We publish books that matter — narrative and literary nonfiction on important topics, and the best of local, international, and translated fiction.

We’re back in 2025 with four books: a compassionate and no-nonsense look at the loneliness epidemic, a dazzling biography of April Ashley, and novels from Austria and Nigeria.

The Joy of Connections by Dr Ruth K Westheimer isn’t just a guidebook for overcoming loneliness: it’s a vital kick in the pants we all need to start seeking — and finding — deep and lasting human connections. Bonjour, Mademoiselle! by Jacqueline Kent and Tom Roberts is the glittering story of April Ashley, model and trans pioneer, and the divorce case which gripped 1960s Britain and defined transgender rights for a generation.

The Liquid Eye of a Moon by is a poignant and at times hilarious debut novel by Nigerian writer Uchenna Awoke, a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a hidden and dangerous contemporary caste system. Darkenbloom by Eva Menasse (translated by Charlotte Collins) is a sweeping novel of exiled counts, Nazis-turned-Soviet-enforcers, secret marriages, mislabelled graves, remembrance, guilt, and the devastating power of silence, by one of Austria’s most significant contemporary writers.

Australian and NZ residents can win a copy of one of these titles over on our Instagram (Entries close Friday 17 Jan).