Cirrus@Austlit

'Heidi and Pete Coupland were content, living in the Southern Highlands of NSW with their two daughters. But in 2012 all that is turned on its head when Pete receives some shocking news. He is a bereavement counsellor who has worked with grieving children and their families for years and he must now face his own life-threatening illness.' (Publication summary)

'The jury’s in, sequestered-slash-quarantined overnight on a serious criminal case in the suitably imposing Alice Springs courthouse. But the jury’s well and truly out on whether or not justice will be served, what with all the baggage the jurors have brought to the case, the misapprehensions. To say nothing of their phones to help combat Covid. Then there’s the judge’s baggage.

'The case, prosecuted in this collection’s novella, is encountered via short stories set even more remotely. They’re like unsettled little satellite settlements around any really remote town, outliers – outlaws – to the town’s edifice of law. But the police are never far away. Supposedly just eight minutes away, for instance, while a break-and-enter victim and the young trespasser watch very early morning commercial TV together waiting. Or left for dead – well, left floundering in a roadside ditch at least – by the Black Elvis, a modern, musical, Aboriginal, outback Robin Hood. Of sorts.

'Loosely law-themed, and loosely but lovingly illustrated, Crested Bellbird has many voices.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When Naomi Hart flew from Sydney to New York to study musical theatre as a twenty-two year-old, she planned to be away for only two years. Little did she know that two years would eventually turn into eight and much of it would be spent working for the New York Mafia...

'As a young uni student Naomi flew from Australia to New York to make it on Broadway as a musical theatre actor. In the process she accidentally ended up working for the New York Mafia, performed as a dancing plate in the musical 'Beauty and the Beast', married a talented but highly temperamental chef, opened the famous Hartsyard restaurant and bar in Sydney, lived on an island in Fiji and, after discovering her eldest daughter had autism, lost all her hair to stress and became devoted to water polo. Her memoir, Life at the Bottom of the Blender, has it all.

'Written with warmth and passion, not to mention an enormous dose of quirky humour, Naomi outlines her crazy life that has seen her cheered by US audiences, spat on by rude restaurant customers, lived in buildings where dead bodies were routinely discovered, unsuspectingly married a man whose talent as a chef was only slightly marred by his ADHD, fought for and won a green card to the US, opened a restaurant of her own in Sydney while nursing a toddler and pregnant with her second child, wrote a bestselling cookbook, lived and worked on a beautiful island resort in Fiji and then, after Covid sent her family scuttling back to Sydney to deal with lockdowns and home-schooling, gradually realised that her life was too much... even for her. It is a truly fabulous, entertaining and uplifting story. You couldn't make it up. An enormously enjoyable read.' (Publication summary)

'‘Everyone knows everything about teachers. They can tell you about their holidays (too long) their days (too short), the amount of time they spend with noisy children (too much), their whinging (too much), their job (too easy), and their personalities (too bossy). I thought I knew what I was doing when I retrained as a teacher as part of my mid-life crisis. Only after several years of teaching did I properly realise that I had no idea…’ In her first memoir, A Year in the Mud and the Toast and the Tears, Georgie and her family moved to the Adelaide Hills to become hobby farmers. As that worked out so well (umm, not!), Georgie decided to tackle her third career (the first two being a lawyer and farmer) as a high school teacher. Semi-Educated is a documentation of the first year of Georgie’s life wading through the daily trials, tribulations and occasional joys of being a teacher, written in her trademark gently self-deprecating, amusing style. A must for fans of A Year in the Mud, teachers, educators and anyone who appreciates dark humour!' (Publication summary)

'What if you woke up believing yourself a young girl, only to discover you are an adult with amnesia. What if you could not remember giving birth to your daughter, did not know who your husband, was or even remember how to read and write? And what if the people helping you remember all these things were not, in fact, telling you the whole truth? All this and more happened to journalist Anne Howell, who has recounted her extraordinary story in a compelling page turner.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'What happens after you write a tell-all memoir that reveals your family’s darkest secrets?

'Renee McBryde has a really intriguing life story. Her mother and father met when they were living on the streets in Kings Cross. Her mum gave birth to Renee when she was only 15 and Renee’s father was jailed for murder just before she was born. Renee grew up being told over and over again that she had to keep the identity of her father secret and she did ... until it ended up doing her much more harm than good.

