Affirm Press

22/01/2025

'Sonia Orchard has a rare gift. In this brilliant, original and groundbreaking book, she explores what it means to be groomed, and why justice is so difficult to obtain. This is a timely, powerful and important read that will help many others make sense of the senseless.' Nina Funnell, Walkley award winning journalist, author, and sexual assault survivor advocate.

Pre-order Groomed today from your local bookstore or online. Out 28 Jan.

Sonia Orchard Nina Funnell

21/01/2025

Check out the stunning cover for Five Seasons in Seoul by Christine Newell – a stunning memoir about a life-changing year in South Korea.

Christine thought a year in South Korea would hit the pause button on her messy life. Her dad's death had left her anxious and depressed, and her career in musical theatre had reached a new low of shopping-centre kids' shows. When she found herself pulled over by the side of the road, dressed as a dinosaur and sobbing uncontrollably, it was clear something had to change.

A role with an experimental theatre company based in Seoul seemed the perfect way to put off dealing with her problems, at least for a year. But she soon found there's no running away from yourself. Travelling through South Korea, immersing herself in its culture and shifting her mindset along with the seasons, Christine discovered that sometimes the place you go to escape your life can hold the answers for how to heal it.

A heartfelt, sumptuous journey through one of the most fascinating cultures and landscapes on the planet, Five Seasons in Seoul is for armchair travellers and memoir lovers alike.

Pre-order now at your local bookstore or online. Out 25 February.

Christine Newell

20/01/2025

'This book is essential reading for all, interweaving Sonia's personal experiences with accessible, well-researched insights into trauma, child sexual abuse, grooming and the deep-seated cultural factors that allow these abhorrent crimes to persist.' Vanessa Hamilton, author, S*xuality Nurse Educator and founder of Talking The Talk S*x Healthy S*xuality Education.

Pre-order Groomed now from your local bookstore or online. Out 28 Jan.

Orchard Writer

20/01/2025

Kate Solly, author of The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch-Up, penned a column for Ramona Magazine about life as an ADHD author.

Said Kate: 'I’d like to tell you that all my ADHD traits have turned me into a supreme writing machine, but unfortunately it’s not that simple. There are aspects of ADHD that can be challenging for writers. Put simply, we struggle with motivation, getting started, staying organised and rejection sensitivity'.

Read more here:

I know I need to write this. I just need to get words on the page. Just open the document. Just open the document. Just open the document after I...

16/01/2025

Look what we uncovered in the woods! It’s Unbury the Dead by Fiona Hardy, coming 25 Feb.

Best mates Teddy and Alice are hired hands with flexible moral boundaries. Whatever the mess, they can be relied upon to fix it with no questions asked. But sometimes it's not as simple as cleaning up.Teddy is searching the suburbs for a missing teenager with her occasional sidekick Art, while Alice's mission is to drive one of Australia's richest men along Victoria's east coast to his final resting place before anybody finds out he's dead. But when a surprise revelation sees their cases collide, Teddy and Alice turn the tables on their wealthy employers to shake out the truth.Fresh, unique and tense, Unbury the Dead is a pacey high-stakes drama with two irresistible heroines who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty for pay day.

Pre-order now at your local bookstore or online. Out 25 Feb. Fiona Hardy

16/01/2025

Did you love The Dictionary of Lost Words? Were you captured by the brilliant stage production? Well, now you can read the playscript of the box-office-smash-hit stage adaptation by Verity Laughton, based on the international bestselling novel by Pip Williams.

In 1901, the word 'bondmaid' was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it.

Set when the women's suffrage movement was at its height and the Great War loomed, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. It's a delightful, lyrical and deeply thought-provoking celebration of words, and the power of language to shape the world and our experience of it.

Grab a copy at your local bookstore or online and be sure to see the stage play at a theatre near you as it embarks on a national tour in 2025. To see where the play will be touring and to buy tickets, visit: https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/event/dictionary-lost-words-australian-tour-2025

15/01/2025

‘Groomed is a powerful exploration of a subject we are not talking about enough: the sexual abuse of children. Approaching these heavy themes with vulnerability, Sonia Orchard’s writing is impactful and enduring.’ Hannah Ferguson, bestselling author of Bite Back and Taboo and co-founder and CEO of Cheek Media Co.

