NEW RELEASES (6.10.23)

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

Sleepless by Marie Darrieussecq (translated from French by Penny Hueston) $45
Plagued by insomnia for twenty years, Marie Darrieussecq turns her attention to the causes, implications and consequences of sleeplessness: a nocturnal suffering that culminates at 4 a.m. and then defines the next day. In Sleepless, she recounts her own experiences alongside those of fellow insomniacs, mostly writers – ‘as if writing were not sleeping’ – Ovid, Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, Marguerite Duras, Franz Kafka, Georges Perec and others. With her inimitable humour, she describes her dealings with a somnologist and her attempts to find a remedy – trying sleeping pills, cannabis, alcohol, bedtime rituals, acupuncture, yoga, hypnosis, psychoanalysis, a gravity blanket and a range of sleep-aid devices. Darrieussecq considers bedrooms, beds, clinophilia (‘the tendency to remain in a prone position without sleeping for prolonged periods of time’), her need to be alone in bed, those without beds, the homeless, refugees, trauma and capitalism’s role in sleeplessness, our constant wakefulness online, the forest as a hypnagogic zone and how our relationship with animals is connected to our sleep, or lack of it. Ranging between autobiography, clinical observation and criticism, Sleepless is a graceful, inventive meditation and an innovation in form.
”Marie Darrieussecq invites us on an extended patrol of the corridors of Hotel Insomnia in the company of the ghosts of the famous sleep-deprived, then turns to the story of her own intimate tussle with sleep that will not come. Amid the torrent of publications in the new sleep science, this is the only book I know that concedes to sleep its proper majesty and its own dark poetry.” —J. M. Coetzee
”On the page Sleepless is fragmentary, footnoted and studded with photos and illustrations. It’s panoramic in its survey of insomniac literature, and also softly intimate where it touches on the author’s own life. In its range and genre it’s unpindownable. Darrieussecq is one of the most prolific and distinguished living writers in France with a truly impressive body of work. All her familiar acuity, humour, humility and intensity are evident in Sleepless.” —Samantha Harvey, Guardian
”Darrieussecq shows convincingly that the socioeconomic organization of twenty-first-century life conspires to rob us of sleep. It is that, in the eyes of capitalism, sleep is a ‘structural attention deficit’ that impedes ‘non-stop-connectivity’ and the possibility of being open for value extraction and commodification twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. For her readers, whether they are insomniacs or not, Sleepless is a meditation on a condition that is more widespread than is generally acknowledged, and impinges, at least philosophically, even on those who do not have it.” —Ryan Ruby, Times Literary Supplement
>>Waking up to Kim Hill.
>>Sleep as another awakening.

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein $40
In her accomplished and unsettling second novel, Sarah Bernstein explores themes of prejudice, abuse and guilt through the eyes of a singularly unreliable narrator. A woman moves from the place of her birth to a ‘remote northern country’ to be housekeeper to her brother, whose wife has just left him. Soon after she arrives, a series of unfortunate events occurs: collective bovine hysteria; the death of a ewe and her nearly-born lamb; a local dog’s phantom pregnancy; a potato blight. She notices that the community’s suspicion about incomers in general seems to be directed particularly in her case. She feels their hostility growing, pressing at the edges of her brother’s property. Inside the house, although she tends to her brother and his home with the utmost care and attention, he too begins to fall ill. (Hardback) Short-listed for the 2023 Booker Prize.
”Study for Obedience is an absurdist tale about how a stranger’s arrival in an unnamed town slowly unearths deep undercurrents of xenophobia, and it feels very like an allegory for the rise of ideological radicalism today. It is also a stirring meditation on survival. It has the uncanny charm of feeling like both a historical work – with its pastoral settings, petty superstitions, and suspicious villagers – and something bracingly modern. In this way it very cleverly, and with great irony, draws a link between a past we’d like to believe is behind us and our very charged present. The humour here is dry as a bone, very Bernhard-esque; it is obliquely and surprisingly funny.” —Booker judges’ citation
”Bernstein paints from a palette of dread. This masterly follow-up to her debut acts as a meditation on survival, the dangers of absorbing the narratives of the powerful, and a warning that the self-blame of the oppressed often comes back to bite.” —Observer
>>The question of innocence is a complicated one.
>>Read an extract.
>>Read Thomas’s review of The Coming Bad Days.

