NEW RELEASES (20.10.23)

A new book is a promise of good times ahead. Click through for your copies:

Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq $42
Fact can be as strange as fiction. It can also be as dark, as violent, as rapturous. In the end, there may be no difference between them. An Inuk girl grows up in Nunavut, Canada, in the 1970s. She knows joy, and friendship, and parents’ love. She knows boredom, and listlessness, and bullying. She knows the tedium of the everyday world, and the raw, amoral power of the ice and sky, the seductive energy of the animal world. She knows the ravages of alcohol, and violence at the hands of those she should be able to trust. She sees the spirits that surround her, and the immense power that dwarfs all of us. When she becomes pregnant, she must navigate all this. In this acclaimed debut novel – haunting, brooding, exhilarating, and tender all at once – Tanya Tagaq explores the grittiest features of a small Arctic town and the electrifying proximity of the worlds of animals and of myth.
”Tagaq's surreal meld of poetry and prose transmutes the Arctic's boundless beauty, intensity, and desolation into a wrenching contemporary mythology.” —The New Yorker
>>Coming of age in the High Arctic.
>>Find out more.

The Possessed by Witold Gombrowicz (translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones) $40
Witold Gombrowicz is considered by many to be Poland's greatest modernist, and in The Possessed, he demonstrates his playful brilliance and astonishing range by using the familiar tropes of the Gothic novel to produce a darkly funny and lively subversion ofthe form. With dreams of escaping his small-town existence and the limitations of his class, a young tennis coach travels to the heart of the Polish countryside to train Maja Ochołowska, a beautiful and promising player whose bourgeois family has fallen upon difficult circumstances. Yet as Maja and the young man are alternately drawn to and repulsed by the other, they find themselves embroiled in the fantastic happenings taking place at the dilapidated castle nearby, where a mad prince haunts the halls, and bewitched towels, conniving secretaries, famous clairvoyants, and uncanny doubles conspire to determine the fate of the lovers. Serialized first in Poland in the days preceding the Nazi invasion, and now translated directly into English for the first time by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, The Possessed is both a comic jewel and a hair-raising thriller.
”Gombrowicz is one of the super-arguers of the twentieth century. The relentless intelligence and energy of his observations on cultural and artistic matters, the pertinence of his challenge to Polish pieties, his bravura contentiousness, ended by making him the most influential prose writer of the past half century in his native country.” —Susan Sontag
”What we have here is an unusual manifestation of a writing talent.” —Bruno Schulz
”Despite his anxiety about genre fiction, Gombrowicz acquits himself masterfully, moving deftly between horror, romance and crime. The web of dark motivations and interdependencies that links the characters is intricately and compellingly drawn, and the plot moves at an impressive speed. The novel’s shifts in tone and texture are handled expertly by translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones, who shows a keen sensitively not only to the language of the period but also to the genres being parodied, the translation interlaces passages of prose worthy of Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and P G Wodehouse, expertly re-creating the original’s tonal palette for the anglophone reader.” —Uilleam Blacker, Literary Review
>>Through the unreal to reality.

Doppelganger: A trip into the mirror world by Naomi Klein $42
When Naomi Klein discovered that a woman who shared her first name, but had radically different, harmful views, was getting chronically mistaken for her, it seemed too ridiculous to take seriously. Then suddenly it wasn't. She started to find herself grappling with a distorted sense of reality, becoming obsessed with reading the threats on social media, the endlessly scrolling insults from the followers of her doppelganger. Why had her shadowy other gone down such an extreme path? Why was identity — all we have to meet the world — so unstable? To find out, Klein decided to follow her double into a bizarre, uncanny mirror world — one of conspiracy theories, anti-vaxxers and demagogue hucksters, where soft-focus wellness influencers make common cause with fire-breathing far right propagandists (all in the name of protecting 'the children'). In doing so, she lifts the lid on our own culture during this surreal moment in history, as we turn ourselves into polished virtual brands, publicly shame our enemies, watch as deep fakes proliferate and whole nations flip from democracy to something far more sinister.
”Naomi Klein never disappoints. Doppelganger swirls through the bewildering ideas of the ultra-right that often appear as a distorted mirror of left struggle and strategy. With her always incisive analysis of the systems and structures linked to global capitalism, Klein now fiercely and brilliantly urges that our justice movements be prepared to follow the quest for new meaning into dimensions where we might least expect to find it: in injury and vulnerability.+ —Angela Y. Davis
”Once a decade, Naomi Klein writes a book that prompts us to completely rethink the moment we're in. If you want to understand where we are now — and how to find our way back to sanity — you have to read this totally brilliant book.” —Johann Hari
>>Down the rabbit hole.

Divisible by Itself and One by Kae Tempest $28
I want to sing you early songs. Go deeper.
I want to take you back where you began,
Find the scraps of you you hid in secret
And bring them back to life beneath my tongue.
Tempest’s new poetry collection shows their familiar passion and truth-telling infused with a newer, more contemplative and metaphysical note; it is a book engaged with the big questions and the emotional states in which we live and create. Some of the poems experiment with form, some are free, and yet all are politically and morally conscious. Divisible by Itself and One is also a book about human form, the body as boundary and how we are read by the world. Taking its bearings — and title — from the prime number, Divisible by Itself and One is concerned, ultimately, with integrity: how to live in honest relationship with oneself and others.
"Tempest delivers their thoughts gorgeously, rhythmically, but also with clarity and a fierce grace." —Observer
>>Looking for the rhythm in a different place.
>>’Simple Things’.

The Abundant Kitchen: A practical guide to making ferments, preserves and pickles by Niva Kay and Yotam Kay $50
The authors of the remarkably approachable and practical The Abundant Garden, Niva and Yotam Kay, share their knowledge and experience in making ferments, pickles, preserves, sourdough, koji, cured meat, ginger beer, yoghurt, vinegar, kombucha, and much more. With 100 easy-to-follow, meticulously written recipes, this book will become a much-loved fermenting bible. Using these recipes is the perfect way to preserve and transform the bounty from your garden into delicious classics, Middle Eastern flavours and other tastes from around the globe. Whether you are a seasoned fermenter or taking your first steps into the world of live cultures, The Abundant Kitchen, with its helpful tips, step-by-step instructions and timeless techniques, will be very useful.
>>Look inside!
>>Back into The Abundant Garden.

Abolishing the Military: Arguments and alternatives by Griffin Leonard, Joseph Llewellyn and Richard Jackson $18
In an era of escalating global conflicts, this book challenges the conventional belief that nation-states need military forces to ensure their security and contribute to international peace. As academic discourse on non-violent methods of national defence and global peace promotion gains momentum, there is growing evidence supporting the viability of such policy approaches. Far from being a matter of solely academic concern, this debate parallels increasing public awareness that militaries are struggling to deal effectively with (and may actually exacerbate) contemporary threats and challenges such as terrorism, climate change and inequality. Abolishing the Military: Arguments and Alternatives critically examines several widely held assumptions regarding the necessity of a military force for Aotearoa New Zealand. In doing so, it demonstrates that these assumptions often rest on shaky foundations or evidence. Moreover, the book explores alternative non-violent strategies for national defence and international peace promotion, offering a fresh perspective on global security in the twenty-first century.

The Language of Trees: How trees make our world, change our minds, and rewild our lives by Katie Holten $40
A beautifully illustrated homage to the hidden wonders of the forest and our indelible connection to trees, filled with prose, poetry and art from over fifty collaborators, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Robert Macfarlane, Zadie Smith, Radiohead, Elizabeth Kolbert, Amitav Ghosh, Richard Powers, Suzanne Simard, Gaia Vince, Tacita Dean, Plato and Robin Wall Kimmerer. In this thoughtful collection, artist Katie Holten gives us her visual Tree Alphabet -—made of the trees themselves — and uses it to translate and illustrate these pieces from writers and artists, activists and ecologists. Holten guides us on a journey from prehistoric cave paintings and creation myths to the death of a 3,500 year-old cypress tree, from Tree Clocks in Mongolia and forest fragments in the Amazon to the language of fossil poetry. In doing so, she unearths a new way of seeing the natural beauty that surrounds us and creates an urgent reminder of what could happen if we allow it to slip away.
”A masterpiece.” —Max Porter
>>Look inside!
>>Pulling at the roots.

Polish’d: Modern vegetarian cooking from global Poland by Michał Korkosz $65
100 fresh, modern Polish vegetarian recipes — from new takes on traditional favorites to fusions from around the world. Polish'd includes both typical Polish favorites made vegetarian, like Kakory (Potato Empanadas) Filled with Roasted Vegetables and Cheese, and new flavors brought to Poland through immigration and cultural exchange, like Miso Burek with Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Mushrooms, and Dill. Its recipes showcase fresh vegetables, grains, and herbs, but there's also plenty of buttery, sugary, and cheesy comfort-food goodness to be found. Readers will see, and taste, Polish food in a new way as they enjoy dishes like: —Chilled Cucumber-Melon Soup with Goat Cheese, Crispy Apple, and Mint —Kopytka with Umami Sauce, Spinach, Hazelnuts, and Poppy Furikake —Nettle Pesto Pasta with Radishes and Asparagus —Grilled Broccoli with Lemon Mayo, Umami Bomb Sauce and Poppy Seeds —Tomatoes and Peaches with Soft Goat Cheese, Crispy Sage, and Superior Brown Butter Sauce —Carmelized Twarg Basque Cheesecake.
>>Look inside!
>>Korkosz has won awards for his food photography.
>>The author’s video channel (in Polish).

