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1 y separately published work icon A Place to Breathe : Poems and Images from Tasmania Stephen Falconer , Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27225707 2023 selected work poetry

'A Place to Breathe: Poems and Images from Tasmania is a jewel. It is aptly laconic, almost sparse, with observations both personal and universal. Falconer captures the rural and isolated frugality that is part of the beauty of his homeland – which he clearly loves. - Dr Dain Bolwell, 2023 (Author of Governing Technology in the Quest for Sustainability on Earth)

'Stephen Falconer’s poetry burst like a blazing light on my poetic horizon from the first time that I encountered it some forty years ago. In the intervening years it has remained a constant source of imaginative stimulation and refreshment. Stephen writes with the electricity of the Word, like the French Symbolists, Rimbaud
and Verlaine, to whom he is a worthy successor. He senses the sparks that fly between images that defy rational explanation. Do not try too hard to explain, simply surrender to the flashes by which Stephen’s poems penetrate: travel with them, both into the depths and into the light, and be nourished.
—Melvyn Cann, 2023 (Ex-lecturer in Philosophy at La Trobe University)' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Summon the Giants William McGrath , Phil Shearman , Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27225644 2023 single work autobiography 'Captain William McGrath's life spanned the experiential breadth of many men. He started his life's quest as a student activist protesting against Nazism, then as a surfer, a naval commander during World War II, a university lecturer in philosophy and finally a sheep farmer. Bill was an acclaimed expert in the ancient art of celestial navigation and an adventurer who, one way or another, managed to set foot in most corners of the planet. His was a life considered. His curiosity never left him, nor his questioning of motives - his and others' - in his search for the best way to live at peace. He influenced the lives of countless people though his wisdom, counsel and guidance. This book is the result of Bill's quest for understanding in the exploratory journey that was his life' 

(Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Lutruwita Love Stories Clarence Plains Community (editor), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27225600 2023 anthology biography autobiography

'This collection of stories started with a sticky note with the words ‘Indigenous Literacy Day’ marked on it in red. It grew into a collection of engaging personal stories about connection, culture and sharing from the people who live, walk and work in Clarence Plains, southern Tasmania.

'Staff and volunteers at the Clarence Plains Child and Family Learning Centre and 26TEN assisted in collecting these stories of memories, experiences and our connection to Country.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon The Van Diemen Anthology 2023 Tony Fenton , Kristyn Harman , Kirstie Ross , Chris Champion , Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27225350 2023 anthology essay biography

'The best of the VAN DIEMEN HISTORY PRIZE 2022-2023 selected by Dr Kristyn Harman, Kirstie Ross, Tony Fenton and Chris Champion.

'The idea for The Van Diemen History Prize came out of a conversation with Associate Professor Kristyn Harman, of the University of Tasmania. Her idea was then honed to fit the underlying philosophy of Forty South Tasmania - high-quality writing on a Tasmanian theme, aimed at a general audience. The competition is for articles up to 3,000 words on any aspect of Tasmanian history prior to the 21st century.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Dunstan and Theodore : Christmas with Friends Sharon J. Yaxley , Sharon J. Yaxley (illustrator), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27225281 2023 single work picture book children's

'After a slight accident with the Christmas tree and its decorations, Dunstan and Theodore host a wonderful party for their guests. Joining Dunstan, Theodore, Blue Ted and Steve the monkey for the celebrations is a very special friend, Tigey, who lives at 5 Teacup Street.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Tigey and the Teacup Sharon J. Yaxley , Sharon J. Yaxley (illustrator), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27225237 2023 single work picture book children's 'Chi was restless as he cuddled his favourite toys. Tigey and the teacup drift into the night sky on a beam of moonlight to search for dreams hiding in the space between the starlight. A bedtime story of a night-time adventure.' 

(Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Under the Same Moon - Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology Lyn Reeves (editor), Vanessa Proctor (editor), Rob Scott (editor), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27225190 2023 anthology poetry

'More than twenty years on from the formation of the Australian Haiku Society in 2000, and the publication of the First Australian Haiku Anthology (2001), haiku in this country has continued to evolve, diversify and to extend its reach far beyond our borders. 

'There are 104 poets represented in under the same moon, each one helping to form and shape a unique Australian voice, whether that is through haiku with distinctly Australian kigo or through senryu which explores the human element of life in this country from its cities, suburbs and rural towns to the natural environment. 

'Alive with birds and frogs, suffused with the threat of bushfire and flood, these haiku sing with the uniqueness of Australian life. The skill on show is breathtaking, as distinctive individual voices lay bare moments of joy, loss, awareness and connection to inner and outer landscapes. 
Esther Ottaway, Winner, Tim Thorne Poetry Prize, Arts Tasmania Literary Awards, 2022

'As you read each haiku here in the time it takes for a frog to swim the length of a pear leaf, your senses will fizz like a rocket landing in an armchair.
Kevin Brophy, Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Have You Seen a Monotreme? Hannah Coates , Claire Neyland (illustrator), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27225144 2023 single work picture book children's

'It seemed it was a common thing, to classify all creatures, to sort them into different groups, depending on their features. Platypus thought about this theory, as she swam along. But she was left wondering, "Where do I belong?"' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Curving into Light : Haiku Lorraine Haig , Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27225105 2023 selected work poetry 'Curving into Light will take you on journeys through heat haze and red dust to rippling waters, soft mists and scented rain and to places where the light falls.Lorraine Haig's skills as both poet and painter combine to create striking and evocative sketches that will enliven your senses and open your heart with their powerful and well-chosen words. This is a book to savour for the variety, breadth and depth of poems by one of the most talented English Language Haiku poets writing in Australia today. It is a book to be read slowly, and often.-Lyn Reeves' (Publication summary) 
1 y separately published work icon Forty South Short Story Anthology 2023 Amanda Lohrey , Mallika , Rayne Allinson , Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 27224770 2023 anthology short story

'The ten best entries from the Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2023 as selected by Amanda Lohrey, Mallika Naguran & Rayne Allinson.