'In 2017 Renee wrote a book revealing the secret and the impact it had on her and her identity. Little did she know that the book would go on to attract sensational media attention and sell widely across Australia and the UK.
Her second book, Unravelling Us, examines what happens to a family after a tell-all memoir and its accompanying publicity is published. While Renee was busy appearing on 60 Minutes and SBS’s Insight, and being interviewed on radio and for magazines, her previous close-knit family life was imploding.

'Unravelling Us delves deeply into the behind the scenes of a family whose dysfunction becomes public knowledge and the impact that has on all of them. It looks at the complex relationships between families, especially mothers and their children, and uses stories from Renee’s work as a social worker and child protection officer in Alice Springs to look at the inherited cycles of abuse and trauma. After having such terrible role models as parents, Renee is fearful she will unconsciously repeat the patterns of parenting that she was exposed to, as she sees it happening all the time in her job. However, she also witnesses moments when a pattern is broken, in her own life and in her work, which gives her hope that her books will be of some help to others.' (Publication summary)

'Sydney's leafy northern suburbs were a bastion of Christian conservatism in the 1970s, but the Roberts family was always a little different. If having lots of children, pets and parties made them stick out, then a mum with a procession of live-in lovers had the neighbours wondering if this mob had mistaken Beecroft for Lesbos.

'Despite the climate of the times, Toby's parents were able to reach a very bohemian understanding - his dancer mother was free to find love in the arms of younger women, while his doctor father was free to drink and pretend it wasn't happening. Growing up a middle child of four, Toby loved his mother's girlfriends as if they were older siblings. But when his mum fell for Caro, everything changed. It's hard enough when your mum and dad divorce, and you move into a new home with two mums - harder still, when one of those mums challenges your masculinity by flogging you in tennis and lifting weights that would give you a hernia.

'To make matters worse, Toby had just started high school at a Christian college where Mum's spiky hair and long trousers weren't welcome. The usual insecurities about finding acceptance in high school go up a notch or two when you're a weedy violinist and your two mothers keep kissing in public.

'This delightful coming of age memoir explores the angst of puberty, school, sport and bad 80s fashion. Beneath the humour and quirky characters, reminiscent of Netflix's Sex Education series and just as awkwardly funny, lies a deeper reminder of the human need to pursue more authentic lives, and the capacity for people to surprise us by accepting love in all its forms. Over time, the bravery and decency of Toby's two mums wins admirers and supporters in unlikely places, from rugby-playing school boys to deeply religious stay-at-home mums. Even Toby learns to see the value in his embarrassing childhood...' (Publication summary)

'Thea initially wrestles with the idea of motherhood and the threat of losing her identity if she were to become a mother. However, all that is soon consumed by the birth of her first child, Julian, who is developmentally delayed and challenging.

'The story follows Thea and her son's struggles to find acceptance in the education system, and mirrors Thea's own internal battles with the realities of having a child with a disability, and the effects it has on her marriage and her sense of self. It culminates with Thea seeking an intimate partner for her son as he approaches adulthood, and her sense of hope that Julian will be able to find love like everyone else. This is ultimately a positive and rewarding story, which will benefit those parents and carers of children with a disability, as well as anyone working in that space. It is also an enjoyable read for those not in the same situation but interested in equality and the human spirit.'(Publication summary)

'It could happen to anyone ... a confronting story of an intelligent family man stripped of all he treasured in life, due to a neurodegenerative disease. An insightful memoir of love, trauma and resilience that offers help for the thousands of others similarly afflicted, and their carers.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In 1974, fifteen-year-old Sandie escaped from the Kamballa institution, formerly known as the infamous Parramatta Girls Home. On the outside she soon discovered that police and justice are not always the same.

'Forty years later, during a heartbreaking family crisis, Sandie experienced a mental breakdown inside a men’s protection prison where she worked as a teacher. She felt helpless while other unknown parts of her personality took over.

'Finding herself unemployed, she embarked on the difficult quest to find healing by reclaiming the other selves buried deep within her. Girls who were still trapped in the horrors of her troubled childhood.

'As part of her recovery Sandie visited the derelict buildings that she had once been imprisoned in. Kamballa was the gateway between herself and childhood. To find the lost girls within her and bring them home, she knew she had to cross that threshold and let them finally tell their stories.

'The voices of a troubled child, a rebel teenager, a witch, a teacher, and a wild fighter join forces in a raw, gritty and ultimately uplifting memoir that shines a light on the complexities of mental illness, the injustices and cruelty of juvenile incarceration and, above all, the determination and strength of character to overcome them both.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In 1973 David Howison announced to his then 17-year-old son Mark that they were going to walk around Australia to raise money in order to build a wildlife sanctuary to protect kangaroos.

