Number 3 chiller

Congratulations to Kate Grenville and Magda Szubanski, both authors of books on the non-fiction shortlist in the 2016 Indie Book Awards.

2016. Here we are. And here are some of the books we’re working on now that we can’t wait to see in bookshops, in newspaper reviews, in people’s hands on the train...

Happy New Year! We’re starting off with a bang by bringing you an extract of Yann Martel’s gorgeous new novel, The High Mountains of Portugal, which will be on bookshop shelves in three weeks. Martel’s Man Booker Prize-winning Life of Pi sold more than ten million copies worldwide and was adapted into a highly acclaimed feature film. The High Mountains of Portugal is a crowd pleaser in the same vein: entertaining and thought provoking, in true Martel style. It’s a colourful, rollicking journey through Portugal told in three intersecting stories interwoven with delightful historical detail. Read on to get a taste of this wonderful new novel.

It has been wonderful to see so many Text titles appear on ‘Best of 2015’ lists here and internationally in the last few weeks. Here are the most talked-about titles—books that have inspired and delighted readers everywhere. (These are the ones to brush up on for your xmas lunches/dinner parties/beachside tête-à-têtes!)

We were very sad this week to learn of the death of Peter Ryan, former newspaper columnist, director of Melbourne University Press and author of the acclaimed memoir Fear Drive My Feet, which was republished as a Text Classic in June. Our sincere sympathies go out to Peter’s family.
In his introduction to Fear Drive My Feet, Peter Pierce describes it as ‘the finest Australian memoir of war’. Read it in full below.

At the beginning of 2015 I made a New Year’s resolution to read two Text Classics a month for the entire year.
Text Publishing is looking for an experienced editor to join its busy and dynamic team.
As an independent publisher of quality fiction and non-fiction we are looking for someone who possesses exceptional editorial skills and a passion for reading across all genres.

Wondering what to give your cousin/niece/nephew/partner’s brother’s step-kid this Christmas? If you’ve made it to this blog post then the answer is obviously books. Garrison Keillor and I send our congratulations for that excellent choice.

Text’s Christmas mascot, Jimmy the bull terrier, is winning hearts all over the world. We asked his best friend—Brazilian artist and illustrator Rafael Mantesso—about their new life in the spotlight.
Jimmy has truly become a global Instagram sensation.

What are your loved ones getting for Christmas? Here are some bookish ideas from the team at Collins...oh...I mean William, Street.
David Winter
For Christmas I am hoping to receive a few days in the country and something for the pain.