Books published by Text Publishing

Olga loves the stories of the old cartographers and pores over their ancient books and maps, trying to unlock their secrets. Sometimes, she thinks she can even see into them - as if by magic. But magic is banned in Tsaretsvo, ever since the war with the birds that divided the kingdom, and the powerful magic-wielding Iagas have long been banished. Now, any young girl who shows signs of being an Iaga is whisked away to a life, so the story goes, of unspeakable punishment. When the bird army kidnaps Olga''s sister in a surprise attack on the human kingdom, Olga has to venture into the Republic of Birds to bring her back. But first, she must learn to unlock her magical ability.

A debut collection of short stories, author Alexander Weinstein imagines a near-future of social implants, environmental collapse and post-revolution discord.

The last person Zac expects in the room next door is a girl like Mia, angry and feisty with questionable taste in music. In the real world, he wouldn''t - couldn''t - be friends with her. In hospital different rules apply, and what begins as a knock on the wall leads to a note - then a friendship neither of them sees coming. You need courage to be in hospital; different courage to be back in the real world. In one of these worlds Zac needs Mia. And in the other Mia needs Zac. Or maybe they both need each other, always.

Born into poverty, the seamstress spends her days sewing in the houses of wealthy families. Her work is simple and honest; taught by her nonna, she skilfully prepares nightgowns, undergarments and children''s clothes, leaving the finer work of dressmaking to the ateliers in Paris. Her story weaves in and out of the lives of the people she works for, whose secrets and scandals she is privy to. Some are kind and generous, others blinded by their desire to climb the social ladder. She dreams of freeing herself from the hardscrabble life she has inherited but can t help being pulled back in by the love of the people around her. Set at the dawn of the 20th century, The Seamstress of Sardinia follows the girl as she grows into a woman, strives to educate herself and falls in love - always fighting for her independence in a world dominated by men and old social conventions.

Sixteen-year-old Frankie Budge - aspiring writer, indifferent student, offbeat loner - is determined to make it through yet another sad summer in Coalfield, Tennessee, when she meets Zeke, a talented artist who is as lonely and awkward as she is. As romantic and creative sparks begin to fly, Frankie and Zeke make an unsigned poster that becomes unforgettable to anyone who sees it. Copies of their work are everywhere in town, and rumours start to fly about who might be behind the ubiquitous posters: Satanists? Kidnappers? Soon, the mystery has dangerous repercussions that spread further afield, and the art that brought Frankie and Zeke together now threatens to tear them apart. Twenty years later, Frances Eleanor Budge - famous author, mother to a wonderful daughter, wife to a loving husband - gets a call that threatens to upend everything: a journalist asks if Frances might know something about the Coalfield Panic of 1996. Could Frances'' past destroy the life she has so carefully buil

Internationally bestselling husband-and-wife writing team Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist are back with another smart, romantic adventure.

It''s the mid 1990s. Gabriel Mantzur wants to take advantage of all the business opportunities opening up in Israel. Moving in political and financial circles, he finds his way into the upper reaches of power - but the higher he goes, the less he understands the intrigues in which he is involved. Cut to the present. A group of young Londoners - omeless, unemployed and disaffected - is organising a worldwide strike to protest globalisation and inequality. Sick of being screwed over, they conspire to overturn the prevailing order. Meanwhile, an eerily familiar American political consulting firm, with interests everywhere from Bolivia to the Congo, ostensibly exists to further liberal and progressive causes - until the veil is drawn back on the true nature of its activities.