'Once he got over his initial shock, Mark was up for the adventure. Thanks to the local Kangaroo Protection Society they were kitted out in boots, hats and suncreen and given a sponsorship with Hanimax cameras. After leaving
Sydney with a huge farewell from a Scottish Highlander band, thousands of people and many media interviews, it was just Mark, his dad, and their dog Wendy on the road. They fourth menber of their team was a large cart carrying their belongings which they pulled behind them.

'Anticipating a hero’s welcome and free hospitality at every town, the pair soon discover that not only are they left to fend for themselves but that, in the bush, the bloody kangaroos don’t need saving and on many occasions angry farmers reminded them of this fact by firing bullets over their heads. Dirt roads, wild-driving semi trailers, feral pigs, crocodiles, snakes, rogue RSPCA officers and, eventually lack of food and, even more importantly to David, cigarettes, turn this inspiring quest into one of survival.

'During the summer of 2011, the state of Queensland was ravaged by some of the worst flooding Australia has ever seen. Following years of crippling drought, the skies opened, releasing unprecedented amounts of water across the state for weeks on end. On 10 January, the Lockyer Valley would experience the worst of the flooding, and the small town of Grantham would become the epicentre of the disaster.

'With homes destroyed, livelihoods ruined, and a community grieving over lives lost, Mayor Steve Jones saw no future in rebuilding where the town once stood. He made a promise to the people of Grantham that they would move to higher ground by Christmas … less than twelve months after the flood.

'To help him realise this incredible vision, he called on Jamie Simmonds to make sure it happened.

'Rising from the Flood: Moving the Town of Grantham tells the story of how a community was able to relocate following one of Australia’s most terrifying natural disasters. Through acts of survival, heroism, leadership and love for community, the desperate people of Grantham found hope in Steve’s bold vision for a safe, new future and inspiration in Jamie’s achievement of an almost impossible task.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'A Long View From the Left is a memoir by Max Odgen, a longtime Australian Communist Party member, Unionist and, from 1985, ALP member. The memoir traces Max’s 60 years as a union and political activist, as well as the changing social and cultural values of Australian society over this time, and reveals many rich lessons that will be invaluable to our current and future generations of leaders.

'In this fascinating book Max describes his home environment and the development of his political influences as a result of the effects of the Depression on his family. He also details his extraordinary rise from lowly metal-worker apprentice to being appointed as an Australian Council of Trade Unions Industrial Officer, before being invited to head up a research unit at Melbourne University, and all without obtaining a tertiary education.

'Good Night Irene, a catch cry Michael would become well known for as a commentator, describes how Michael became one of the most highly sought after sports broadcasters on US cable networks, and relates many interesting stories about the people and celebrities he met along the way, including a gun-toting Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Diego Maradona, Hulk Hogan, George Foreman, Dana White, Drake, Wasim Akram, Cathy Freeman and more.

'While pulling back the veil of sports commentary and peeking into the lives of some of the world’s biggest celebrities, Good Night Irene also serves to inspire the uninspired and give hope and courage to those who struggle with being bullied. For any child struggling with finding their place in the world, and thinking they won’t amount to anything beyond their identity issues (weight, gender, etc), this book is proof that anyone with a dream, and the passion and devotion to work hard, can achieve that dream.  Inspiring, moving and entertaining.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The story begins with the shock of Annabet’s brother Anders’ tragic suicide and traces his and Annabet’s careers while remaining close and supportive of one another. Anders became an internationally recognised chef and trained and influenced many of the well known chefs of today: Neil Perry, Serge Dansereau and Matt Moran amongst others. He was know as the ‘Mr Fixit’ of many restaurants in Sydney. He was also a talented ceramist and had many shows that displayed his art. Annabet was an influence in the developing fashion scene in Sydney with her own clothing line and became an business woman in her own right.

'Despite their success they struggled emotionally their whole lives; Anders because he was gay in an era which did not approve of or legally recognise homosexuality and Annabet because she was continuously criticised and undermined by her parents.

'Experience the landscapes, cuisines and eccentric personalities of the Camino de Santiago, not to mention the tears and tantrums, through this compilation of the candid journals kept by Cilla, her father-in-law Terry and friend Tom when walking the ancient  pilgrim trail across France and Spain together in 1995.

'Much like the medieval pilgrims who walked the same path 800 years before them, as adversities start to take their toll and divergent motivations clash, this unlikely group find themselves inside a walking pressure cooker.  But there are three sides to the story.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)