Pre-order now at your local bookstore or online. Out 28 Jan.

Sonia Orchard Cheek Media Co.

15/01/2025

We’re thrilled to have two novels shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2025.

The Ledge by Christian White has been shortlisted in the Fiction category and All the Bees in the Hollows by Lauren Keegan has been shortlisted in the Debut Fiction category. Congratulations Christian and Lauren – so well deserved! And congrats to all the shortlisted creators.

We were also very fortunate to have 5 books longlisted, including Tilda is Visible by Jane Tara, The Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt by Mark Mupotsa-Russell and Reading to Baby by Margaret Wild and Hannah Sommerville.

Our sincere thanks to all the independent booksellers who champion Aussie authors and their books. We are in your debt.

14/01/2025

Kate Solly has been out on the road in Melbourne signing copies of her latest book, The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch-Up. This is the perfect summer read for anyone looking for fun, charming and page-turning escapism. Signed copies are available at Readings Doncaster, The Leaf Bookshop Ashburton, Jeffreys Books Malvern, Cook and Young Camberwell and Readings Hawthorn. Head to a store near you to grab yourself (and a friend) a copy.

14/01/2025

‘In this brave and unflinchingly honest work of non-fiction, Sonia Orchard unravels the layers of her own life … Orchard’s prose challenges readers to confront the enduring pain, shame and social consequences faced by survivors of sexual crimes.’ Ginger Gorman, award-winning journalist and bestselling author of Troll Hunting.

Pre-order now at your local bookstore or online. Out 28 Jan.

Sonia Orchard Ginger Gorman - the investigative journalist with heart

13/01/2025

We can’t believe we’re halfway through January already! Most of our team are back on board but we can’t help reminiscing about all the wonderful (non-work) reading we enjoyed over the summer break.

Our Sydney CBD Account Manager, Chris Hawkins, in his typical over-achieving manner read three books, including our very own Crisis to Contentment by Dr Marny Lishman. Also on his list were Ann Patchett’s international bestseller Tom Lake and Didion & Babitz – the provocative new biography by Lili Anolik.

NSW and ACT Account Manager, Priscilla Pettit, read The Story of the Lost Child – the fourth instalment in Elena Ferrante’s brilliant Neapolitan Quartet. While VIC and TAS Account Manager and kid lit expert, Michael Earp, dived headfirst into the lavish world of The Midwatch by Judith Rossell. Whereas Publisher Ruby Ashby-Orr preferred to go back to her nerdy tween roots by dipping into Stephen Fry’s deeply curious and at times silly retelling of Greek myths, Mythos.

Publicity Manager, Tace Kelly, floated high above earth’s orbit with last year’s sublime Booker Prize winner, Orbital by Samantha Harvey. While Publishing Coordinator, Susie Kennewell, kept her feet firmly on the ground considering another side of the universe with Tim Minchin’s beautifully idiosyncratic first non-fiction book, You Don’t Have to Have a Dream.

Our Kids Editors, Meg Whelan and Coral Huchstep, took a break from assessing unsolicited manuscripts to enjoy some books they didn’t have to reread/restructure/reedit, with Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood and Whether Violent or Natural by Natasha Calder respectively. While General List Editor, Zoe Sorenson, enjoyed Dress Rehearsals by Madison Godfrey – a memoir made of poetry that documents a decade of performing womanhood in a non-binary body.

And finally, yours truly, Marketing Executive Alistair Trapnell, devoured the latest Sally Rooney masterpiece, Intermezzo, and listened with attentive ears and bawling eyes to Darren Hayes’s inspiring and at times harrowing memoir, Unlovable.

We hope you all enjoyed the summer break and got a chance to read some new favourites.

09/01/2025

We are thrilled to reveal the gorgeous cover for Baby and Me by Angela Casabene and Hilary Jean Tapper.

