‘Deliciously addictive', ‘dripping with suspense': the best Australian books out in June
Science fiction, Pan Macmillan, $34.99
What does it mean to build a new world from the wreckage of a broken one? This question lies at the heart of Jennifer Mills' mesmerising new novel, Salvage, which tracks the fortunes of two estranged sisters: gruff, defensive Jude and spectral Celeste.
This is a work of speculative fiction, set in a near-future ravaged by war and climate crisis. To survive the chaos, Jude is convinced she needs to shed her past and avoid attachments. But she's wrong, and the arc of the novel tracks her realisation that building a new world requires care and community. Salvage is a timely and surprisingly optimistic manual for navigating our present polycrisis. – Catriona Menzies-Pike
Nonfiction, Simon & Schuster, $36.99
Most self-help books are peppered with personal stories that illustrate their advice. Though the tone is light and chatty, with bullet-point takeaways, that's not what you'll get from The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House, by frequent the Guardian Australia contributor Jenny Valentish. Instead the book reads like the memoir of a writer who has learned how to help herself.
The mirror Valentish holds to readers is not always flattering. She explores tendencies toward grandiosity and the unpleasant impacts inwardness can have on other people. For that reason, her efforts to understand her limited appetite for socialising offer something rare for the self-help genre: genuine insight. – Alyx Gorman
Short stories, Simon & Schuster, $32.99
Lucy Nelson's debut collection of stories is centred on women – of a wide range of ages and in many different contexts – who don't have children. Some have chosen their childlessness, others have not. While they differ in the intensity and kinds of emotions this provokes within them, it is never the defining aspect of their lives.
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Nelson is interested in models of family and of connection, in bodies and their betrayals and consolations, in the lives that women forge for themselves when faced by the unexpected. These stories are fierce and tender, often quirky and hilarious, and driven by great compassion. – Fiona Wright
Fiction, Allen & Unwin, $34.99
Shokoofeh Azar migrated from Iran to Australia a decade ago as a refugee, having been arrested multiple times for her work as a journalist investigating human rights abuses. Her second novel is as vividly imaginative as her first, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree: it opens as a gigantic, mysterious tree suddenly sprouts up in the family home of teenager Shokoofeh, our narrator. No one outside the family seems to be able to see the tree but it brings with it mind-expanding freedoms – just as the Iranian revolution begins and reality grows violent.
This novel is packed with ghosts, magical palaces, fortune tellers and folk stories; it could be described as magical realism, though Azar writes with a flair that sets her apart from the South American giants that have dominated the genre. – Sian Cain
Fiction, UQP, $34.99
Thomas Vowles' debut is one of the most tense and disturbing novels I've read in a long time. Ash, new to Melbourne, has fallen in love with James, a man he met on Grindr. At a house party he witnesses a violent interaction involving James's new boyfriend, Raf. Ash is desperate to find out the truth about Raf – trouble is, no one believes him, and his unrequited feelings for James might be clouding his judgment and grip on reality.
Vowles' background as a screenwriter is evident in the deliciously addictive – and stressful – way the story unfolds, with the narration becoming unreliable, and unhinged as Ash descends into madness. – Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen
Poetry, Giramondo, $27
What history forgets, families remember. In her debut collection, Chinese Fish, Grace Yee forged a bridge between the two and announced herself as a poet to watch. In Joss: A History, she continues that potent project – blending family testimony with archival fragments to trace her connection to colonial Bendigo.
These are poems of grit and ritual, erasure and persistence, bureaucracy and grace, gold dust and Chinese cemeteries. Here, among the segregated gravestones, Yee captures the cruel, beautiful and ever-messy work of making a place in the world. 'What dreams weather beneath these mounds,' she writes, 'what fierce agitations churn the night.' – Beejay Silcox
Science fiction, NewSouth Books, $34.99
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This is a really charming and fun reworking of the Dracula story that reimagines the Demeter – the ship that transports Dracula to London in Bram Stoker's novel – as a spaceship, 2,293 days into her voyage transporting humans from Earth to Alpha Centauri. The Demeter is a chatty spacecraft – in fact, she is our narrator, haphazardly trying to keep her passengers from dying at the hands of the ancient vampire who has made his way onboard.