'The stories in this year’s anthology include supernatural voyages, a solitary woman’s sense of home, a family’s attempts to connect offline, a mysterious island ritual, a criminal’s new beginning, a flash of colour in a child’s hand, a man who disappears then reappears transformed, a lighthouse keeper’s vigilant watch, and a coming -of-age story amidst devastating floods.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Port Arthur Danielle Maistry , Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 26403970 2023 single work novel historical fiction

'Set in the 1830s during the convict transportation era between England and her colonies on the other side of the world, thirteen-year-old Walter Paisley is convicted of burglary and transported to Van Diemen's Land to serve his sentence. Tara Harford and her father are wrongfully charged before they are separated and sent abroad to serve life sentences as convicts of the Crown. Walter must learn to find hope amidst the ever-rising challenges of his life as a convict. Tara is unaware of the dangers threatening her survival that come with her choice to find her father. Beautifully written in the historical world of the Port Arthur convict settlement in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania), suspense and romance combine to create a compelling and captivating story of the intertwining lives of a convict boy who tries to find his place in society, and an innocent girl who is thrust into a world she was never meant to be part of.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Feathered Alphabet Featuring Australian Birds Monica Reeve , Monica Reeve (illustrator), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 26077976 2023 single work picture book children's

'A vibrant, fully-fledged and friendly alphabet of Australian birds, including counting, life cycles and seasons, by Tasmanian author and illustrator Monica Reeve, author of Bug Soup Beat (“Highly Recommended” by the Children’s Book Council of Australia), Pecking Order? and Camping Chaos - all published by Forty South Publishing. Suitable for children aged three and up, and for ornithophiles of all ages.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Dear Nose Louise Johnson , Carolyn Bassett (illustrator), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 26077923 2023 single work picture book children's

'I have an issue with my nose.

'It does not do as I might suppose.

'It runs and runs all day long. 

'I'm starting to wonder - what might be wrong?

'Children will delight in this story about a boy's experience of the common cold and his runny, snotty nose.'  (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Quoll and Quill Margie Kirk , Margie Kirk (illustrator), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 26077850 2023 single work picture book children's

'There's a party on the hill

'At the home of Quoll and Quill.

'A friendship unique and rare,

'Let's celebrate with treats to share.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Stillbirth : Still a Birth Collette Butler , Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 26077766 2023 single work autobiography

'A story of grief, stillbirth and magic 

'Grief comes in many forms. It comes in many stages of life. Grief following a stillbirth is unimaginable. Pregnancy loss is a surprisingly common occurrence yet is often hidden away, in the darkness of one’s home and in the hearts of struggling parents. 

'Collette Butler is a Tasmanian nurse whose daughter, Amelia, passed away during labour and was born still at 38 weeks. Since Amelia’s death, Collette has experienced three more miscarriages. In honour of Amelia’s and her other babies’ lives, Collette has turned pregnancy loss support and awareness into her passion. Her book, Still A Birth, is a memoir of grief and a self-help guide for bereaved families. It is thoughtfully designed with an array of poignant images. It is moving, engaging and informative.'   (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Real Tassie Legends : Chronicles of an Earlier Tasmania Geoff Harwood , Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 26077489 2023 selected work biography

'In the style of his bestselling The Last Hermit of Tasmania's West Coast (Forty South Publishing, 2021), Geoff Harwood is back with tales of other legendary Tasmanian characters.

'For his years and sins, Geoff Harwood has met, witnessed lived through, and known many Tasmanian legends. Through those years and along the way, he may have created a few myths of his own. 

'In this anthology of Tasmanian legends, he hangs them out to dry and to share with all who love a good story - or thirty or so!

'Depicted with humour, compassion and accuracy, here are the salts of the Tasmanian earth. Dip into this well of entertainment anywhere you like and be rewarded. These shorts are short-cuts to legends.' (Publication summary) 

1 y separately published work icon Alfi the Wombat James Voûte , James Voûte (illustrator), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2023 26077186 2023 single work picture book children's

'Things are not as they seem along the fence separating the bush from agricultural land. Alfi the Wombat is asked to breach the fence and faces the wrath of both animal and man. 

'From the author/illustrator of Benny's Quest for the Tasmanian Tiger (Forty South Publishing, 2020), comes another charming, illustrated chapter book for 8 to 11 year olds. The story, about a young wombat making his way in the world alongside a number of other native Tasmanian animals, invites the reader to consider issues of environmental conservation, community, and care for wild places.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Van Diemen's Valley Danny Gunn , 2022 Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2022- 25571768 2022 series - author children's fiction children's horror
1 y separately published work icon Faeries of Tasmania Terry Whidborne , Terry Whidborne (illustrator), Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2022 25793661 2022 single work art work prose

'Since her initial sighting of a faery at Cradle Mountain, Lady Plummage has endeavoured to find others who have witnessed these small elusive creatures in Tasmania. She has curated a few for this book, which have been beautifully illustrated. Along with the illustrations and photographs, we learn a little about Lady Plummage's collection of a mysterious Hobart chocolatier from a bygone era.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Waldo's Wild Things Waldo Bayley , Hobart : Forty South Publishing , 2022 25572097 2022 selected work poetry children's 'Waldo is a word-weaver, rhyme-wrangler and song-spinner, but most adults know him as a Bush Poet who enjoys performing to audiences around Australia. Jan is a watercolour wizard, whose stunning creations range from Australian wildflowers to portraits of children and family pets. Together, they share a love for all Tasmanian wild things, big and small.' (Publication summary) 
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