STATIONERY

Workhorse'Razor-sharp and deliciously wry' COCO MELLORS'Funny, tender, thrillingly dark.' HEATHER DARWENT'Exhilarating and beguiling' OLIVIA PETTERAn astonishing portrait of a city on the brink of a dizzying new era and a story about a young woman who will do anything to infiltrate the rarefied world of New York's fashion elite.New York City, 2001.Editorial Assistant Clodagh “Clo” Harmon wants nothing more than to rise through the ranks at the world’s most prestigious fashion magazine. But there’s just one problem: she doesn’t have the right pedigree. Clo is a ‘workhorse’ in a world of beautiful, wealthy, impossibly well-connected ‘show horses’ and it seems that her fortunes will never change. That is until Clo meets Harry Wood, a reporter with visions of his own media empire and the person who might be Clo’s ally in gaming the system…or is he the only thing standing between Clo and her rightful place at the top?Clo begins to wade across boundaries, taking ever greater and more dangerous risks to become the Important Person she wants to be. But who is Clo under all the borrowed designer clothes and studied manners? And who are we if we share her desires?As wickedly funny as it is darkly unsettling, Workhorse is an astonishing story of envy and ambition, set against the glamour and privilege of media and high society in New York at its height.

The Sunflower Boys: A NovelA poignant coming-of-age story with the sensitivity and haunting power of What Belongs to You and Swimming in the Dark, about a young boy wrestling with his sexuality as war breaks out in modern Ukraine.In many ways, twelve-year-old Artem’s life in Chernihiv, Ukraine, is normal. He spends his days helping on his grandfather’s sunflower farm, drawing in his sketchbook—a treasured gift from his father, who works in America—and swimming in the river with his little brother, Yuri. In secret, Artem has begun wrestling with romantic feelings for his best friend, Viktor. In a country where love between two boys is unthinkable, Artem has begun to worry that growing up, his life will never be normal.Then, on a February night, Artem and Yuri are woken by explosions—the beginning of a war that will tear their life in two. The invading Russians destroy their home, killing their mother and grandfather, and leaving young Artem and Yuri to fend for themselves. Fleeing in hopes of somehow reuniting with their father, the brothers traverse the country their ancestors once fought and died for, with nothing but their backpacks and each other. Surrounded by death and destruction, Artem is certain of one thing—that whatever may come, he must keep himself and his brother alive.A harrowing and gorgeous tale of love, identity, lost innocence, and survival set in a time of devastating war, The Sunflower Boys is a powerful, heartrending exploration of young queer love, the Ukrainian spirit, and a family’s struggle to survive.

The Inheritance: Gripping Intrigue And Big Secrets, The Perfect Small-Town Mystery In A New 2026 Edition, For Readers Of Sally Hepworth And Liane M What if everyone in your family was given a DNA test at Christmas: would there be any surprise results? For two women the answers are shocking, and dangerous. Perfect for readers of Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth.Families lie. DNA doesn't.Isobel Ashworth breezes through life, blissfully accustomed to the privilege which comes with her family name. But that changes when she arrives in the exclusive town of Hartwell. Sent there by her father to complete a controversial property development - and prove herself a serious player in the succession plan - her perfect life is unravelling. Isobel's fiance is telling lies, the project is a disaster and the locals hate her; could her father be setting her up to fail?Buzzing with the promise of a big story, journalist Meg Hunter arrives in Hartwell to expose the Ashworth family dealings, and transform her faltering career. As she follows the trail of corruption, she uncovers clues about her mother's mysterious past.When the next-gen Ashworths each receive an anonymous Christmas gift of a DNA testing kit, Isobel questions everything she knows about her family. Isobel is drawn to Meg and her pursuit of the truth ... but someone out there will stop at nothing to hide the secrets of both families.PRAISE:'In The Inheritance, debut author Kate Horan hides readers in the shadows of the juiciest closed-door drama of the summer.' - Weekend Australian, Notable Books'Kate Horan's debut is acute on the psychology of power and wealth, and the novel is intricate plotting with memorable characters. If you're into Succession or the real-life tussle over the Murdoch family trust, The Inheritance will appeal.' - The Age'The Inheritance is a smart debut tackling the seductive issues of wealth, succession and family secrets. Taut, propulsive and with enticing Succession-meets-Jane Harper vibes, this novel is perfect for suburban noir superfans. I whizzed through it.' - Ali Lowe, author of The School Run'Secrets, power and corruption - The Inheritance is an intriguing mystery and family drama.' - Vanessa McCausland, author of The Last Illusion of Paige White'Books about families are my catnip and The Inheritance didn't disappoint. Take one establishment family with the money to hide anything then throw in a DNA test that never lies and sit back and enjoy the ride that Kate Horan takes you on. A fabulous debut!' - Fiona Lowe, author of The Accident'The Inheritance is an incredibly strong debut from Kate Horan, full of all the things I love in a novel - family secrets, small-town intrigue and rich people behaving badly. I ripped through it faster than you can say the words 'DNA test'.' - Cassie Hamer, author of The Truth About Faking It'A gripping story about wealth, entitlement, corruption and, most of all, family. Kate Horan's debut novel is sophisticated and un-put-down-able.' - B.M. Carroll, author of One of Us is Missing