Western Lane by Chetna Maroo $48
Chetna Maroo's tender and moving debut novel about grief, sisterhood, a teenage girl's struggle to transcend herself — and squash. Eleven-year-old Gopi has been playing squash since she was old enough to hold a racket. When her mother dies, her father enlists her in a quietly brutal training regimen, and the game becomes her world. Slowly, she grows apart from her sisters. Her life is reduced to the sport, guided by its rhythms: the serve, the volley, the drive, the shot and its echo. But on the court, she is not alone. She is with her pa. She is with Ged, a 13-year-old boy with his own formidable talent. She is with the players who have come before her. She is in awe. (Hardback)  Short-listed for the 2023 Booker Prize.
”Western Lane is a mesmerising novel about how silence can reverberate within a family in the aftermath of grief. The story unfolds on a squash court; the reader quickly learns how sport can act as a balm for the living. It is also about sisterhood, and about the love that remains after a devastating loss. The language in this novel is truly something to be savoured. Western Lane contains crystalline prose that also feels warm and tender, which can be a difficult balance to strike. Bereavement is something which we will all experience one day in some shape or form, and the complexity of familial dynamics is another universal theme which Western Lane explores with great sincerity and depth of feeling.” —Booker judges’ citation
”The work of a writer who knows what they want to do, and who has the rare ability to do it.” —The Guardian
>>Focussed attention.
>>Read an extract.

Star 111 by Lutz Seiler (translated from German by Tess Lewis) $45
November 1989. The Berlin Wall has just fallen when the East German couple Inge und Walter, following a secret dream they’ve harboured all their lives, set out for life in the West. Carl, their son, refuses to keep watch over the family home and instead heads to Berlin, where he lives in his father’s car until he is taken in by a group of squatters. Led by a shepherd and his goat, the pack of squatters sets up the first alternative bar in East Berlin and are involved in guerrilla occupations. And it’s with them that Carl, trained as a bricklayer, finds himself an initiate of anarchy, of love, and above all of poetry. Star 111, musical and incantatory, tells of the search for authentic existence and also of a family exploded by political change which must find its way back together.
”There aren't many books that can be cited as the missing link between Uwe Johnson's Anniversaries and Roberto Bolano's The Savage Detectives, and still fewer that could live up to the comparison, but Lutz Seiler (with impeccable assistance from Tess Lewis) makes it look easy. Star 111 is a brilliant, immersive, sometimes funny, slyly moving book with a main character who walks through the new reality he finds himself in like an astronaut exploring alone beneath a strange, harsh, beautiful sun.” —Will Ashon
”The presence of objects have is no doubt one of the most extraordinary things about Star 111. Everything is unique, everything has a price, everything is respected because it is the fruit of work or of making. Nothing is thrown away, everything kept. What if the objects have a soul? Read Star 111 (the title is the name of an East German transistor radio) and understand the real value of an object.” —Cecile Dutheil de la Rochere
>>Read a sample.

The Observologist: A handbook for mounting very small scientific expeditions by Giselle Clarkson $40
An observologist is someone who makes scientific expeditions, albeit very small ones, every day. They notice interesting details in the world around them. They are expert at finding tiny creatures, plants and fungi. They know that water snails glide upside down on the undersurface of the water; not all flies have wings; earthworms have bristles; butterflies taste with their feet. The Observologist puts over 100 small creatures and features of the natural world under the microscope, piquing our curiosity with only the most interesting facts. Subjects range from slugs, ants and seeds, fungi and flies through to bees and bird poop. But this is no everyday catalogue of creatures. It is an antidote to boredom, an encouragement to observe our environment, with care and curiosity, wherever we are. Facts combine with comics, detailed illustrations, science and funny stories in this unique, warm and fascinating account of the small things all around us. Completely wonderful.
>>Look inside!

Gunflower by Laura Jean McKay $37
The new short story collection from the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of The Animals in That Country. A family of cat farmers gets the chance to set the felines free. A group of chickens tells it like it is. A female-crewed ship plows through the patriarchy. A support group finds solace in a world without men. With her trademark humor, energy, and flair, McKay offers hallucinogenic glimpses of places where dreams subsume reality, where childhood restarts, where humans behave like animals and animals talk like humans.
”Amidst a pile of shed skin and fur, McKay moulds a kaleidoscopic and horrifyingly real portrait of life at the fringes. By turns gritty, surreal, and absurd, Gunflower isn’t afraid to weigh flesh on the scales of our own judgments, a delicate balancing act between life and death, connection and disconnection. Perhaps part Kelly Link and Ottessa Moshfegh, McKay delivers an assured follow-up to The Animals in That Country in her own singular voice that zeroes in on our anxieties and existential crises with deft and often poetic flair.” —Sequoia Nagamatsu
>>Given up on book clubs?
>>Read Stella’s review of The Animals in That Country.

The Forgotten Forest: In search of the lost plants and fungi of Aotearoa by Robert Vennell $40
Deep in the forest, in places you would never think to look, are some of the most remarkable creatures. Overlooked and unsung, this is the forgotten forest: a world of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms and giant mosses, where slime moulds travel the forest in search of prey and ancient lichens live for thousands of years. A beautifully illustrated guide to the spectacular oddities of the forests of Aotearoa, by the author of The Meaning of Trees and Secrets of the Sea. Fascinating, surprising, and mysterious.
>>Look inside!

