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by Emeritus Professor Michael Jackson

Beginnings—In Aotearoa and Abroad is a fascinating account of Michael Jackson’s life as an anthropologist and writer. He talks about growing up in Aotearoa and returning over the years, his life with a growing family in Sierra Leone among the Kuranko people, and his musings on childhood, love, poetry, regeneration, changing friendships, yoga, and the beliefs, mythologies, and rituals of different cultures.

by Dr Stephen Henry Fox

This book is an invaluable resource for understanding the profound connections between culture, healthcare, and mortality. In a world where healthcare professionals—doctors, nurses, clients, patients, and staff—are increasingly engaging in cross-cultural interactions, this text equips readers with essential insights to navigate diverse beliefs and expectations surrounding health and treatment, particularly in moments of stress and vulnerability. While healthcare is often grounded in Euro-American belief systems, this book broadens the reader's perspective, offering essential tools to enhance intercultural understanding during health crises and end-of-life care. It empowers both patients and practitioners to adapt and collaborate, fostering better treatment outcomes by bridging cultural divides. Gaining this multicultural lens is not only crucial for healthcare and cross-cultural psychology but also for confronting the universal experience of mortality—our own and that of our loved ones.

by Rowan Simpson

Most startup advice is dangerously misguided. The mythology of the lone genius founder, the obsession with capital raising, and the theatre of startup ecosystems lead countless ventures astray.

Drawing on two decades at the heart of New Zealand's most successful technology companies—Trade Me, Xero, Vend and Timely—Rowan Simpson unravels the messy reality behind familiar glossy success stories. With raw honesty and sharp analysis, he challenges conventional wisdom by sharing compelling firsthand lessons about focused execution, team building and genuine ecosystem growth.

This myth-busting guide is essential reading for founders, investors and policymakers alike. Simpson demonstrates that embracing uncertainty, recognising patterns and learning quickly from mistakes are not just steps on the path to success—they are the path itself.

Sometimes the only way to be right is to get comfortable with being wrong.

by Kemuel DeMoville

When Maid Marian learns that she has to marry the objectionably evil and incompetent Sheriff of Nottingham, she and her ladies-in-waiting hatch a scheme to hold him at bay: Invent a band of outlaws running amok to keep the Sheriff busy. But what starts as a game of pretend soon blows up into the Sheriff hatching increasingly crazy schemes to catch the bandits, and Marian leading a double life as their leader: Robin Hood. That's right—it's the Robin Hood story as you've never seen it before, with mistaken identities, bumbling henchmen, wild and wacky sword fights and more than a little cross-dressing.

Find more play scrips for young audiences from Kemuel DeMoville here: Meet Our Authors | YouthPLAYS

by Alice Pearce

The saying ‘as quiet as a mouse’ does NOT apply to Ruby Loud Mouse.

Ruby finds it super tricky to stay SILENT in movies, to WHISPER in the library, or to keep QUIET on the school trip to the marae. In fact, Ruby is SO LOUD everyone is always telling her to ‘sssshhhh!’.

But when her village is under ATTACK from a ruru, Ruby learns that sometimes being LOUD is the best thing to be.

by Sarah Gallagher

In April 2018 the stars aligned and Sarah Gallagher, of the Dunedin Flat Names Project, and Dr Ian Chapman, Senior Lecturer in Performing Arts at the University of Otago, teamed up to create Scarfie Flats of Dunedin – a highly colourful and pictorial work featuring a fine, witty, sometimes edgy, selection of Dunedin’s well known and less well known named flats. Featuring a selection of back stories of flats, photos and associated ephemera, as well as chapters by subject matter experts, readers will appreciate the changing scene of student culture and society in Dunedin from the 1930s to the present.

by Duangchay Panyanouvong

How do we nurture our children’s emotional strength and well-being in a world of distractions and pressures? The Parent Guidebook is your roadmap to fostering deep, meaningful connections with your children. This book provides science-backed insights and real-life parenting strategies to help you raise emotionally resilient, mindful, and compassionate children.

Drawing from the principles of conscious parenting, Montessori education, and mindfulness, The Parent Guidebook equips parents with tools to handle challenges with empathy and intention. This guide empowers parents to build trust, resilience, and lasting bonds with their children through practical advice, powerful exercises, and real-world examples.

Whether you're navigating toddler tantrums or teenage challenges, this book is a trusted companion in your journey to raising well-rounded, emotionally intelligent children.

by John Dennett

Set in 2068 this dystopian novel follows the rise of Arif, a mysterious leader from the stateless peoples of the Mediterranean, as he instigates a stealth invasion on Southern Italy. Jeb Montalto, US Ranger Staff Sergeant, is sent with his Rangers to end the reign of a man who is seemingly willing to sacrifice everything in order to gain power.

What ensues is a powerful story that foresees the potential political, cultural and religious struggles of our future with a fascinating insight into Jeb’s internal conflict over his duties, ideals and heritage. Painfully relevant and beautifully written, Dennett’s novel is a unique and interesting interpretation of our current global uncertainties.

by Di Morris

Margaret and Elsie Balfour have been raised on a farm in South Canterbury in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The sisters' lives diverge when Elsie leaves for the United Kingdom to study medicine at Edinburgh University. As the eldest, Margaret remains at home, taking on the expected role of caring for her many siblings. When tragedy strikes, the trajectory of both of the sisters' lives is changed forever.

Beautifully illustrated and accompanied with family photographs and historical ephemera, The Writing Desk highlights the daily trials and societal prejudices that women faced in the colonial era and offers a fascinating comparison to contemporary gender imbalances young women are still challenged by today.

by Jude Sclater

A short, impactful guide that brings the power of coaching to the fingertips of every manager. Jude Sclater’s model, the Coaching Two-Step, shows managers how to take skills they already have—listening and asking questions—to guide their team members to discover their own solutions. This approach not only drives performance but also builds a culture of trust and empowerment.

With over a decade of experience coaching managers in organisations such as Deloitte, Mars and bp, Sclater explains coaching to managers in a way that doesn’t talk down to them. Instead, she uses stories and anecdotes from her own career to gently encourage the reader to give coaching a go.

Think Like a Coach will fast become a critical resource, equipping managers with the skills needed to create a supportive, high-performing team environment.