Heir Apparent: A Riveting Royal Story Of Being Torn Between Duty And Desire, For Fans Of Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Crown And Red White And Royal BluAn absolutely delicious, compulsively readable, stylish novel about a young aristocratic woman, who has to choose between duty and her heart - think The Crown meets Taylor Jenkins Reid. 'I loved it. I devoured every page of this glorious novel.' Holly RinglandLexi Villiers is a 29-year-old Englishwoman doing her medical residency in Hobart, working too hard, worried about her bank balance, and living with friends. It's a good life, and getting even better, because as the dawn is breaking on New Year's Day, Lexi is about to kiss the man she loves for the very first time.But by midnight, everything will change. Because Lexi is in fact not an ordinary young woman. She is Princess Alexandrina, third in line to the British throne - albeit estranged from the rest of her family and living in voluntary exile on the other side of the world. But following a terrible accident, Lexi - the black sheep of her family and, until this moment, always destined to be the spare - is now the heir apparent, first in line to the throne once her grandmother, the elderly Queen, dies. Called back to do her duty, she arrives in London to a Palace riven with power plays and media leaks, all the while guarding painful secrets of her own. Palace waters are treacherous, rumours are rife, and selling each other's secrets is a family tradition. And with the Crown just within her grasp, Lexi must choose what bonds she will keep ... and what she is willing to leave behind.'This engrossing debut ... is filled with secrets, scandals, and a few unexpected twists, including a forbidden and beautiful love story. Armitage's writing is spectacular, with rich dialogue and descriptions, a vibrant depiction of the burden of duty versus personal freedom, and unique insights into royal life.' Booklist, starred review'For everyone wondering who's going to be the next big thing on the Australian literary scene, I have the answer: it's Rebecca Armitage. The Heir Apparent is one of the best books I've read all year.' Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Mademoiselle Alliance'A fabulous novel, juicy and irresistible'. Pip Drysdale, bestselling author of The Close Up'Completely addictive! I was up until the wee hours finishing this fantastic book. It's Hello! mag meets Sally Hepworth and I was utterly transported by the evocative, clever storytelling. Five stars!!' Ella Ward, The Cicada House

Swallow The true story of William Swallow Australian convict and the last man put on trial for piracy in an English court. One of Australia's most romantic and untold stories. 1829: William Swallow has been sent to Van Diemen's Land for the second time. He is sentenced to die in the hell-hole known as Sarah Island. But he has other ideas. On the journey from Hobart to his final prison, he rallies his fellow convicts and leads them to mutiny. Bruised by the betrayal of John, a fellow convict, friend, and lover, William plans to sail back home to England. Back to his wife Susannah and their young children. If this was just one of those important Australia stories about our convict past, or just a rollicking adventure on the scale of Patrick O'Brien, Bernard Cornwell and C S Forester, it wouldn't have been a WestWords book. But it is also a novel about the nature of love itself, who you can and can't love, and how to break not only society's shackles but also the prisons we make for ourselves. I couldn't put it down. I don't think readers will either. Michael Campbell Publisher AUTHOR: Alexandria Burnham is a screenwriter, novelist and comics writer. She wrote the screenplay for romantic drama feature film Unsound (Apple, 2020), which has received numerous accolades, including nomination for best original feature at the 2020 Australian Writers' Guild AWGIE Awards. She is also the lead writer for Metropius, a dieselpunk multimedia series that includes animations, comic books and board games.

