‘The Hotel’ (2026), by Nicole Hazan
American Jewish Book Council has launched Paper Brigade, a program aimed at countering the growing exclusion of Jewish authors from literary platforms. As part of its debut, the council released the speculative short story ‘The Hotel’ by emerging writer Nicole Hazan, set in an Israeli hotel after the October 7 attacks. The story explores grief, love, and ghostly memory, using supernatural elements to reflect the trauma of survivors. Paper Brigade distributes the story via a newsletter and ties it to a short‑story reading challenge, inviting readers to support Jewish voices.
Vale David Malouf (1934-2026)
Beloved Australian author, poet, playwright and librettist David Malouf died at 92, ending a five‑decade literary career. He amassed a remarkable list of honors, including the 2000 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, the 2016 Australia Council Lifetime Achievement Award, and...
When I Am Sixty-Four (2026), by Debra Adelaide, and some Thoughts About ‘Grief-Lit’
Debra Adelaide’s 2026 novel *When I Am Sixty‑Four* is an autofiction that chronicles her attempt to care for a close friend who died by suicide. While rooted in factual events, Adelaide reshapes the narrative with lyrical prose, humor, and stark...
The Rest of Our Lives (2025), by Ben Markovits
Ben Markovits’s *The Rest of Our Lives* was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, joining titles like Susan Choi’s *Flashlight* and Katie Kitamura’s *Audition*. The novel follows middle‑aged lawyer Tom as his daughter leaves for college, prompting a road‑trip that forces him to...
Heat Wave in Berlin (1961), by Dymphna Cusack
Dymphna Cusack’s 1961 novel *Heat Wave in Berlin* follows Australian mother Joy Miller as she visits her German‑born husband’s influential family in West Berlin, only to uncover their covert neo‑Nazi agenda and wartime crimes. The narrative blends thriller pacing with...
The Watchmaker’s War (2026), by Danny Ben-Moshe
Danny Ben‑Moshe’s 2026 novel *The Watchmaker’s War* dramatizes the true story of Lithuanian Holocaust survivor Boris Green, who discovered that Nazi war criminals had migrated to post‑war Australia under lax immigration checks. The book reveals that Australia’s security agency, ASIO,...
2026 Age Book of the Year Shortlists
The Age has released the shortlist for its 2026 Book of the Year, naming six fiction and six non‑fiction titles. Notable entries include Jennifer Mills’s “Salvage,” Omar Musa’s “Fierceland,” and Mark McKenna’s “The Shortest History of Australia.” Winners will each...
Department of the Vanishing (2026) by Johanna Bell
Johanna Bell’s debut adult novel, *Department of the Vanishing*, wins the University of Tasmania’s Best New Unpublished Work prize and presents a dystopian eco‑fiction narrative about near‑future bird extinctions in Australia. The book is constructed as a collage of archival...
The Best of Everything (2025), by Kit De Waal
Kit de Waal’s debut novel *The Best of Everything*—long‑listed for the 2025 Women’s Prize—follows Paulette, a West Indian single mother navigating 1970s Britain. After a tangled romance leaves her raising a child, Bird, she balances work as a nursing auxiliary with...
Sea Green (1974, Reissued 2025), by Barbara Hanrahan
Australian author Barbara Hanrahan’s 1974 novella *Sea Green* has been revived by South‑Australian imprint Pink Shorts Press, releasing a new paperback edition in 2025. The 187‑page volume (ISBN 9781763554108) recounts Virginia’s journey from Adelaide to 1960s London, exploring artistic ambition, gender...
A Shipwreck in Fiji (2025, Akal Singh #2), by Nilima Rao
Nilima Rao’s *A Shipwreck in Fiji* is the second entry in the Akal Singh detective series, placing a Sikh police sergeant in colonial Fiji at the outbreak of World I. The novel weaves a murder mystery with detailed portrayals of early‑20th‑century...
The Afterlife of Harry Playford (2026, Stephen Minter #2), by Steven Carroll
Steven Carroll’s *The Afterlife of Harry Playford* (Fourth Estate, 2026) continues the Stephen Minter series, following the baffling disappearance of a 1950s Australian politician. The novel blends detective tropes with a meditation on post‑war migration, gender constraints, and Cold‑War undercurrents,...
Star Gazers (2025), by Duncan Sarkies
Star Gazers, a 2025 novel by Duncan Sarkies, uses alpacas to allegorize election rigging, media censorship, and corporate corruption. The story follows a vet and an engineer battling a health‑biscuits scandal and AI‑driven click‑bait tactics, highlighting the fragility of democratic...
Spell the Month in Books March 2026
The March 2026 "Spell the Month in Books" post curates five titles—Mural, The Architect, Ravenous Girls, Cure, and The Octopus and I—aligned with the letters M‑A‑R‑C‑H and linked by a mental‑illness theme. Each novel delves into distinct psychological struggles, from...
1985, A Novel (2025) by Dominic Hoey
Dominic Hoey’s third novel, *1985, a Novel*, has been longlisted for the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Set in a multicultural, pre‑gentrification Auckland of 1985, the story follows eleven‑year‑old Obi as he navigates poverty, family dysfunction and a treasure‑hunt...