Busy, busy in the city,
people going to and fro.
But baby and me sit quietly.
We're glad the days are slow.

This is a beautiful picture book for any parent who has wanted to hold on tight to the precious and fleeting 'baby bubble' time. While the world rushes on, life with a newborn takes on a perfect pace of its own, and Baby and Me is a gorgeous ode to this special time and all the growing shared by baby and parent.

Pre-order your copy now from your local bookstore or online. Out 28 Jan.

Angela Casabene Hilary Jean Tapper

08/01/2025

From New York Times bestselling author Morgan Matson comes The Ballad of Darcy and Russell – a sweeping romantic novel about love, fate and one night that can change everything.

Darcy believes in love at first sight. She's spent her whole life waiting for that perfect magical moment.

When Darcy finds herself stranded at a bus station after a music festival, her life is anything but perfect. She is convinced nothing good can come of this night ... until she meets Russell.

Russell is funny, kind and extremely cute. And just what Darcy has been waiting for.

But over the course of twenty-four hours – filled with night swimming, run-ins with the law, epic road trips and dramatic revelations – Darcy will have to question everything she believes about love. Can you really fall for someone you just met? And is it worth saying hello when you know you're destined for a goodbye?

For fans of One Day and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist this is a heart-warming teen romance novel not to be missed.

Out 28 Jan.

07/01/2025

'Groomed is THE book for our times, revealing trauma that is as systemic, cultural and political as it is granular, psychological and personal. I hope that a hell of a lot of men read Groomed and panic that their time is finally up.' Clare Wright OAM and award-winning historian, author, broadcaster and public commentator.

Pre-order now at your local bookstore or online. Out 28 Jan.

Sonia Orchard Clare Wright

06/01/2025

We’re delighted to share the adorable cover for Little Love List by Bethany Clark and Summer Macon.

This sweet picture book shines a light on unconditional love, reminding us that love persists through the ups and downs of daily life. It's the perfect reassurance to little ones that they are loved more than they will ever know and it is out just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Pre-order your copy from your local bookstore or online today. Out 28 Jan.

06/01/2025

Very chuffed to have two of our titles featured on this fabulous list from the Lord Mayor. Happy reading! Harry Saddler

Presenting the Lord Mayor's’ Summer Reading List!

Personally curated by City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece , it features books new and old with a largely Victorian focus (of course).

Many of these can be found at one of our many excellent bookshops or borrowed from the fantastic City of Melbourne Libraries

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A Clear Flowing Yarra by Harry Saddler, published by Affirm Press

Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear, published by Text Publishing

Best of Australian Poems 2024, co-edited by Kate Lilley and Shastra Deo, published by Australian Poetry

Garryowen Unmasked: The life of Edmund Finn by Liz Rushen, published by Anchor Books Australia.

Madame Brussels by Barbara Minchinton and Philip Bentley, published by Black Inc.

Melbourne Ghost Signs by Sean Reynolds, published by Scribe Publications.

Minority Report – The New Shape of Australian Politics by George Megalogenis, published by Black Inc.

The Lost Book of Magic by Amelia Mellor, published by Affirm Press.

The Season by Helen Garner, published by Text Publishing.

On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century by Tony Blair, published by Penguin Books Australia.

Under-Earth by Chris Gooch, published by Penguin Books Australia

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05/01/2025

📚Submissions are open for our general list📚

It’s a new year and the perfect time to set into motion those dreams and goals you’ve been working towards.

Today, our general list editors are looking for literary and general fiction manuscripts and non-fiction submissions that are entertaining, engaging and leave readers (and the world, even a teeny bit) better off for having existed. If that sounds like your manuscript, then we can't wait to hear from you.

All the details on how to submit can be found on our website. Please note submissions received after Monday 11:59pm (AEDT) will not be assessed. We do not discuss submissions over the phone. Please resist the temptation to call. Our kids list is closed but will reopen on Monday 2 June for submissions across all categories.

Best of luck!

#2025