Penguin Books Australia

The groundbreaking modern classic that forged a new language of homosexual politics

When Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation was first published in 1971, Martin Duberman, writing in the New York Review of Books , hailed it as 'the only work that bears comparison, in terms of sustained analysis and theoretical complexity, with the best to appear from Women's Liberation'. Time commented, 'amoung the...

'The whole Wiradjuri nation was born in the Valley. Baiame came out of the sea in the east on his emu feet, a giant of a man, with his two wives, and be strode up through the Valley and he created it. It's the most important place. It's where the stories come from. That's why I won't let it go.'

A powerful novel about our frontier history which should be read by every Australian

As a successful trader and merchant in Sydney in the late 1870s, 'Young James' Beckett believes he has put his past behind him. When the enigmatic bushman Lancaster reappears in his life, Beckett knows he must confront the haunting truth of his early years.

Winner of the 2011 National Book Prize for Young People's Literature and 2012 Newbery Medal Honor Book, this stunning and engaging verse novel will captivate readers of all ages.

Moving to America turns Hà's life inside out.

For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty...

Endorsed by Cate Kennedy, this is an eagerly awaited first story collection from an acclaimed young writer.

The award-winning stories in The Rest is Weight reflect Mills' years in Central Australia, as well as her travels to Mexico, Russia and China. The collection displays a confident diversity of narrative voices and a brevity in style.

A novel for our times from one of Australia's most-loved writers

Brisbane, 1971 . Susan Kinnane, precocious daughter of conservative parents, spurns the attention of fellow university student Mike Riley in favour of a passionate romance with activist Terry Stoddard.

Winner of the 2011 Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize

Water Mirrors was inspired by the Nicholas Powell's 'enchanting and disorientating' experience of moving to Finland. His poems circle intimacy, illusions, and the task of reconciling the many facets of experience. It is concerned with fluctuating perceptions, and with the relationship of language to meaning and aesthetics. Subjects range from the personal...

Winner of the 2011 David Unaipon Award for Indigenous Writing

Growing up on the Mission isn't easy for clever Grace Oldman. When her classmates tease her for not having a father, she doesn't know what to say. Pappa Neddy says her dad is the Lord God in Heaven, but that doesn't help when the Mission kids call her a bastard. As Grace slowly pieces together clues that might lead to answers, she struggles...

From award-winning author Nick Earls and illustrator Terry Whidborne comes a mysterious, action-packed series for the word nerd in us all.

Lexi and Al Hunter are twins with almost nothing in common – except their parents and their birthday! At school Lexi hangs with her friends in the cool crowd, while Al hides in the library reading about history, battles and faraway places. 

From a new voice in children's storytelling comes a heartfelt tale of love, loss and the power of kindness set against the backdrop of rural China.

Since the death of Mei's father, her ma has refused to keep animals on the family farm. So when Mei finds two baby chickens, she shares her delightful discovery with no-one but her older brother Guo.

Mei does her best to keep her newfound friends a secret...

An action-packed comedy about motocross, school and girls from award-winning children's writing duo Pat Flynn and Peter Carnavas (and Duane).

My Totally Awesome Story is a school-based comedy about a fearless boy named Duane. As he fills in his writing workbook with his wicked stories and cartoons, Duane hilariously details his run-ins with the deputy principal, his misadventures with his best mate...

Squish is just a little rabbit. But being little can lead to BIG problems. Sometimes Squish is hard to hear … and see. And it isn't easy making friends. But no matter how little Squish is, one thing is certain … he has a very large heart.

A tale celebrating the joy of friendship.

THE COUNTRY WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH WAS FLAT AS AN IRON AND BONE DRY.  THE SKY WAS BIG, BLUE AND EMPTY, EXCEPT FOR A FLAMING BALL OF SUN, LOW IN THE SKY.  IT HAD TRACKED US ALL DAY LIKE A SATELLITE AND IT LOOKED ABOUT READY TO EXPLODE.

Jesse has sworn to protect his sister, Rachel, no matter what.  It's a promise that cannot be broken.  A promise made in blood.  But, when it...

A boy is learning his father's craft, recognising the trees that release valuable resin and gathering the round drops, which look almost like pearls.  Or tears.

Today is a proud turning point for the boy.  They have found a 'tear' of unusual size, big enough to fill his two hands.  And in the marketplace, three strangers have their own surprising reason for wishing to buy the day's harvest...

Frontier Justice is a gripping exploration of the world-wide refugee crisis. Andy Lamey presents the story behind the radical increase in the global number of asylum-seekers, set within the historical and philosophical context in which the ideas of asylum originated and evolved.

'Quirky, magical, melancholic and utterly readable'
BOOKSELLER AND PUBLISHER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COMMONWEALTH WRITERS' PRIZE BEST FIRST BOOK

A lonely junkmailer, his bag full of real estate leaflets, wanders the streets of a sleeping subtropical city.  With adventure in his heart, his search for letterboxes takes on epic proportions throughout the night as dream and reality collide.

Fear, faith and hope – just three of the emotions felt during the long, wet summer of 2010-2011.

The floods and cyclones of that wet season produced a natural disaster which will continue to influence the lives of the people in Queensland for years to come.  The scale was huge, but out of the wreckage a wonderful story emerged: a story of community spirit and human resilience as friends...

Of all the stories to emerge from the catastrophic floods that hit Queensland in the summer of 2011, the most starkly tragic and dramatic were those that emerged from Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley.