Biographies

Liz Hayes has graced our television screens for more than four decades. Millions of Australians kicked off their weeks with Liz co-hosting Channel 9's Today show, and now for over 25 years have settled into their Sunday nights to watch her investigative journalism on 60 Minutes.

From camping in grizzly bear territory to sipping tea with an Afghani warlord in an active warzone, Liz has almost seen it all. She has shared the stories of celebrities and movie stars, leaders and politicians, heroes and villains across the globe, but - after a lifetime of reporting on others - when tragedy struck her own family, Liz discovered that sometimes the hardest story to tell is your own.

Compelling and elegantly written, Liz's long-awaited memoir takes us behind the cameras and back to when Beth Ryan, the dairy farmer's daughter, became seasoned journalist Liz Hayes, and how life in the country gave way to 'controlled' crash-landings on US aircraft carriers.

Synonymous with her iconic 60 Minutes television introduction, I'm Liz Hayes, is a warm and authentic memoir about what's possible, and what it can cost you, when you choose a life of adventure.

For the first time ever, and to help celebrate his 90th birthday in 2023, American icon Willie Nelson provides the stories behind the lyrics of 160 of his favorite songs, along with a dynamic assortment of never-before-seen photos and ephemera.

From his earliest work in the 1950s to today, Willie looks back at the songs that have defined his career, from his days of earning $50 each to his biggest hits, from his less well-known songs (but incredibly meaningful to him) to his concept albums. Along the way, he also shares the stories of his guitar Trigger, his family and “family,” as well as the artists he collaborated with, including Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Dolly Parton, and many others.

Willie is disarmingly honest—what do you have to lose when you’re about to turn 90 —meditating on the nature of songwriting and finding his voice, and the themes he’s explored his whole life—relationships, infidelity, love, loss, friendship, life on the road, and particularly poignant at this juncture of his life: mortality.

Revealing, funny, whimsical, and wise, this book is an enduring tribute to Willie Nelson's legacy.

From the bestselling author of Phosphorescence comes a beautiful and timely exploration of that most mysterious but necessary of human qualities: grace.

'Luminous ... A work to both devour and savour, Baird has, once again, written a book the world needs now.' Guardian

Grace is both mysterious and hard to define. It can be found when we create ways to find meaning and dignity in connection with each other, building on our shared humanity, being kinder, bigger, better with each other. If, in its crudest interpretation, karma is getting what you deserve, then grace is the opposite: forgiving the unforgivable, favouring the undeserving, loving the unlovable.

But we live in an era when grace is an increasingly rare currency. The silos in which we consume information dot the media landscape like skyscrapers, and our growing distrust of the media, politicians and public figures has choked our ability to cut each other slack, to allow each other to stumble, to forgive one another.

So what does grace look like in our world, and how do we recognise it, nurture it in ourselves and express it, even in the darkest of times?

From award-winning journalist Julia Baird, author of the acclaimed national bestseller Phosphorescence, comes Bright Shining, a luminously beautiful, deeply insightful and most timely exploration of grace.

'Fascinating, wide-ranging and moving' The Age

'The uplift and power of Bright Shining ... is to be found in the way Baird gives grace fresh currency by bringing this beautiful and elusive condition from the theological margins into the mainstream and showing, with passion and verve, how quietly transformative it can be.' Sydney Morning Herald

'Enlightening, surprising, absorbing .. I learned something every chapter and put the book down full of awe at the power of human beings to be good to each other when no-one would expect it. It's the book I needed to read right now. It filled my cup.' Annabel Crabb

When Trent Cotchin was handed the reins of Richmond Football Club's team in 2013, he was a 22-year-old star, skilful and fearlessly hard at the ball. Coming off a Brownlow Medal-winning season, he embraced the captaincy and continued his quest to get the most out of himself for the benefit of the club.

Yet by the end of 2016, Trent was suffering from serious self-doubt. The media and fans were circling, questioning the club's leadership and culture, demanding answers for their poor performance in finals.

With nothing to lose and facing down his own fear of failure, Trent put himself on the line in a new way. He laid himself bare and asked his teammates to do the same. Vulnerability - a foreign word to tough footballers back then - gave the players an incredible connection that resulted in the 2017 premiership, breaking a 37-year drought. Trent went on to lead the team to two more flags in 2019 and 2020, cementing his place in Tiger history.

Trent's personal journey involved doing the hard work to shift his focus from 'me' to 'we', abandoning the hunt for perfection in his own game for a more selfless - and ultimately more fulfilling - role. By leading with love and empathy, he brought out the best in those around him.

With unflinching honesty and generosity, Trent shares the lessons he learnt in the hope that it will help others to live more authentically. This book is his legacy.

The extraordinary life, loves and voyages of the man who put Australia on the map

In 1810, Matthew Flinders made his final voyage home to his beloved wife, Ann, his body ravaged by the deprivations of years of imprisonment by the French. Four years later, at the age of just 40, he would be dead - a premature, tragic end to one of the world's greatest maritime adventurers who circumnavigated and mapped the famed Great Southern Land, and whose naming of the vast continent would become its modern title: Australia.

Flinders took to the sea at age 16, inspired by the story of Robinson Crusoe and the adventures of Captain Cook, swiftly climbing the ranks to fight in a decisive naval battle of the French Revolutionary wars. After sailing to Tahiti with William Bligh, Flinders was drawn to adventure, and by 1801 he was in command of an expedition to uncover the true nature of the great continent of the southern ocean.

This sweeping biography tells the story of the fearless, sharp-eyed, handsome Flinders and how he became one of the world's most intrepid explorers. It's a story of a great love for the sea, for connection and of friendship - accompanied by his Aboriginal interpreter and guide, Kuringgai man Bungaree, and his beloved rescue cat, Trim, Flinders explored the furthest reaches and rugged coastlines of Australia. It's also a story of technical brilliance - Flinders' meticulous charts gave us the first complete maps of our continent, which are so accurate they are still used today.

But rushing home to England to his adored wife, Ann, Flinders was trapped and incarcerated off the coast of Africa as a prisoner of war, ultimately denied celebration of his great achievement. His love for Ann, and his fight to escape his bonds to be with her again was the last great adventure of a fascinating life.

From the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of Banks, Banjo, Hudson Fysh and Monash, Flinders is a rollicking tale of a man who loved the sea, and adored his family - and pushed himself to the limits of human endeavour to show it.

It's a tennis story. It's a family story. It's a teamwork story. It's the story of how I got to where and who I am today.

WINNER OF THE ABIA AWARD FOR BEST BIOGRAPHY 2023

I'm only in my mid-twenties, and some might think that's young to write a memoir. Who does that, right? But for me and my team it's always been important to reflect on every part of the journey, especially the end. In that context, the timing is perfect to share my story, from the first time I picked up a racquet as a 5-year-old girl in Ipswich to the night I packed up my tennis bag at Melbourne Park after winning the 2022 Australian Open. This book gives me a chance to look back at every moment of the 20 years in between, and to think carefully through the highs and lows, the work and the play, the smiles and the tears.

Telling my story also gives me an opportunity to do more than simply thank those who mean the most to me - it provides a way to honour them as an integral part of that tale, as the very secret behind my success. Some of them you might know - such as my longtime coach, Craig Tyzzer - and some of them you might not - like my first childhood coach, Jim Joyce. There are mates like Casey Dellacqua and Alicia Molik. Mentors such as tennis icon Evonne Goolagong Cawley and mindset coach Ben Crowe. My parents and sisters and my husband have sacrificed as much as I have over the years - this book is also for them.

My Dream Time is about finding the path to being the best I could be, not just as an athlete but as a person, and to consider the way those identities overlap and compete. We all have a professional and a personal self. How do you conquer nerves and anxiety? How do you deal with defeat, or pain? What drives you to succeed - and what happens when you do? The answers tell me so much, about bitter disappointments and also dreams realised - from injuries and obscurity and self-doubt to winning Wimbledon and ranking number 1 in the world.

My story is about the power and joy of doing that thing you love and seeing where it can take you, about the importance of purpose - and perspective - in our lives.

A beautiful illustrated memoir from beloved Australian musician Kate Ceberano, featuring her inspirational song lyrics, stories, paintings and embroidery, and celebrating four decades of songwriting and recording on the release of her 30th album. 

Kate Ceberano is used to a hush descending as she draws breath to release that magnificent voice but when the whole world quietened in 2020, she found the silence disorientating. Without an audience or long hours of travel with her tribe of musicians, there was time to think. But what does an artist do when they can’t make art? They find a way.  

With characteristic passion, abundance and joy, Kate liberated her unsung songs. They flowed through her paintbrush as she embellished guitars, her needle as she stitched quilts to envelop her beloveds and her pen as she unfurled stories, poems and songs.  

In Unsung Kate muses on the people and experiences that have inspired her, on what has humbled her, what hurts and what sustains. This is the story of a powerful woman in her prime, but also of a reflective, romantic and vulnerable artist making sense of the universe. It’s proof of a lifetime lived in music. It’s a tribute to songs, wherever they come from and wherever they go.

In Murray Ball: A Cartoonist's Life, Murray's son Mason Ball shares all the hits and misses and long years of hard graft that went into what would become the wildly successful creative enterprise: Footrot Flats. From his unique viewpoint and with candid honesty, Mason reveals the real-life backstory to Murray's most iconic characters and themes, telling the story of the man - and father - who could see the quirks of human nature and capture them with the stroke of a pen.

Richly illustrated with family photos and cartoons by the bloke who brought us that most lovable character, the Dog.

