The debut from New Zealand author Jennifer Trevelyan was, according to publishers A&U, “the subject of a massive international bidding war”. The story takes place over one summer holiday on the coast of New Zealand and is narrated by a 10-year-old girl who stumbles upon long-buried family secrets in her innocent quest to solve a local mystery. “This exquisite debut is storytelling at its best, a true delight,” publishing director Cate Patterson says.
Hope: The Autobiography by Pope Francis (January 14)
Hope was due to be published posthumously but will become the first autobiography to be released by a sitting Pope. Pope Francis, 88, is set to take us on a journey from his humble beginnings in Buenos Aires to his appointment as the head of the Catholic Church. It won’t be all theology; we’re told to expect his take on global conflicts, the future of the church and surprises such as his love for football and tango. Yes, the Pope dances.
Dare I Say It by Naomi Watts (January 21)
Actress Naomi Watts, fresh off filming King Kong and hoping to start a family, learnt at 36 that she was on the brink of menopause. Since then, she has become a leading advocate for menopause awareness, striving to dismantle the stigma surrounding it. Drawing from personal experience, Watts offers a relatable and informative guide to navigating menopause, shedding light on its physical, emotional and societal impacts (and if you want a fictional accompaniment, try Miranda July’s All Fours).
Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks (January 29)
Pulitzer Prize winner and former Sydney Morning Herald journalist Geraldine Brooks delivers a tender and moving memoir about the sudden loss of her partner of more than three decades, Tony Horwitz, who passed away unexpectedly at age 60, on the US Memorial Day public holiday in 2019. In the aftermath, Brooks retreated to a remote shack on Flinders Island, off the coast of Tasmania, to grapple with grief and attempt to rebuild her life. It’s heartbreaking yet hopeful. We’re lucky to have Brooks to help us make sense of the world.
Source Code: My Beginnings by Bill Gates (February 4)
In what he describes as his “origin story”, Bill Gates traces his journey from a curious child in Seattle through his rebellious teenage years to his decision to leave Harvard to found Microsoft. He reflects on his principled grandmother, ambitious parents and early friendships, including the profound impact of losing his best friend. Coincidentally, his ex-wife Melinda Gates will also have a memoir out this year, The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward (April 15).
The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource by Chris Hayes (February 4)
Well done if you’ve made it this far. As The Sirens’ Call reveals, it’s challenging to maintain attention today. But guess what? We can blame someone else. Chris Hayes, a New York Times bestselling author and television and podcast host, argues that attention has become a commodified resource wrested from us by capitalist ventures. This is the wake-up call we probably all need. Now, maintain your focus until the end of these bite-sized preview briefs, please.
