Books

The Aussie star says she was convinced ‘no one would ever find me sexually attractive’ until she met the actor she would later lose her virginity to at age 35.

How Julia Donaldson’s much loved children’s tale ‘The Gruffalo’ became a global phenomenon.

The Best Australian Yarn — the world’s richest short story competition — was launched in 2022 and has become one of the most coveted in the nation. Thousands entered in 2023. Here are five of the bes yarns.

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: Jacqueline MacDonald’s dystopian story is about a worker who wrestles with doubt as the rich and powerful increasingly clone themselves.

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: An emotive story by Josh Low about a young man who returns to his narrowed-minded home town and the hard-bitten father who refused to accept his teenage son was different.

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: This is the story of a fastidious, older employee who patronised and passed over in her workplace and quietly makes her own arrangements for a comfortable retirement.

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: Rachel Van Nierop’s tale about a specialist veterinarian who treats her heartbroken clients with disdain. 

The Best Australian Yarn 2023: Cameron Rutherford’s graphic exploration of the relationship between creator and consumer in the age of social media.

If 2023’s bestsellers lists were still dominated by works dissecting COVID and climate change, this literary new year looks to be heading in two vastly different directions.

Everyone loves a good spy novel, and it turns out former spooks make especially strong authors.

Although there might be more romantic activities a single person could do on a Friday night, very few beat potentially stumbling into your next bibliophile boo while surrounded by sweet prose.

Left your Christmas shopping to the last minute? There’s still time to head to your local bookshop this weekend to pick up a recently released title for everyone on your list.