If you know the Dracula story, you'll find this enjoyable – there is a distinctly unhinged touch to the humour that I suspect Terry Pratchett fans will like. – SC
Fiction, Simon & Schuster, $34.99
The pernicious pleasantries, the boardroom politics, the happy hours and the sad snack drawers: all the grinding machinations of office culture crescendo to a quivering peak in Sinéad Stubbins' very funny, very horrifying novel Stinkbug. An advertising agency gets restructured (likely story); everyone is sent on a work retreat (likely story); it might actually be a cult? (likelier than you think).
Like a chunnering conversation with your worst colleague, Stinkbug is claustrophobic. Stubbins faithfully captures the cadences of corporate small talk and dials them up into a nightmarish cacophony of efficiency reports and pitch decks. You'll want to work from home for ever. – Michael Sun
Fiction, Text Publishing, $34.99
Gail Jones is a prolific writer – this is her 11th novel – but The Name of the Sister is somewhat of a departure. Fans of her lucid, beautiful prose won't be disappointed, but this is a thriller, set in Sydney and Broken Hill.
Familiar themes – identity, the nature of truth and memory – remind us of other books Jones has written (including One Another and Five Bells) but The Name of the Sister is dripping with suspense and intrigue. Driven by complex female characters, this novel is an intellectual page-turner. – Joseph Cummins
Fiction, Ultimo, $34.99
When Eva Novak returns to Australia, mysteriously summoned by her long-estranged sister, she is shocked to find Elizabeta dead in her home. The pair haven't spoken for a decade, since the crash that killed Eva's young daughter; Elizabeta was behind the wheel and hadn't strapped Gracie in.
Broken by grief and fury, Eva has two weeks to sort through the estate of the woman who killed her daughter – a task she sets to with a detached purposefulness that becomes increasingly devastating under Peričić's taut prose. But as she sifts through the house for all the documents she needs, Eva uncovers a far more complicated picture of what really happened that day – and how trauma can twist memories and recast entire lives. – Steph Harmon
Nonfiction, Murdoch Books, $34.99
Nathan Dunne, an Australian journalist, was living in London when he decided to go night swimming in Hampstead Heath. In the cold water he experienced what is known as depersonalisation: a severe dissociative illness that left him unsure about who he was and what was real; a terrifying and debilitating state of having no sense of self: 'In a single moment, a split second, I had been locked away, condemned to wander in a body that was not my own.'
This fascinating account charts his recovery, his research into a little-understood condition and his discovery of a whole community of people who have experienced it. – SC
Fiction, Hachette Australia, $32.99
Historical novels set among the mid-century upper crust aren't that unusual but choosing an Australian prime minister's wife as a heroine certainly is. Though the novel opens with Harold Holt's disappearance, the 'year' in the title isn't quite accurate: instead Zara reflects on her memories of their entire relationship since 1927, in digestible, dialogue-heavy prose.
Although you know from the outset that the story will take a tragic turn, the opening chapters of Kimberley Freeman's novel are fun and foamy. As Zara Holt was a fashion designer, there's a generous helping of very good frocks, too. – AG
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘A superb place to sit and enjoy': Ballarat church could be reborn as performing arts hub — if artists can raise $2m
Hundreds of people packed the pews of the main chapel of Ballarat's Neill Street Uniting church for its final service in February 2023. But some in the congregation, which had been meeting on the site since it began as a Methodist church in 1861, could already see its next life. Jill Loveland, whose family's involvement with the church dates back to the late 1800s, says her father, Winston Loveland – who was an active member of the church for 96 years – always said the space should be used for performing arts. 'He knew there were lots of buildings to maintain and that it would become unsustainable at some point,' Loveland says. 'So he openly expressed that he thought it would become a wonderful performing arts venue long before there was talk of the church closing. 'He could see how the acoustics of the main church and the beautiful interior were just superb for a place to sit and enjoy.' When the church came up for sale, a group of local creatives saw it as an opportunity to form an association aimed at supporting and developing the local performing arts scene. And so the Ballarat Performing Arts Community was born. 'Members of the church community didn't want to see it sold privately,' says Bpac's general manager, Beth Lamont. 'They were really hoping to see it continue as a community space and they were fully in support of arts organisations using it. 