Item category 1: Biographies & Memoirs

A rich biography of artist-turned-environmental campaigner John Büsst. Known to his enemies as 'The Bingil Bay Bastard', John Büsst, a Bendigo-born Melbourne bohemian artist, moved to tropical Bedarra Island in North Queensland and underwent an extraordinary transformation to become one of Austra...

This is a story about a boy called Ray who, as a result of his greed and lust for life, became Jumbo both in size and in name. Ray was born into a Jewish family in Perth, Western Australia, shortly after World War II; a family living in a suburban house at a time of growing affluence and cultural...

A book of inspirational stories drawn from Kasey Chambers' life and music career. Kasey has stayed true to herself through painful and challenging times as well as good times that have required a level head. Despite all the success, Kasey has been no stranger to tragedy, but her self-belief and t...

American-born Larissa Babij is at home in Kyiv when Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Her grandparents left Ukraine amidst the violence of World War II, and nearly 80 years later, she is fleeing the advancing Russian army. A Kind of Refugee chronicles the fi...

Growing up in the Hasidic community of Brooklyn's Borough Park, Sara Glass knew one painful truth: what was expected of her and what she desperately wanted were impossibly opposed. Tormented by her attraction to women and trapped in a loveless arranged marriage, she found herself unable to confor...

On the morning of 12 August 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man in black – black clothes, black mask – rushed down the aisle towards him, wielding a...

Tadeusz Kosciuszko, who lived from 1746 to 1817, is the most famous person Australians probably know absolutely nothing about. A military engineer, freedom fighter, and champion of human rights, this extraordinary revolutionary was crucial to the success of the American War of Independence, then ...

When Who the Hell is Hamish? hit podcast platforms in 2019, Tracy Hall quickly became known as the last victim of one of the world's most prolific con men, Hamish McLaren. At last, Tracy is sharing the full story of how she overcame financial and emotional betrayal in this fast-paced, witty and e...

The Legend of Albert Jacka is an unforgettable story of the bravery and sacrifice of one extraordinary soldier that takes us from the shores of Gallipoli to the battlefields of France, all brought to vivid life by Australia's greatest storyteller, Peter FitzSimons.

For the first time, Pope Francis tells the story of his life as he looks back on the momentous world events that have changed history, from his earliest years during the outbreak of World War II in 1939 to the turmoil of today. An extraordinary personal and historical journey, Life is the story o...

Recovery is the longest road toward a better future. So says Joe Calendino, former full-patch Hells Angel and now youth community leader. In The Longest Road, Calendino remembers his journey to rock bottom, when he spiralled out of control, consumed by drugs and alcohol, ending up strung out and ...

Kerstin is childless by choice and married to her job when Gianni, a charming Italian, turns her life into a champagne-coloured fairy tale. Soon after their runaway wedding, Gianni is diagnosed with cancer and Kerstin becomes his dedicated carer. But when she discovers that he has been cheating o...

A moving and meticulously researched book of refugee stories from award-winning journalist Melinda Ham. Following the narratives of new Australians from Iraq, Afghanistan, Poland, Tibet, Vietnam and Zaire, The Lucky Ones is a testament to human resilience and the power of new beginnings.

By 1974 the Beatles were a distant memory, and Paul McCartney had already gone on to release a solo album and form a new band, Wings. By the end of the decade Wings would be the bestselling band of the 1970s. The McCartney Legacy, Vol. 2 begins in 1974 at the height of Wings popularity and the be...

At the age of four, Nguyen and his family are forced to flee his hometown of Ban Me Thut and come to the USA as refugees. After being removed from his brother and parents and homed with a family on his own, Nguyen is later allowed to resettle into his own family in suburban San Jose. But there is...

In December 1848, a young enslaved couple named Ellen and William Craft traveled openly by rail, coach and steamship from Macon, Georgia, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ellen, who passed for white, disguised herself as a wealthy disabled man, with William as "his" slave. Woo follows their journey...

In her memoir, Melania reflects on her Slovenian childhood, the pivotal moments that led her to the world of high fashion in Europe and New York, and the serendipitous meeting with Donald Trump, a chance encounter that forever changed the course of her life. Melania opens up about their courtship...

In his keenly anticipated new book, The Message, he explores the urgent question of how our stories - our reporting, imaginative narratives and mythmaking - both expose and distort our realities. Travelling to three resonant sites of conflict, he illuminates how the stories we tell - as well as t...

It was 1966 and the times they were a-changing, even in the provincial New Zealand coastal town of New Plymouth. Skirts were getting shorter, the Vietnam War was on TV every night and French nuclear tests in the Pacific turned the night sky a violent red. Twelve-year-old Helen, the youngest daugh...

Every 90 seconds in the UK, a missing person is reported to the police. Charlie Hedges' job is to work out the best way to find them. What's going on in their life? When were they last seen? Have they chosen to go missing or is someone else involved? With no two cases ever the same, Charlie has b...

We all grow up with rules. Do this, be this, don't be that. Qin Qin was all about the rules: do your homework, be good, don't rock the boat. She was the model daughter, model student and model minority. But doing everything right? It made her lost and miserable. So she decided to take a spectacul...

Being a mother. Being an entrepreneur. Yes, these two sides of a person's life can not only coexist successfully but actually elevate each other, as evidenced by this inspirational and empowering celebration of more then sixty women who wear both hats. Filled with the stories of designers, makers...

John and Elizabeth Gould sailed into Australia on a cold spring day in 1838, prepared for the most astonishing adventure of their lives. They had crossed three oceans from their London home to find the treasures of Australia's birdlife and showcase them to the outside world. Elizabeth had fallen ...

Bill Bailey always had dogs, including a Patterdale terrier called Rocky who would travel with him in the van to his first shows and occasionally join him on stage. Fast forward a few decades and Bill has shared his home with a variety of birds, dogs, frogs, chameleons, and an armadillo called To...

A long-awaited, myth-busting, and deeply affecting memoir by the daughter of legendary rock star "Mama Cass" Elliot. Mama Cass, a member of the Mama & the Papas, was an independently minded, outspoken woman with a keen intellect and sharp wit who reached the heights of success in a male-dominated...

A vivid and revealing portrait of the real relationship between King Charles III and his mother, by the esteemed royal biographer, Ingrid Seward. The relationship between the late monarch and her son, the King, has long been a subject of fascination. The upbringing of an heir is especially import...

Rome, 1964. As 13-year-old André stands at the foot of the gangway to the ship, his mother fusses over their luggage - 32 suitcases, trunks and tea chests that contain their world. The ship will refuel and return to Alexandria, the home where they have left their father, as the Aciman family begi...

Most tennis fans met the Haitian-American-Japanese player Naomi Osaka for the first time as they watched her win the 2018 US Open in a controversial match against Serena Williams. Since then, Osaka has galvanised the tennis world not only by winning three more grand slams - all tennis fans will r...

"This memoir is about the relationship between a mother, Lillan, who is the wife of a diplomat, and her only child, Eva. At its heart is the daughter's attempt to comprehend what her mother meant by her oft-repeated warning, "never marry a diplomat". While enjoying the privileges of the diplomati...

Explore the incredible life of Novak Djokovic - from his boyhood in war-torn Serbia to his reign as the world's #1 male tennis player - in this stunningly illustrated biography. Join expert tennis journalist Dominic Bliss, for an up-close look at the unbelievable talent of a player destined for g...