ExilesJane Harper is the author of the international bestsellers The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man, The Survivors and Exiles. Her books are published in forty territories worldwide, and The Dry and Force of Nature have been adapted into major motion pictures starring Eric Bana.Jane has won numerous top awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year, the Australian Indie Awards Book of the Year, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel, and the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year.Jane worked as a print journalist for thirteen years both in Australia and the UK, and now lives in Melbourne with her husband, two children, and two cats.

Open WideA provocative novel about intimacy, love and consent - Open Wide will quite literally get under your skinBy the time we'd said 'I love you' and kissed goodnight and turned out the light, thoughts of whether to resist had left my mind. I had climbed inside his body, and now he was stirring.Olive is desperate to get close to Theo - really, really close.Despite being a radio host, she's always struggled to connect with people. And now she's in her thirties, single, and so flustered by relationships that she secretly records her conversations, hoping to decipher social clues and find a way to be less alone.Then Theo turns up for a shift at the food pantry where she volunteers. He's a surgeon fascinated by human organs, a former football player, and possibly as weird as Olive. For the first time, someone seems to crave and understand her.Every recording Olive makes of Theo is a balm - which just makes her more afraid of losing him. The only solution seems to be to bind him to her forever. Luckily, the gap between Theo's front teeth is just wide enough for something - or someone - to slip inside.Arresting and immersive, Open Wide explores the boundaries of love and the body, as universal human impulses bleed into the surreal.

King SorrowSOME PROMISES SHOULD NEVER BE MADE...'A monster of a book...a vast, brimstoned, relentless zinger' NICK HARKAWAYBookish dreamer Arthur Oakes is a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters and beautiful buildings.But his idyll - and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot - is shattered when local drug dealers force him into a terrible crime: stealing rare and valuable books from the exceptional college library.Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for help: the wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren; brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen. Together they dream up an impossible, fantastical scheme that they scarcely imagine will work: to summon the fabled dragon King Sorrow to kill those tormenting Arthur.But the six stumble backwards into a deadly bargain - they soon learn they must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow each year or one of them will become his next victim. Unleashing consequences they can neither predict nor control, this promise will, over the course of four decades, shape and endanger their lives in ways they could never expect.Praise for Sunday Times bestseller Joe Hill:'Fantastically compelling' THE OBSERVER'Clever, gripping and packs a hell of a punch' JOANNE HARRIS'Character-driven stories that enthral and thrill' DAILY MAIL'Original and gripping' GEORGE R. R. MARTIN

Queen EstherAfter forty years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award–winning film, The Cider House Rules, revisiting the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine, where Dr. Wilbur Larch takes in Esther—a Viennese-born Jew whose life is shaped by anti-Semitism.Esther Nacht is born in Vienna in 1905. Her father dies on board the ship to Portland, Maine; her mother is murdered by anti-Semites in Portland. Dr. Larch knows it won’t be easy to find a Jewish family to adopt Esther; in fact, he won’t find any family who’ll adopt her.When Esther is fourteen, soon to be a ward of the state, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a philanthropic New England family with a history of providing foster care for unadopted orphans. The Winslows aren’t Jewish, but they despise anti-Semitism. Esther’s gratitude for the Winslows is unending; even as she retraces her roots back to Vienna, she never stops loving and protecting the Winslows. In the final chapter, set in Jerusalem in 1981, Esther Nacht is seventy-six.John Irving’s sixteenth novel is a testament to his enduring ability to weave complex characters and intricate narratives that challenge and captivate. Queen Esther is not just a story of survival but a profound exploration of identity, belonging, and the enduring impact of history on our personal lives showcasing why Irving remains one of the world’s most beloved, provocative, and entertaining authors—a storyteller of our time and for all time.

