News & Reviews

  “A personal memoir, a piece of historical detective work and a gripping courtroom drama unite in 38 Londres Street” Renowned author and lawyer Philippe Sands joins us from the UK, discussing a shocking

A talented seamstress weaves her way through the social (& gender) divides of 1900’s Italy. Pitzorno is a prolific fiction writer in her homeland, & this easy novel reads like a short story collection,

Isobel, a privileged property development heiress, couldn’t have less in common with Meg, a desperate, down on her luck journalist, but a well timed, mysteriously gifted DNA test could change all that. A classic

A rich, delightful thriller, another Emma Donoghue gem. Read the right clock at the station, set at different times, to get on board the Paris Express at the end of the 19th Century. Meet

Meet Betty: storyteller, feminist, eternally curious and phenomenally old. On the eve of her hundredth birthday party, Betty tells us her story. Join us to celebrate renowned screenwriter Debra Oswald’s new novel One Hundred

The Magic Pen: Unlock Your Imagination!Did you know your pen holds the power to bring entire worlds to life? ✨ Grab your magical pen and embark on an unforgettable writing journey! In this adventure-packed

MAY BOOK OF THE MONTH A small book, intensely descriptive and beautifully researched.  It will shock when we finally realise we are so teeny-tiny, living on an incredible planet in the infinite vastness of

A beautifully crafted historical novel that transports readers to 17th-century Venice. Orsola, a young woman defies convention to carve out her place in a male-dominated world. Immersive and rich in detail. — Julia

38 Londres Street — in pursuit of Pinochet and a Nazi war criminal Philippe Sands tells the story of his part in attempts to extradite the Chilean dictator and trace his ties to an

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy Quarterly Essay 97: Losing It: Can We Stop Violence Against Women and Children? Orbital by Samantha Harvey Memorial

I was waiting for this book and it was so worth it. It is absolutely breathtaking! The History of Sound has a pure, crystalline quality. In twelve timeless stories Shattuck explores American history, war,

Dream State by Eric Puchner   I’m halfway through this quirky novel, which feels like the love child of Jonathan Franzen and Kathy Lette. It reminds me a bit of the bestselling Eleanor Oliphant

The Prosecutor: One Man’s Battle to Bring Nazis to Justice by Jack Fairweather A profile in courage in a time of peril. Fritz Bauer, an irascible, German-Jewish lawyer jailed and torture by the Gestapo, was

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy A remote island off Antarctica, a research station with an underground seed bank, for when civilization as we know it ends (by flooding, burning or starvation) is now abandoned —

Polis — between 650BCE and 350CE a loose collection of up to 1,500 self-governing city-states had a direct say in their government through philosophical debate and collaboration. The Polis was a resilient and adaptable

Were you a fan of Hamnet, or The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie O’Farrell. Perhaps you loved Matrix by Lauren Groff. If so you’re sure to love this detective novel set in renaissance Florence. Cosimo di Giovanni

NEXT ISSUE OF QUARTERLY ESSAY QE97 – 17 March 2025 JESS HILL Losing It – Can we stop violence against women and children? What went wrong? Australian governments promised to end violence against women

  Make the most of your next European holiday by polishing up your French language skills!  Join us for a delicious, interesting and lively immersion in French language, food and culture with Sandrine Iratchet

In February we will also collaborate with the Bob Brown Foundation to host four screenings of Takayna — the Heart of Lutruwita, an inspiring and hopeful film about the battle to defend Australia’s largest rainforest. Join

Dear Friends, Last minute and a rare opportunity: Geraldine Brooks was at Bookoccino last Friday to sign copies of Memorial Days, “a heart-rending and beautiful memoir of sudden loss and journey toward peace.” Geraldine and