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Best new non-fiction: quick links
Best new non-fiction
New Again, Geneva Vanderzeil – 26 August
For beginner and expert DIYers alike, this extensive guide covers everything from painting and timber restoration to tiling and upholstery.
Saffron Incorporated: The first King of the Cross and fifty years of sex, murder, music and mayhem, Stuart Coupe – 26 August
Stuart Coupe shows how showbusiness and the underworld are intrinsically linked: nightclubs, corrupt cops, drugs, vice, rock’n’roll promoters, dodgy accountants and gangland shootings. It was Abe Saffron, the original King of the Cross, who laid the foundations for more than 50 years of intrigue, murder and mayhem.
Borneo: The Last Campaign Michael Veitch – 26 August
Borneo: The Last Campaign tells the story of Operation OBOE, the massive, three-pronged assault on the vast Japanese-held island of Borneo in 1945. It was one of the largest amphibious invasions of the entire war, and a virtually all-Australian operation.
Walking Sydney: Fifteen walks with a city’s writers, Belinda Castles – 1 September
Belinda Castles walks with Sydney’s (and some of Australia’s best) writers to explore how their journeys on foot have impacted their writing.
Woodside vs the Planet: How a Company Captured a Country; Quarterly Essay 99, Marian Wilkinson – 1 September
This is a story of power and influence, pollution and protest. How does one company capture a country? How convincing is Woodside’s argument that gas is a necessary transition fuel, as the world decarbonises? And what is the new ‘energy realism’ narrative being pushed by Trump’s White House?
Saving Elli, Doug Gold – 2 September
In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank’s house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next.
Beyond Suburbia, Warren Kirk – 2 September
These photographs capture the overlooked buildings, people and landscape of rual and semi-rural Australia.
How Christians can succeed today, Greg Sheridan – 2 September
Rediscovering the radical, transcendent and downright weird message of Jesus, How Christians Can Succeed Today is the third title in Greg Sheridan’s trilogy about Christianity in the modern world.
Better Things are Possible, Jack Toohey – 2 September
From the housing crisis and climate change to gender inequity, Jack Toohey reveals how many of our social and political failure are interconnected, and how we can begin to fix them.
Snake Talk: How the world’s ancient serpent stories can guide us, Tyson Yunkaporta and Megan Kelleher – 2 September
In Snake Talk, Tyson Yunkaporta and Megan Kelleher follow tales about the serpent around the world from Kathmandu to Aotearoa, from Mesoamerica to China to northern Europe. The serpent in Aboriginal stories is both creator and destroyer, dwelling between physical and spiritual worlds.
The Rookie Gardener, Chloe Foster – 2 September
Passionate horticulturist Chloe Foster is on a mission to help novice plant parents. Packed with information,The Rookie Gardener will enable your transition from horticultural zero to green-thumbed hero.
Why do birds sing? Dr Gráinne Cleary – 2 September
Throughout our history birdsong has influenced art, poetry and music. It can elevate our mood and bring our backyards to life. We often hear birds singing as we go about our lives, but have you ever wondered who they are singing to and what they are singing about?
On Alexis Wright: Writers on Writers, Geordie Williamson – 15 September
Alexis Wright is the most eminent and influential Indigenous creative writer of recent times. In this eloquent essay, noted critic Geordie Williamson reflects with deep insight on Wright’s powerful work.
Playtime: A History of Australian Childhood, Emily Gallagher – 15 September
A history of the childhood imagination in Australia between 1890 and the outbreak of World War II. It is a story about the generations that grew up at a time when nation and empire were being reimagined amid the globalising currents of war, technology and trade.
Beyond the Meeting of the Waters, Wayne Atkinson – 16 September
Yorta Yorta Elder Wayne Atkinson reflects on his journey of activism and role in education – sharing his personal story alongside partner Cathy Guinness, and shedding light on the power of Indigenous knowledge.
The Chosen Few: A quest to name the ten greatest Australian and New Zealand racehorses of all time, Andrew Rule – 23 September
Who are the greatest Australian race horses? And what qualifies them for this honour? Racing enthusiast and award winning writer Andrew Rule has the answers.
Growing Up Wombat, Josh Neille – 30 September
Josh Neille and his family care for animals doing it tough – joeys, emus and wombats battling. This is a book about growing up around creatures that need and offer love, care and kindness.
Boobs, Dr Lisa Portolan and Amanda Goff – 30 September
Boobs is a wide-ranging conversation about the human and social-historical journey of breasts, illustrated with personal anecdotes and perspectives from co-authors at opposite ends of the bust spectrum.
Read: Best new books published September 2025 in Australia
