Cirrus@Austlit

'A man treads water in the Swan River, hoping to bring his friend back to shore. Three siblings gaze skyward seeking a comet among the stars. A mother and daughter grapple with their fraught relationship and an inappropriate birthday cake. Bushfires sweep a Perth suburb while a woman, still burnt from a previous relationship, lessens the divide between an individual and their community.

'In Greater City Shadows, Laurie Steed shines a light on the tremendous complexity and beauty of everyday relationships. From unrequited first love and burnt flames of the past to early parenthood stresses and tense friendships. These short stories are vulnerable and tender ― a captivating collection reminding us that to be connected is to be human.' (Publication summary)

'A must-read for all new parents, Love, Dad, explores what it means to be a father in the twenty-first century.

'The father of two young boys, Laurie reflects on how his own experiences have defined the kind of man he is and the kind of parent he would like to become. His stories – triumphant, funny and sad – draw on Laurie’s own childhood experiences and important relationships with family and mates, alongside the challenges of trauma and mental health shared by many men. This memoir openly shares how Laurie strives to overcome challenges – from breaking generational cycles to maintaining joy in work and parenthood – and how others fresh to parenting can learn from this authentic story of a new dad and his family.' (Publication summary)

'Jen and Steven meet at sixteen and marry at eighteen.  Soon they're the parents of three young children.

'Initially, the kids keep them together until love turns to lies and the family implodes.  As they become adults, each child faces love and loss in the shadow of their family legacy.

'You Belong Here is a book about trust and connection. About what keeps us going in spite of ourselves. 

'About a place where we belong.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The 2016 Margaret River Short Story Competition anthology presents the finest emerging and established voices in Australian literature.'

'These are stories to be felt, read, and remembered. They cover births, deaths, and moments that define our hopes, fears, and failures.'

'They are stories that connect with a deeper sense of humanity. They are stories to be enjoyed at home, in our bed, or on the train: wherever it’s possible to savour the quiet, loud, and unforgettable moments of life. ...' (Source: Margaret River Press website)

'Every Saturday the boys of Acacia heights turn the communal pool into party central. They set up the stereo, barbecue a family-pack of sausages and demolish a carton. Some days a fire starts up across the lake; mushroom cloud appears on the horizon and the smell of smoke drifts across the car park. Some boys stay. Some take off, sardined into a beaten-up Lancer, taking corners in third, hoping to watch the carnage. When the flames die down they come back, dive-bomb the pool, pushing and shoving, still high on adrenalin. I stay inside, watch smoke drift across the lake, thank fate for the changing wind, the suburb's sprawl that's kept me at a distance...' (Abstract)