'It just so happens that all of the arts organisations want to use it.' Lamont says the association approached the church and successfully secured a licence agreement in July 2024. Since then, the site has become a community hub for about 20 creative organisations and more than 90 individuals. The Neill Street site has one church, two halls, a caretaker's cottage and 3,000 sq m of land. Its main chapel boasts a 19th-century Fincham and Hobday pipe organ and is one of the largest organs in Ballarat. The space is now being used for performances, mentoring, galas and events. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning But once the lease expires in February 2026, the property will again go up for private sale. 'The church has a lot of properties and they're hoping to consolidate,' Lamont says. Bpac is on a mission to raise $2m to secure the future of its home base through a dedicated crowdfunding appeal. So far, it has raised just $38,000. The organisation is asking people to pledge to make a contribution after the appeal ends on 31 October – but only if it receives enough pledges to make the full amount. Jeff Moran, a board member and appeal director, says they are approaching clubs, advertising, campaigning to government and philanthropic institutions and staging galas and events to help raise the funds. 'The church has said we'll let you lease it on the understanding that after the lease period we purchase it for a stated price of $2m,' Moran says. 'In good faith, we're setting out to raise it. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion 'Every dollar counts. We need to be known in the community. We've got to do absolutely everything and as far and wide as we can.' Loveland says if the property was to stand vacant, it ran the risk of becoming derelict and falling into disrepair. 'The developer could make use of it, but at what cost? How long would it take … given there was no sign of interest during the first round?' she says. 'I think good on Bpac for giving it their best shot. 'It would be a pity to have so much potential [wasted].' Tim Ryan, a Bpac board member, says the sites on the property – including the chapel, which seats 300, and the main hall, which seats 150 – would suit organisations seeking more affordable and intimate venues. 'That's a really important part of that fabric of performing arts where you can have that laboratory to try things out and we can do that here,' he says. 'There's this diversity of space which creates this diversity of product.' The City of Ballarat's community infrastructure plan says the city should investigate the need for a new live performance venue of less than 300 seats. The city's director of economy and experience, Martin Darcy, says they have been working closely with Bpac about their plans for the church. 'All requests for funding must be assessed through a rigorous process which is either connected to a grants program, budget process or a council-approved action from a strategy,' he says. He added that the strategy 'outlines council's commitment to support the theatre and performing arts, as well as all creative communities in the city'. Ryan says Bpac aims to 'be a voice' lobbying for greater support for the performing arts in the regional city. 'There's still lots of work to be done, especially around diversity in the arts, but at least we acknowledge that there's a bit of a gap and we've got to work towards that,' he says
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
I had 14 miscarriages before finding a couple who promised to change my life, but it fell apart after my baby was born
A WOMAN has bravely shared how her dream of becoming a mother after losing 14 babies was brutally snatched away. Kirby Hood, 36, said she was blindsided when the woman she trusted to be her surrogate mother kicked her out from the hospital after changing her mind at the last moment - and deciding to keep the newborn. 2 2 Kirby, a photographer from Queensland, Australia, had battled infertility for more than a decade, enduring loss after loss, before the ''experienced surrogate'' offered her what she called ''the chance of a lifetime''. ''I trusted her, and she kept my baby after leading me on for nine months believing that the baby would be coming home with me,'' the devastated 36-year-old told Daily Mail Australia. ''My baby was born in February and I'm only just coming up for air. ''I have everything in writing - the card she gave me offering to be my surrogate, the paperwork from the lawyers, and all the texts.'' Kirby attended doctors' appointments regarding the pregnancy, and viewed ultrasounds - all with the encouragement of the surrogate - and covered all the medical costs throughout the process. Excited for the new chapter ahead, she threw a baby shower, held a gender reveal party and documented her journey to motherhood on social media. The birth mother even attended the gender reveal party and met all of Kirby's close friends and family who ''wanted to touch her tummy and fuss around her''. Kirby, a newborn photographer, first met the surrogate, who lived in her local area, in 2019. She was told that this would be the surrogate's "third and final child". In September 2021, the woman rebooked for some family photos, and in 2022 Kirby was booked again as the woman was entering her first surrogacy journey, and Kirby was hired as her photographer to capture the special moment. Katie Price reveals she's secured LOOKALIKE egg donors and American sperm donor in bid to have baby number six The Gold Coast photographer said that having witnessed the woman faithfully fulfil her surrogate role for someone else, she trusted her to do the same again. Meanwhile, Kirby continued with her own quest to become a mother and underwent an embryo transfer. Unfortunately, after meeting a family through an IVF group, she suffered a miscarriage in 2023. Uber Eats order that changed everything ''During the early days of my loss I made an Uber Eats order and the surrogate's sister was the Uber Eats driver. ''She said to her sister, 'Hey it's Kirby, your photographer friend - jump in the car and come for a run to drop this order off'.'' After opening the door, Kirby met the birth mum who had a package with chocolates, magazines, flowers and a card - and they hugged, as Kirby burst into tears. The card said: "When the time comes, you know I'm good for it. Love to be your surrogate.'' The two kept in touch about a potential surrogacy, but Kirby eventually came to the conclusion that she did not want to risk more potential heartbreak. However, a call out of the blue changed everything. Whilst at work, the photographer received a Facetime call from the surrogate - who announced she was having a baby. Confused, Kirby asked if the woman had transferred eggs without her knowing. She explained she had accidentally fallen pregnant with her partner, but they do not want another kid. ''At first I was cautious - how does this work? How does this happen? I'm pretty sure you can't just cook a baby for someone and just hand it over. ''Aren't there laws? I only knew of the laws of surrogacy [not adoption].'' In a state of shock, Kirby handed the phone to her mum who was at the photography studio at the time. ''Mum said: 'What does this mean?', and the surrogate said: 'It means Kirby is going to be a mama,' and I just bawled.'' What is surrogacy? Surrogacy is the name given for a type of pregnancy where a woman carries and gives birth to another person's baby. The surrogate mother is then expected to give up the baby at birth, so it can be raised by the couple who originally wanted the baby. Surrogacy is often an option for those unable to have children themselves, or for same sex couples. According to surrogacy charity Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy (COTS), there are two different types of surrogacy. Traditional surrogacy: When the surrogate uses her own egg fertilised with the intended father's sperm. Gestational surrogacy: The surrogate carries the intended parent's genetic child conceived through IVF, for which specialist doctors are needed. How are surrogate babies conceived? In traditional surrogacy procedures, the egg is artificially inseminated using a syringe. Gestational surrogacy is carried out through IVF. During this in vitro fertilisation process, the egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. The embryo is then planted in the surrogate's womb to grow and develop. This procedure must be carried out by specialist doctors and the biological mother is required to still have working ovaries. The birth mother showed Kirby the living children on Facebook that she still followed and the families that were successful from her donations. However, given the situation had changed from a standard surrogacy to an agreement to hand over a baby that was both conceived and carried by the birthing mother, Kirby sought legal advice. Here, she was told that if the parents didn't want to keep the baby, the newborn had to go to foster care and would be assessed a fair order and placed with a registered family. Kirby then contacted the woman to pass on that disappointing news - but she already had an alternative plan. ''She told me that was rubbish and that I can be on the birth certificate as a same-sex couple, and so with a lawyer we drew up parentage orders,'' she said. As part of that, you can legally name [the baby] before birth so it's in the paperwork. Kirby decided to name her daughter-to-be Xanthe and the pair agreed she was going to be at the birth. Left all alone Then came another shock. Throughout the long process of trying to become a mum, Kirby's husband had been by her side, but just when it appeared imminent, he suddenly moved out. Up until then, he had been to the scans and even had the ultrasound photo made into a keyring he carried around. But he walked out the weekend after Father's Day. ''I have lost 14 babies and it was too much for him. ''He told me two IVF rounds before that he was done, but I didn't want to listen, I just wanted one more chance to try.'' Heartbroken Kirby called the surrogate and her partner to tell them her husband had left, but they said they had no issues with her being a single mum and assured her everything remained on course. Needing to generate enough money as a sole income earner to be able to support herself and a baby, Kirby threw herself into work. However, after she missed one of the scans as a birth shoot took 10 hours and overlapped with the appointment, the birth mother sent her a text questioning Kirby's priorities. Although she was feeling ''there were red flags'', Kirby ''didn't want to believe anything may be wrong''. A few weeks prior to the birth, Kirby was asked to meet the couple in a nearby park, where they told