The Shores of Bohemia: A Cape Cod story by John Taylor Williams $43
An intimate portrait of the legendary generation of artists, writers, activists, and dreamers who set about creating a utopia on the shores of Cape Cod during the first half of the twentieth century. Their names are iconic: Eugene O'Neill, Willem de Kooning, Josef and Anni Albers, Emma Goldman, Mary McCarthy, Edward Hopper, Walter Gropius — the list goes on and on. Scorning the devastation that industrialisation had wrought on the nation's workforce and culture in the early decades of the twentieth century, they gathered in the streets of Greenwich Village and on the beachfronts of Cape Cod. They began as progressives but soon turned to socialism, then communism. They founded theaters, periodicals, and art schools. They formed editorial boards that met in beach shacks and performed radical new plays in a shanty on the docks, where they could see the ocean through cracks in the floor. They welcomed the tremendous wave of talent fleeing Europe in the 1930s. But at the end of their era, in the 1960s, as the postwar economy boomed, they took shelter in liberalism when the anticapitalist movement fragmented into other causes.

An Honourable Exit by Éric Vuillard (translated from French by Mark Polizzotti) $40
19 October 1950. The war is not going to plan. In Paris, politicians gather to discuss what to do about Indochina. The conflict is unpopular back home in France: too expensive, and too far away for the public to care. Withdrawal is not an option - a global power cannot surrender to an army of peasants — but victory is impossible without more soldiers and more money. The soldiers can be sourced from the colonies, but the money is out of the question. A solution needs to be found. In this gripping novel, Éric Vuillard exposes the tangled web of politicians, bankers and titans of industry who all had a vested interest in France's prolonged presence in lands far from Paris. Skilfully skewering the guilty, Vuillard shows us how key players in conflicts throughout history often have a motivation even deeper and darker than nationalism and political ideology — greed.
”Excoriating and profound — a remarkable work. I cannot think of an Anglophone author who writes with such polemical, poetical indignation.” —The Scotsman

Unravelling the Silk Road: Travels and Textiles in Central Asia by Chris Aslan $45
The famous Silk Road united east and west through trade.  Older still was the Wool Road, of critical importance when houses made from wool enabled nomads to traverse the inhospitable winter steppes. Then, later, came the Cotton Road, marked by greed, colonialism and environmental disaster.
At this intersection of human history in Central Asia, fortunes were made and lost through shimmering silks, life-giving felts and gossamer cottons. Aslan gives a fascinating account of this area little known to the West.
>>Find out more.

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward $37
A reimagining of American slavery, Ward’s new novel is a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans and into the fearsome heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation. Annis, sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, is the reader's guide through this hellscape. As she struggles through the miles-long march, Annis turns inward, seeking comfort from memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother. Throughout, she opens herself to a world beyond this world, one teeming with spirits — of earth and water, of myth and history; spirits who nurture and give, and those who manipulate and take. While Ward leads readers through the descent, this, her fourth novel, is ultimately a story of rebirth and reclamation.
”For all its boundless suffering, this is a novel of triumph.” —Washington Times

This Is ADHD: An interactive and informative guide by Chanelle Moriah $33
An essential Aotearoa guide to understanding Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder — commonly known as ADHD —  written and illustrated from the perspective of someone with ADHD. Chanelle Moriah was officially diagnosed with ADHD at 22, and soon discovered just how inaccessible a lot of information can be for ADHD adults and those who may not yet have been able to obtain an assessment or supports. Chanelle has created a simple resource that explains what ADHD is and how it can impact the different areas of someone's life. This is ADHD is a tool for both diagnosed and undiagnosed people with ADHD to explain or make sense of their experiences. It also offers non-ADHD people the chance to learn more about ADHD from someone who has it.
>>Look inside.

I Am Autistic: A interactive and informative guide to autism (by someone diagnosed with it) by Chanelle Moriah $37
An essential Aotearoa guide to understanding autism — for autistic people and their families, friends and workmates. When Chanelle Moriah was diagnosed with autism at 21, life finally began to make sense. Hungry for information, Chanelle looked for a simple resource that could explain what autism is and how it can impact the different areas of an autistic person's life, but found that there was little written from the perspective of someone who is autistic. So Chanelle decided to create that missing resource. Chanelle discovered just how difficult it can be for autistic adults — particularly females or those assigned female at birth — to be diagnosed or even be assessed for autism. This is partly because there is very little understanding of the different ways autism can present itself. I Am Autistic is a tool for both diagnosed and undiagnosed autistics to explain or make sense of their experiences. It also offers non-autistic people the chance to learn more about autism from someone who is autistic.
>>Look inside.