Ten 2021 books deserving a spot in the sun

As you compile your summer reading list, here are some underrated Australian books published in 2021.
An open book on a table with a cup of coffee and reading glasses

Every year thousands of Australian books are published so it’s easy for many worthy titles to be left in the shade when they are released alongside blazing blockbuster authors. Here then, are some handpicked new books you may have missed across the literary spectrum that deserve a longer time to bask in the sun.

An email from Pamela in Australia to her ex-husband in Paris accidentally ends up in the inbox of New York State teacher Chrisanthi (Chris). The two women decide to carry on communicating regardless. From Where I Fell explores the complexities of motherhood, family, neighbourhood and career in purely epistolary form. The book is warm, wise and utterly compelling.

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Thuy On is the former Reviews and Literary Editor of ArtsHub and an arts journalist, critic and poet who’s written for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Sydney Review of Books, The Australian, The Age/SMH and Australian Book Review. She was the Books Editor of The Big Issue for 8 years and a former Melbourne theatre critic correspondent for The Australian. She has three collections of poetry published by the University of Western Australian Press (UWAP): Turbulence (2020), Decadence (2022) and Essence (2025). Threads: @thuy_on123 Instagram: poemsbythuy