Fruit Of The Dead An electric contemporary reimagining of the myth of Persephone and Demeter set over the course of one summer on a lush private island, about addiction and sex, family and independence, and who holds the power in a modern underworld.Camp counselor Cory Ansel, eighteen and aimless, afraid to face her high-strung single mother in New York, is no longer sure where home is when the father of one of her campers offers an alternative. The CEO of a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company, Rolo Picazo is middle-aged, divorced, magnetic. He is also intoxicated by Cory. When Rolo proffers a childcare job (and an NDA), Cory quiets an internal warning and allows herself to be ferried to his private island. Plied with luxury and opiates manufactured by his company, she continues to tell herself she’s in charge. Her mother, Emer, head of a teetering agricultural NGO, senses otherwise. With her daughter seemingly vanished, Emer crosses land and sea to heed a cry for help she alone is convinced she hears.Alternating between the two women’s perspectives, Rachel Lyon’s Fruit of the Dead incorporates its mythic inspiration with a light touch and devastating precision. The result is a tale that explores love, control, obliteration, and America’s own late capitalist mythos. Lyon’s reinvention of Persephone and Demeter’s story makes for a haunting and ecstatic novel that vibrates with lush abandon. Readers will not soon forget it.Praise for Fruit of the Dead‘An unnerving literary thriller... An absorbing exploration of ancient themes like power and temptation.’ Mail on Sunday'Riveting and lush… a spellbinding account of a young woman’s hunger for freedom, the sordid underbelly of big pharma, and the siren call of addiction.' Leslie Jamison, author of Splinters'A gripping literary thriller, Fruit of the Dead presents a coming-of-age tale that is so well-observed and intoxicating that the reader will lose track of time, but won't forget how they spent it. Egan and Cline fans: assemble.' Caoilinn Hughes, author of The Wild Laughter‘Ancient Greece meets Succession by way of Emma Cline, Fruit of the Dead is a deliciously dark examination of agency and power, and the savage complexity of the mother-daughter bond.’ Ruth Gilligan, author of The Butchers‘Mesmerised and profoundly alarmed, I read this in one go; I’ve been haunted by it ever since. I’ve passionately loved Lyon’s writing for years, and Fruit of the Dead further confirms what I’ve long suspected: I want to lunge to read anything she writes.’ R. O. Kwon, author of The Incendiaries

On FriendshipFrom the bestselling author of Mayflies and Caledonian Road, a heart-enriching celebration of what makes us great: our friends.

The ForrestsLONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2013'Perkins is an extraordinary writer ... The Forrests is a novel to be savoured' - Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times'Dexterously communicates some of life's less-syncopated rhythms ... Funny, painful and utterly mesmerising' - Independent on Sunday'The novel I would most like to press into my friends' suitcases this summer ... kept me up reading late into the night' - Helen Brown, Daily TelegraphDorothy Forrest is immersed in the sensory world around her; she lives in the flickering moment. From the age of seven, when her odd, disenfranchised family moves from New York City to the wide skies of Auckland, to the very end of her life, this is her great gift and possible misfortune.Through the wilderness of a commune, to falling in love, to early marriage and motherhood, from the glorious anguish of parenting to the loss of everything worked for and the unexpected return of love, Dorothy is swept along by time. Her family looms and recedes; revelations come to light; death changes everything, but somehow life remains as potent as it ever was, and the joy in just being won't let her go.In a narrative that shifts and moves, growing as wild as the characters, The Forrests is an extraordinary literary achievement. A novel that sings with colour and memory, it speaks of family and time, dysfunction, ageing and loneliness, about heat, youth, and how life can change if 'you're lucky enough to be around for it'.'Literary fiction at its most luscious' - Mail on Sunday'An ambitious family saga flooded with light and life' - Julie Myerson, New Statesman Books of the Year'Exhilarating- intensely attentive, funny, lyrical and moving' - Kate Summerscale, Daily Telegraph Books of the Year'Remarkable' - Tom Sutcliffe, BBC Radio 4 Saturday Review'Extraordinary ... a magnificent novel' - Arifa Akba, Independent'An intelligent and perceptive novel' - Allan Massie, Scotsman

