Number 3 chiller
February was a month filled with passionate, determined, sigh-inducing love letters at Text. We published two books about love built on the vanishing art of letter writing: Fever at Dawn by Pétér Gárdos and The Passion of Mademoiselle S., edited by Jean-Yves Berthault.
As if we needed more encouragement to run a love-letter writing contest! So we asked readers to submit a letter to the object of their affections for the chance to win a romantic dinner to the value of $300 at a restaurant of their choice.
Linda Conrads is a bestselling author who has lived as a recluse since witnessing her sister’s murder. When she sees the murderer on television, Linda takes matters into her own hands in the only way she knows how: through literature. The Trap is a captivating, fast-paced debut crime novel that became an international rights sensation in 2015.
Congratulations to Magda Szubanski, whose brilliant memoir, Reckoning, is the winner of the 2016 Indie Book Award for Non-fiction. The Indies are chosen by Australian independent booksellers from the best in Australian writing. Reckoning has also been shortlisted for the Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award.
The Beach at Night is a picture book narrated by a doll named Celina. She is abandoned by the little girl who owns her and endures a terrifying night on the beach. Inspired by The Lost Daughter, this is a bewitching fable, translated by Ann Goldstein, for Elena Ferrante fans of all ages.
On the evening of 4 September 2005, Father’s Day, Robert Farquharson, a separated husband, was driving his three sons home to their mother, Cindy, when his car left the road and plunged into a dam. The boys, aged ten, seven and two, drowned.
Twelve years ago, Linda’s sister Anna was murdered. Her killer was never caught, but Linda saw him. And she’s just seen him again on TV. He’s become a well-known journalist, and Linda—a famous novelist and infamous recluse—knows no one will believe her if she accuses him.
Mette Jakobsen’s spellbinding debut novel, The Vanishing Act, was shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize and received extraordinary praise. She returns this month with a new novel, What the Light Hides, a sensitive and beautifully rendered portrait of a marriage and the terrible grief of losing a child. Read an extract below.
Helen Garner has just won a Windham-Campbell Prize for her outstanding contribution to international literature. In awarding the prize the judges said: ‘Helen Garner brings acute observations and narrative skill to bear on the conflicts and tragedies of contemporary Australian life.’
In a new series of blog posts, we’d like to introduce you to the Text team. And what better place to start than with our Publisher, Michael Heyward, who shares his passion for the bookish life and his hopes for the industry in Australia.
Yes, it’s almost March, and we’re giving away a whole new bunch of books—new books by Muriel Barbery, Nick Cave and Jesse Ball, as well as fantastic debuts by Meg Caddy, Jennifer Down and Caroline Lea.
