Books published by University of Queensland Press

''Flows fast and deep and occasionally treacherous. I loved it.'' Simmone Howell, author of Everything Beautiful and Girl DefectiveIt''s the most elite school sporting event in the country. Nine rowers, 2000 gruelling metres and one chance for glory in the ultimate team sport. Sit forward ... ROW. Tall, gifted and the offspring of Olympians, superstar siblings Leni and Cristian Popescu are set to row Harley Grammar to victory in the Head of the River race. With six months until the big day, the twins can''t lose. Or can they? When Cristian is seduced by performance-enhancing drugs, and Leni is suffocated with self-doubt, their bright futures start to fade. Juggling family, high expectations, study, break-ups, new relationships and wild parties, the pressure builds. As the final moments tick by, who will make it to the start line? And who will plummet from grace?

The much-anticipated new volume of poetry from the winner of the NSW Premier''s Literary Awards Book of the Year From acclaimed poet Samuel Wagan Watson comes a much-anticipated volume that is both wild and dynamic in its flair and vision, mapping the songlines - the poemlines - of an Australia scarred by invasion and injustice, but brimming, too, with the vital energies of creativity and resilience. With striking immediacy, Watson''s often satirical take on contemporary Australia, with its acquisitiveness and materialism, bears witness to an ancient culture protesting against the implacable march of development. Honest, powerful and compelling, this new collection from one of Australia''s most recognised Indigenous poets reveals the ways love might go wrong, but, equally, its transformative power to heal and resonate in unexpected ways.Love Poems and Death Threats breaks new ground for Indigenous Australian writing and adds to Samuel Wagan Watson''s reputation as one of our most exciting poets.

Winner of the 2013 David Unaipon AwardIn this award-winning work of fiction, Ellen van Neerven takes her readers on a journey that is mythical, mystical and still achingly real. Over three parts, she takes traditional storytelling and gives it a unique, contemporary twist. In ''Heat'', we meet several generations of the Kresinger family and the legacy left by the mysterious Pearl. In ''Water'', a futuristic world is imagined and the fate of a people threatened. In ''Light'', familial ties are challenged and characters are caught between a desire for freedom and a sense of belonging. Heat and Light presents an intriguing collection while heralding the arrival of an exciting new talent in Australian writing.

Does your imagination ever run wild? Charli is at riding camp, where her dream is about to come true - she will finally learn to ride a real, live horse. But when show-off Mikaela picks the horse Charli wants, her heart bungees to her toes. Instead of the beautiful palomino Razz, Charli''s stuck riding the massive retired racehorse Spud. And what about the bats that fill the night sky? Don''t bats spread deadly diseases? Riding camp isn''t turning out the way Charli planned, especially when she finds herself in the middle of a life-threatening disaster. An action-packed adventure about horses, bats and getting carried away by your imagination.

In 1967, Australians voted overwhelmingly in favor of removing from the Constitution two references that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Though these seemed like small amendments, they were an impetus for real change: from terra nullius to land rights, and from assimilation to self-determination. Nearly 50 years later, there is a groundswell of support for our Indigenous heritage to be formally recognized in the Constitution. With the prospect of a new referendum in the near future, Frank Brennan considers how far Australians have come--and yet how much work lies ahead. He looks through the prism of history to examine what we can learn from our successes and failures since 1967, from the efforts of the Council of Aboriginal Affairs to the Gove land rights case and the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. He also assesses the way forward: how the upcoming referendum might provide fresh momentum for governments and Indigenous Australians to negotiate better outcomes. Written by one of the most respected commentators on legal and human rights issues, this book makes a vital contribution to the understanding of Indigenous affairs. It will generate crucial debate on how Australians should acknowledge the history that for too long has gone unrecognized

Honest, intimate conversations with some of Australia''s best musicians, including Paul Kelly, Gotye, Tina Arena, Phil Jamieson, Steve Kilbey, Mick Harvey and Holly Throsby.Of all the creative industries, the most distinct link between drug use and creativity lies within music. The two elements seem to be intertwined, inseparable; that mythical phrase "sex, drugs and rock and roll" has been bandied about with a wink and a grin for decades. But is it all smoke and mirrors, or does that cliché ring true for some of our best-known performers? In this fascinating book, journalist Andrew McMillen talks with Australian musicians about their thoughts on - and experiences with - illicit, prescription and legal drugs. Through a series of in-depth and intimate interviews, he tells the stories of those who have bitten into the forbidden fruit and avoided choking. This isn''t to say that stories of ruin and redemption are avoided - they''re not. These celebrated performers have walked the straight-and-narrow path of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and prescription medication, as well as the supposedly dark-and-crooked road of cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and methamphetamine.By having conversations about something that''s rarely discussed in public, and much less often dealt with honestly, McMillen explores the truths and realities of a contentious topic that isn''t going away. Talking Smack is a timely, thought-provoking must-read that takes you inside the highs and lows of some of our most successful and creative musicians. Paul KellyWally de Backer (Gotye)Steve Kilbey (The Church)Phil Jamieson (Grinspoon)Tina ArenaSpencer P. Jones (Beasts of Bourbon)Mick Harvey (ex Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)Lindy Morrison (The Go-Betweens)Ian Haug (Powderfinger)Bertie BlackmanTim Levinson (Urthboy)Holly ThrosbyJon Toogood (Shihad)Jake Stone (Bluejuice)