Novel About My WifeRejacketed edition of the darkly gripping novel by the Ockham Prize-winning author of LionessTom Stone is madly in love with his wife Ann. Pushing forty and expecting their first child, they buy a semi-derelict house in Hackney. Despite their spiralling money troubles, they believe this is their settled future. But Ann becomes convinced she's being shadowed by a homeless man whose presence seems like a terrible omen. As their child grows, Ann's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, feverish and disturbed. On the verge of losing everything, Tom makes a decision that he hopes will save their lives.Novel About My Wife is a taut, sensuous and chilling portrait of a marriage beset by paranoia and obsession.Emily Perkins is the author of a prize-winning collection of short stories, Not Her Real Name, and four novels, including Novel About My Wife (winner of the NZ Book Award and the Believer Magazine Book of the Year, The Forrests (longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction) and Lioness (winner of the Ockham NZ Prize for Fiction).

Wreck From the NYT bestselling author of WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS and SANDWICH. One family, one year and a novel that reminds us what it means to be beautifully, messily human.'The kind of book that pulls up a chair, pours the wine, and dives deep... like spending hours with the friend who sees your mess and loves you more for it.' Alison Espach, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding People'Gorgeously human, tender-hearted, and delightfully funny' Nussaibah Younis, bestselling author of Fundamentally'A heartbreaking, laugh-provoking, and absolutely Ephron-esque look at the beauty and fragility of everyday life.' Kirkus Reviews (starred review)'Infectiously funny and surprisingly moving, Wreck reminds us that we are each, in our way, trying to make sense of the big things with some very small tools' Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of The Homemade God_______Rocky, Nick, Willa and Jamie. A normal loving, anxious, messy, relatable, family.Rocky has her own way of processing disasters- 1. This could happen to us. 2. This couldn't happen to us. And then there's a secret third column- 'This could happen to us unless I am very careful/ superstitious/ grateful...'So when a former classmate of Jamie's dies in a seemingly random accident, Rocky becomes obsessed. She's also developed a niggling medical condition that won't go away. On the surface, she is still living her best life as the irreverent, funny, unpredictable beating heart of her family. Her father is his unique, adorable self; Willa is prone to bouts of existential angst whilst berating the fact that her mother has zero filter; Nick is steady, logical, sometimes infuriating.But if accidents can happen - and they do - is it safe to love anyone?Laugh out loud funny and deeply emotional, WRECK follows Rocky and her family through one rollercoaster year as they share the unpredictable, beautiful messiness of life._______PRAISE FOR SANDWICH & WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS-'Breezy New York Nora-Ephron-style wit meets hospice memoir to create something profoundly beautiful...comforting, so funny, moving but never mawkish and packed with all kinds of love. It's one of my favourite books ever' bestselling author, MARIAN KEYES'One of the funniest books I've ever read' FEARNE COTTON, STYLIST'I adored this book. Jubilant, devastating, tender, heartbreaking, I found myself both in tears and 'snorty-laughing'. A masterclass on friendship, family love, memory, and the messiness of life and love and dying. Pure genius' RACHEL JOYCE, author of the bestseller The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'Tragically funny, with moments of clarity and wisdom, Newman writes loss and laughter in equally brilliant amounts' BONNIE GARMUS, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry'Newman is truly a master of taking complex and chaotic human emotion and making sense of it ... wise and exquisitely written' GUARDIAN'Sandwich is joy in book form. I laughed continuously, except for the parts that made me cry. Catherine Newman does a miraculous job reminding us of all the wonder there is to be found in life.' ANN PATCHETT, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

Special Delivery is an exhilarating enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud. If you enjoyed Book Lovers by Emily Henry and No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak, then this is the perfect read for you!