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, covertly recruited some of these former Nazis to monitor communist sympathizers, while Jewish refugees faced renewed terror in 1950s Melbourne. Through the characters Yakov and Benny, the narrative pits the desire for revenge against the limits of a justice system that often failed to prosecute war criminals. The novel blends historical documentation with ethical reflection on trauma, accountability, and state complicity.
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Johanna Bell’s debut adult novel, *Department of the Vanishing*, wins the University of Tasmania’s Best New Unpublished Work prize and presents a dystopian eco‑fiction narrative about near‑future bird extinctions in Australia.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...
The Shortest History of India (2022) by John Zubrzycki
John Zubrzycki’s *The Shortest History of India* (2022) offers a rapid‑read overview of India’s millennia‑long story, from the Bronze‑Age Harappan civilization to contemporary Hindu nationalism. The book highlights the mystery of undeciphered Harappan seals, the brutal human toll of Partition,...
The Fortunes (2016), by Peter Ho Davies
Peter Ho Davies' 2016 novel The Fortunes reimagines American history through four interwoven Chinese‑American lives, spanning from 19th‑century railroad labor to a modern adoption story. The book blends fact and fiction, drawing on real figures such as a Chinese film...
A Guardian and a Thief (2025), by Megha Majumdar
Megha Majumdar’s *A Guardian and a Thief* has earned a rare sweep of literary honors, including a longlist spot for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction, a shortlist for the 2025 National Book Award, and the 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medal...
Empathy (2025), by Bryan Walpert
Bryan Walpert’s novel *Empathy*, longlisted for the Ockham NZ Book Awards, follows marketing executive Alison Morris and game‑developer husband Jim as they attempt to commercialise empathy through a perfume and a video‑game called *EmPath*. The story intertwines their idealistic ambitions...
2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards Shortlist
The 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have released the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction shortlist, featuring four titles: *The Book of Guilt* (Catherine Chidgey), *All Her Lives* (Ingrid Horrocks), *How to Paint a Nude* (Sam Mahon) and *Hoods Landing* (Laura Vincent). The article notes the...
The Minstrels (2026) by Eva Hornung
Award‑winning Australian author Eva Hornung releases her first novel since 2017, *The Minstrels*. The sweeping narrative follows Gem, a farmer navigating climate‑driven dystopia, Indigenous language revival, and urban‑rural conflict. Hornung blends literary fiction with speculative elements to explore identity remaking...
Once the Deed Is Done (2025), by Rachel Seiffert
Rachel Seiffert’s new novel *Once the Deed Is Done*—longlisted for the 2026 Walter Scott Prize—examines the chaotic aftermath of World War II through the lens of displaced persons in a northern German town. The narrative weaves together the voices of local...