Winner of the 2013 Queensland Literary Award - Best Emerging AuthorWhen you''re at the end of the line with nowhere to turn - how far would you go to protect the one you love?A man is found dead in an inner-city suburb, a police officer walks the blurry line between duty and loyalty, and a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks is on the run. Ana soon becomes a suspect in the murder investigation, and as sole carer for her younger sister is desperately trying to stay ahead of the law. In a surprising twist, the detective in charge of the case is no stranger and Ana is forced to face her past and the things she has left behind. Unsure of who she can trust and isolated by her crime, Ana is drawn into a passionate affair that breaks all the rules.From the winner of the 2013 Queensland Literary Awards - Best Emerging Author category, Gap combines a gripping crime thriller with a style evocative of Dorothy Porter''s cult classic, The Monkey''s Mask.

''A tender story of grief, trust and healing ... Hannah broke my heart.'' AJ BettsI have three months left to call Katie my older sister. Then the gap will close and I will pass her. I will get older. But Katie will always be fifteen, eleven months and twenty-one days old.Hannah''s world is in pieces and she doesn''t need the school counsellor to tell her she has deep-seated psychological issues. With a seriously depressed mum, an injured dad and a dead sister, who wouldn''t have problems?Hannah should feel terrible but for the first time in ages, she feels a glimmer of hope and isn''t afraid anymore. Is it because the elusive Josh is taking an interest in her? Or does it run deeper than that?In a family torn apart by grief and guilt, one girl''s struggle to come to terms with years of torment shows just how long old wounds can take to heal.''The Protected captures the volatility of adolescence, the fragility of family, and the importance of a good friend.'' AJ Betts, author of Zac & Mia

Continuing on from the bestselling true crime story Three Crooked Kings, Jacks and Jokers opens in 1976. Terry Lewis, exiled in western Queensland, is soon to be controversially appointed Police Commissioner. As for the other two original Crooked Kings, Tony Murphy is set to ruthlessly take control of the workings of "The Joke," while Glen Hallahan, retired from the force, begins to show a keen interest in the emerging illicit drug trade. Meanwhile, ex-cop and "Bagman" Jack Herbert collects the payments and efficiently takes police graft to a whole new level. The Joke heralds an era of hard drugs, illegal gambling, and prostitution, and leaves in its wake a string of unsolved murders and a trail of dirty money. With the highest levels of police and government turning a blind eye, the careers of honest police officers and the lives of innocent civilians are threatened and often lost as corruption escalates out of control. Revealing more incredible facts and previously untold stories, award-winning journalist and novelist Matthew Condon once again exposes the shocking behavior outside the law by the law. Jacks and Jokers is the gripping second installment of the rise and spectacular fall of one man, an entire state, and generations of corruption.

Between 1825 and 1831, close to 200 Britons and 1,000 Aborigines died violently in The Black War takes a unique approach to this historic event, looking chiefly at the experiences and attitudes of those who took part in the conflict. By contrasting the perspectives of colonists and Aborigines, Nicholas Clements takes a deeply human look at the events that led to the shocking violence and tragedy of the war, detailing raw personal accounts that shed light on the tribes, families, and individuals involved as they struggled to survive in their turbulent world. The Black War presents a compelling and challenging view of Australia's early contact history, the legacy of which reverberates strongly to the present day.

A breathtaking new volume of poetry from an Australian literary iconIn his first full volume of poetry since Typewriter Music in 2007, David Malouf once again shows us why he is one of Australia''s most enduring and respected writers. David Malouf''s new collection comes to rest at the perfect, still moment of ''silence, following talk'' after its exploration of memory, imagination and mortality. With elegance and wit, these poems move from profound depths to whimsy and playfulness. As Malouf interweaves light and dark, levity and gravity, he offers a vision of life on ''this patch/ of earth and its green things'', charting the resilience of beauty amidst stubborn human grace.

''A wise and tender novel about food, friendship and marriage.'' Kristina Olsson, author of Boy, LostGrace has not had twelve people at her table for a long time. Hers isn''t the kind of family who share regular Sunday meals. But it isn''t every day you turn seventy.As Grace prepares the feast, she reflects on her life, her marriage and her friendships. When the three generations come together, simmering tensions from the past threaten to boil over. The one thing that no one can talk about is the one thing that no one can forget. Grace''s Table is a moving and often funny novel about the power of memory and the family rituals that define us.

Outstanding new fiction from the Miles Franklin-shortlisted author of BloodIn this breathtaking new work, Tony Birch affirms his position as one of Australia''s finest writers of short-form fiction.Using his unflinching creative gaze, he ponders love and loss and faith. A trio of amateur thieves are left in charge of a baby moments before a heist. A group of boys compete in the final of a marbles tournament, only to find their biggest challenge was the opponent they didn''t see coming. Two young friends find a submerged car in their local swimming hole and become obsessed by the mystery of the driver''s identity. Across twelve blistering stories, The Promise delivers a sensitive and often humorous take on the lives of those who have loved, lost and wandered.