Let me show you how my dad became a leading cartoonist of his generation, how his endearing characters evolved and where the insightful and humorous ideas sprang from. Let's see the man behind the drawing desk and delve into the workings of his mind. - Mason Ball

The riotous rollercoaster ride of Mental as Anything, Australia's greatest party band from 1976-2019. The Mentals went from the top of a pool table to the top of the charts. Enjoy the untold stories behind Aussie classics like: Live It Up, Too Many Times, If You Leave Me Can I Come Too?, Berserk Warriors, Egypt, The Nips are Getting Bigger, and a whole lot more. Plus tales from the road as told by Greedy, Martin, Bird, Pete & Reg — and a star-studded cast including Colin Hay, Richard Gottehrer, Mark Opitz, Jeremy Fabinyi and Wreckless Eric — in this access-all-areas official biography.

‘Love it!!! Brought up lots of memories. Thoroughly enjoyable.’ – Kirk Pengilly, INXS.

‘This book gives us a big gulp of one of Australia’s most uniquely talented and popular bands.’ – Anthony (Tony) Field, The Cockroaches, The Wiggles.

‘Stuart Lloyd captures the alchemy that saw Australian bands flourish from the arid plains of our suburban lives. I loved the Mentals and I love this book.' – Dave Warner, author, Countdown: The Wonder Years, and 25 Years of Mushroom Records.

‘Takes us behind the showbiz curtain. A deep-dive beyond the colourful personalities and the larrikin-esque cheerfulness of a uniquely Australian band who have been the soundtrack of our lives for decades. Had me glued to each page.’ – Jane Gazzo, music journalist and broadcaster.

‘An extraordinary and horrific portrait of five butchers who were country-killed specialists, shot through with black humour and near-naked burlesque attire.’ – H. G. Nelson, comedian and broadcaster.

Family, fame and tragedy, the story of Australian Crawl’s Bill and Guy McDonough.

Founded in 1978, Australian Crawl has sold over 2 million records and been awarded some of Australia’s highest music accolades, including an induction to the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1996.

This is the true story of two brothers, Bill and Guy McDonough, and how their lives together brought them success at the top of the music charts. This is a warts-and-all music memoir—it’s about the good times and the bad, and how the trappings of fame ultimately lead to Guy’s tragic death in 1984.

It’s an extraordinary tale of adventure and achievement—and how two close-knit brothers were part of a music legacy that lives on today, over 40 years after the band’s foundation.

Praise for Sons of Beaches:

‘In the end, Sons Of Beaches is not your typical tale of sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. Much more than a music book, it’s a moving tale of two brothers.’ – themusic.com.au

Stories and yarns about my favourite bits of Down Under

Paul Hogan's ancestors were a couple of Irish blow-ins who arrived in the colony of New South Wales by boat, with a little assistance from the judges of the Old Bailey. Blow-ins from everywhere have been coming ever since, and while it hasn't always been a walk in the park, Hoges reckons this mixed-up mob of old and new inhabitants works most of the time. In fact, according to Hoges, Australia may well be the best country on earth.

In Australia, According to Hoges, the comedy legend explores some of the highways and byways of his country's past and present to map out all that is strange, marvellous and majestic about his homeland and why Australia qualifies as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

From the rich and ancient culture of the island continent's Original human inhabitants to its prison-farm phase, from a baptism by fire through wars and depression to a passion for sport, gambling and outdoor cookery, and from the influence of Marlon Brando on a teenager from Sydney's western suburbs to the culinary wonders brought by new arrivals from all around the world, Hoges portrays a nation that believes in a fair go for all and never takes itself too seriously.

Full of laugh-out-loud yarns from Hoges' and the nation's past, Australia, According to Hoges is a love letter to Down Under. As Hoges says, 'We're not perfect, but we're working on it.'

A heart-wrenching multigenerational family memoir by an excommunicated member of the Exclusive Brethren

After coming out as gay, Craig Hoyle was excommunicated from the New Zealand Exclusive Brethren and forced to say goodbye to his family forever. The conservative sect was everything he'd ever known - a childhood where television, pop music, sports and even pets were against the rules.

Joining public society - the 'worldlies' - for the first time, Craig sets out to meet his grandfather who was excommunicated in the 1980s and, using his diaries and letters, uncovers two centuries and seven generations of the family's tangled and often cruel relationship with the Brethren.

Weaving their past with Craig's own upbringing in this secretive and oppressive religious group, Excommunicated charts the evolution of the Exclusive Brethren in New Zealand and the heartwrenching stories of a family torn apart.

Three years after the political novice Volodymyr Zelensky was elected to Ukraine’s highest office, he found himself catapulted into the role of war-time leader.  The former comedian has become the public face of his country’s courageous and bloody struggle against a brutal invasion.  Zelensky’s extraordinary leadership in the face of Russia’s aggression is an inspiration to everyone who stands opposed to the appalling violence unleashed on Ukraine.  

This book – the first biography of Zelensky published in English – tells his astonishing story.  It has been revised and updated for this new paperback edition.