In the woods of a small town, Aubrey sets off on a journey about growing up, self-discovery, and acceptance while searching for their missing best friend. Aubrey and Joel are like two tomato vines that grew along the same crooked fence - weird, yet the same kind of weird. But lately, even their shared weirdness seems weird. Then Joel disappears. Vanishes. Poof. The whole town is looking for him, and Aubrey was the last person to see Joel. Aubrey can''t say much, but since lies of omission are still lies, here''s what they know for sure: For the last two weeks of the school year, when sixth grade became too much, Aubrey and Joel have been building a raft in the woods. The raft was supposed to be just another part of their running away game. The raft is gone now, too. Aubrey doesn''t know where Joel is, but they might know how to find him. As Aubrey, their friend Mari, and sister Teagan search along the river, Aubrey has to fess up to who they really are, all the things they never said, an

Dispossesion and Defiance in Hong Kong. When protests erupted in Hong Kong in 2019 and were met with escalating suppression from Beijing, Louisa Lim - raised in Hong Kong as a half-Chinese, half-English child, and now a reporter who had covered the region for more than a decade - realised that she was uniquely positioned to unearth the citys untold stories. Lims deeply researched and personal account is startling, casting new light on key moments the British takeover in 1842, the negotiations over the 1997 return to China, and the future Beijing seeks to impose.

There are twelve kids in the seventh grade at Fawn Creek Middle School. They''ve been together all their lives. And in this small factory town where everyone knows everything about everyone, that''s not necessarily a great thing. There are thirteen desks in the seventh-grade classroom. Renni''s desk is empty, but Renni still knows their secrets; is still pulling their strings. When Orchid Mason arrives and slips gracefully into Renni''s chair, the other seventh graders don''t know what to think. Who will save Orchid Mason? Or will Orchid Mason save them?

Joan is a thirtysomething ICU doctor at a busy New York City hospital. The daughter of Chinese parents who came to the United States to secure the American dream for their children, Joan is intensely devoted to her work. When Joan''s father suddenly dies and her mother returns to America to reconnect with her children, a series of events sends Joan spiralling out of her comfort zone just as her hospital, her city, and the world are forced to reckon with a health crisis more devastating than anyone could have imagined.

Rae is ten years old, and life with her mother has taught her the world is not her friend. Now suddenly her mum is gone and Rae is alone, except for her dog Splinter. Rae can do a lot of things pretty well for a kid. She can shop and cook a little and keep the front yard neat enough that the neighbours won''t get curious. But she is haunted by the shadow of a terrible secret. Lettie, the old woman who lives next door, might know more about Rae than she lets on - but she has her own reasons for keeping the world at arm''s length.

Sarah Krasnostein spent the last four years in Australia and the US meeting people holding fast to belief, even as it rubs against the grain of more accepted realities. Krasnostein talks with her trademark compassion and empathy to these believers - and finds out what happens when their beliefs crash into her own.

In this compelling companion to the New York Times bestseller Amal Unbound, Omar finds a way to change the corrupt system in his new school. Omar, the son of a servant, is thrilled when he gets a scholarship to an elite school. But he''s not so thrilled when he finds out that the school weeds out kids like him by requiring them to get higher grades than fee-paying kids - so it''s almost impossible for scholarship students to graduate. On top of that, they aren''t allowed to join clubs or teams, and have to do menial chores. It''s a good thing Omar has learnt to hold on to his dreams. With the help of his friend Amal and his new school mates - and with the threat of expulsion looming over him -he sets out to do what seems impossible: change a rigged system. Omar Rising is an exciting middle-grade story about student activism, believing in yourself and fighting for justice.

How We Can Win expands upon statements Kimberly Jones made in a viral video posted in June 2020 following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police. Through her personal experience, observations and Monopoly analogy, she illuminates the economic disparities Black Americans have faced for generations and offers ways to fight against a system that is still rigged.

Noni didn''t expect to be starting over at the age of thirty-six. But eighteen months after the end of her long-term relationship, she decides it''s time to start living her life again. While an encounter with a sexy firefighter is a welcome entry back into the dating world, Noni soon realises she''s looking for more than just a series of brief, pleasurable encounters. She''s looking for more pleasure in, well, everything. That''s how she finds herself travelling to Europe to track down the one that got away: the alluring, elusive Molly. But Europe may have other surprises in store...