayward husb

The witch, the virgin, the archangel, the duke and an orphan meet in the extraordinary new novel from the award-winning Andrew McGahan - an electrifying, tumultuous story of inner demons, desire and devastation, a powerful and apocalyptic ta

A Compelling Selection of Contemporary Australian Writing

Once, Rich and Sandy were environmental activists, part of a world famous blockade in Tasmania to save the wilderness. The only thing they have in common these days is their fifteen-year-old daughter Sophie. When Rich decides to take Sophie

Once Rich and Sandy were environmental activists, part of a world-famous blockade in Tasmania to save the wilderness. Now, twenty-five years later, they have both settled into the uncomfortable compromises of middle-age - although

A young woman's struggle to save her family and her soul during the most extraordinary year of 1666, when plague suddenly visited a small Derbyshire village and the villagers, inspired by a charismatic preacher, elected to q

It is Berlin Zoo, 1943, and each night, Vera and Axel, her German husband, spend the night in the bomb shelter. Together they struggle to look after the animals, through the air raids and food shortages. Zoo staff are drafted, and con