her that they no longer wanted her at the birth, explaining it was for minor medical reasons. It was at this point that she started to have serious doubts, wondering whether the couple had had a change of heart about handing the daughter over. On the birth day, she received a message that told her the baby had arrived, and she drove to the hospital - although, totally unsure what to expect when she got there. ''Things felt off, and I knew it wasn't happening,'' she admitted. Kirby asked for a social worker to be present, but was instead asked to leave. As if she ''was a danger'', the hospital went into lockdown and Kirby left before bawling in her car. Two days later, the birth mother called Kirby to notify her that Child Services were involved now and there's nothing she could do about it. Kirby spent long hours contacting authorities, trying to track the baby down so she could be considered as a legal parent. But it wasn't until weeks later that she found out the couple had not given the child up - and had instead made the decision to keep the little girl after all. ''Someone sent me a screenshot of the surrogate's Facebook where she had announced the birth of her little girl. ''I wasn't angry, just hurt. If they changed their minds, why didn't they just tell me? ''Of course, I would have been upset, but I would have understood. I know how hard it is to lose a baby. I would have understood.'' Kirby has not heard from the couple since March, and they have refused her requests that they refund the thousands of dollars she had forked out on medical costs and baby equipment. They said they they will her in court, Kirby told the publication. ''But I want people to know about it, about what happened and for legislation to be changed. ''I just don't want anyone else to ever feel like this.''
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
The moment I knew: I declined his proposal, then something clicked
It was the day before my 25th birthday, 2005. I was living alone in a flat in Sydney and getting ready for a friend-of-a-friend's 30th that night. I wanted to look vengefully hot for the occasion – someone who had recently dumped me was going to be there. But later that night I forgot all about my ex. As I was sitting in the back garden at the party, making balloon animals, I looked up and saw a man wearing a bright blue floral 80s outfit – a dress and matching jacket – with fishnet stockings and a floppy hat. It was a circus freaks-themed party and he was one of only a handful of other guests who had dressed up, the only Bearded Lady among us. His humour and confidence glowed as brightly as his pearl choker and matching clip-on earrings. I instantly sensed a very strong connection. Drew and I followed each other around all evening, trying not to let the other realise it. A few days later I sent him some pictures from the party and we wasted an entire week of our respective employers' time emailing all day every day, each trying to flirtatiously out-funny the other. Finally, I asked him out for a drink. We started dating and suddenly we'd been together for eight months. Before our first Christmas as a couple, I got wind that he was planning to buy me a kitten. Feeling headstrong about my independence, I gazumped him by buying a kitten for myself. I wasn't ready to share a pet. We slotted easily into each other's lives, sharing eclectic circles of friends, love for our close families and travel. After a year, he moved from the Central Coast to be closer to me in Sydney; after two, he moved into the flat with me and my cat. Three years later, alone on a beach in Borneo except for the three men fixing a generator just behind us, Drew proposed to me. I was taken aback. I didn't feel ready to settle down and I said no immediately. 'I'm not ready,' I uttered. Drew simply kissed me and said: 'I'll wait until you are'. When he said that, something clicked. I realised that whether I was ready was immaterial. I'd never felt ready for anything I've done that was exciting and wonderful and worthwhile. I was ready to not let that stop me. After a few moments I said 'yes'. It was the best decision I've ever made. We got married in 2009. We've faced many challenges since – the terminal illness and death of Drew's father, fertility hurdles, the births of two babies who could stay awake for Australia, postpartum depression, and much more – and Drew has been exactly the right balance of strong, brave, funny, sad, vulnerable, supportive, clever, kind and loving. With Drew as my champion, I said yes to a whole lot more in life too, including writing my first book. In return, it has been the best thing ever to watch as he has thrived in his own life, as an artist. Seeing Drew's work on gallery walls and in people's homes thrills me every time, and there's no one who deserves it more. As for my kitten, Gusto, she's about to turn 20. Our now-shared cat has always, quite rightly, loved Drew the most. Jessica Dettmann's new book Your Friend and Mine (Atlantic Books, $32.99) is out on 1 July. Do you have a romantic realisation you'd like to share? From quiet domestic scenes to dramatic revelations, Guardian Australia wants to hear about the moment you knew you were in love. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.