Constance Barnicoat: A cool head and a sharp pen by Annabel Schuler $30
Nelsonian Constance Barnicoat (1872-1922) was sassy, strong, opinionated, brave, meticulous, and very intelligent. She should be celebrated as a leading journalist of her time, but she is unknown to most people. While she was born and brought up in New Zealand, Constance Barnicoat wrote for publications around the world, having learned her craft in London from the pioneer of modern journalism, W. T. Stead. Annabel Schuler came across Constance’s story five years ago and wrote a brief article about her achievements for a historical journal. People wanted to know more, so she dug deeper into Constance’s writing, her climbing, her grit in a man’s world, and her unflagging work ethic. In A Cool Head and a Sharp Pen readers will learn about Constance Barnicoat’s career as a multi-lingual journalist firstly in England, then based in Switzerland during World War I. Her contacts included the Archbishop of Canterbury, Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Georg F. Nicolai and, back in New Zealand, politicians such as Richard John Seddon and Sir Francis Dillon Bell. If that was not enough, she claimed several ‘firsts’, climbing some of the most treacherous mountain peaks of Europe as her form of relaxation.

Earth & Fire: Modern potters, their tools, techniques and practices by Kylie Johnson and Tiffany Johnson $80
From clay to kiln and all the techniques between, this is an introduction to the craft and techniques of working with ceramics by ceramicists. Visit the studios of established ceramicists who are making waves in the art world, of midcareer potters who work diligently at their craft daily and make a living from their work, as well as those who turn to clay for relaxation and a hobby. With a focus on techniques and processes, Earth and Fire captures the diversity of ceramics and how clay doesn't just get under your fingernails; it gets under your skin.
>>Look inside!

Rintaro by Sylvan Mishima Brackett and Jessica Battilana $70
This cookbook, from one of San Francisco's most acclaimed restaurants, translates the experience of a Tokyo izakaya to the home kitchen. Crowd-pleasing foods like curry rice, tonkatsu, and yakitori, eaten most often at lunch counters and in home kitchens, live alongside sashimi, fresh bamboo shoots, and other dishes that are usually considered part of a more elevated Japanese cooking tradition and not often covered in cookbooks. Through clear instruction, abundant photography, and delicious recipes, Rintaro demystifies Japanese food for home cooks with over 70 recipes for rice, simmered dishes, homemade udon, and grilled foods.
>>Look inside!
>>Visit Rintaro!

What Is Antiracism? And why it means anticapitalism by Arun Kundnani $40
What is ‘racial capitalism’ and how do we overcome it? This sharp, slim, revelatory book argues that we misunderstand contemporary capitalism if we miss the centrality of racism to neoliberalism.
From David Harvey to Wendy Brown, the leading scholars of neoliberalism's rise treat racism as an ornamental feature of recent capitalist politics — an ugly ornament, to be sure, but not one that is central to neoliberalism. In crisp, accessible prose and via descriptions of some key moments of modern history in the US (like the Black Power movement) and the UK (like Enoch Powell's introduction of neoliberal ideas in parliament), Arun Kundnani argues that this misapprehension of the role of race in neoliberalism contributes to the Left's inability to build a successful movement connecting race and class.

Kallocain by Karin Boye (translated from Swedish by David McDuff) $26
Leo Kall is a zealous middle-ranking scientist in the totalitarian World State who has just made a thrilling discovery: a new drug, Kallocain, that will force anyone who takes it to tell the truth. At last, criminality will be dragged out into the open and private thought can finally be outlawed. But can the World State be trusted with Kallocain? For that matter, can Kall himself be trusted? Written as the terrible events of World War II were unfolding, Karin Boye's classic dystopian novel speaks more clearly than ever of the dangers of acquiescence and the power of resistance.
"The world of the Swedish writer Karin Boye's little-known 1940 novel, Kallocain, is a close cousin to those depicted in We and Brave New World. The women characters in many classic twentieth-century dystopias tend to be flat, mere foils to male protagonists. But in Kallocain it is the inner lives of women that come to illustrate both the state's power over its citizens and their own power to resist." —The New Yorker
>>Reimagining the dystopian novel.

The Book that No-One Wanted to Read by Richard Ayoade and Tor Freeman $23
Have you ever thought about how it feels to be a book? To be left under a whiffy pant pile or shelved, forever collecting dust? To have your pages bent backwards or your spine BROKEN? What if you don't have a sparkly unicorn or dragon adorning your cover — who will pick you out of the bookshop then? This is the story of the sadly neglected Book That No One Wanted To Read — Can its destiny change when it finally meets the right reader? Spoiler alert: yes.
”Very funny, with brilliant illustrations. It should be called The Book That Everyone Wanted To Read." —Nadia Shireen
>>Look inside (what fun!).