In Forms of Freedom Dougal McNeill explores how the creative literary imagination can influence progressive social change in the real world. In engaging prose and with impressive intellectual range, McNeill applies insights from Marxist critical theory to the works of selected Aotearoa New Zealand and Australian writers. From Harry Holland, Henry Lawson and Mary Gilmore responding to the legacy of Robert Burns in the nineteenth century, to twenty-first-century novelists applying their literary imaginations to intersectional spaces and Indigenous, settler, gendered and international freedom traditions, McNeill reveals literature’s capacity to find potent forms with which to articulate concepts of, and beliefs about, freedom. McNeill’s argument for literature as an essential ‘form of freedom’ is a resonant call for our times. Incorporating discussion of work by 13 authors from both sides of the Tasman, Forms of Freedom is an essential book for students and researchers of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australian literature. Authors whose work is discussed in Forms of Freedom include: Pip Adam; Mary Gilmore; Patricia Grace; Dorothy Hewett; Harry Holland; Eve Langley; Henry Lawson; Amanda Lohrey; Elsie Locke; Emily Perkins; Alice Tawhai; Hone Tuwhare; Ellen van Neerven; Albert Wendt.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 248

Dimensions: 150 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 15-08-2024

The Living Wage means thriving, not just surviving. Lyndy McIntyre’s Power to Win tells the story of the living wage movement in Aotearoa New Zealand. The living wage movement is grounded in the fundamental belief that all New Zealanders should be paid enough to meet their needs, enjoy their lives and participate in society. Yet, from the 1980s, with the gap between rich and poor growing and poverty increasing, more and more workers could no longer afford to aspire to this quality of life. The question of how to rectify resultant social inequities was becoming urgent. In Power to Win, McIntyre documents the history of the Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand from these roots to the present day. This is the story of the movement’s efforts to lift the wages of the most disadvantaged people in our workforce – women, Māori, Pacific Peoples, migrants and refugees, and young workers. McIntyre provides a window into the lives of these workers and those committed to ending in-work poverty: the activists, faith groups, unions and community organisations who come together to tilt the axis of power from employers to low-wage workers. Power to Win is the record of an extraordinarily successful movement. It is a celebration of hope and an inspiring read. This book shows that communities have power and that change can happen.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 285

Dimensions: 150 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 04-07-2024

Ro, ro, the rattlin’ bog, the bog down in the valley-o! Joining Barefoot’s singalong collection, this rollicking traditional Irish tune sung by a traditional Irish band explores an Irish peat bog where a rattlin’ (Irish slang for “wonderful”) tree contains a rattlin’ nest, which contains a rattlin’ egg, which contains a rattlin’ bird . . . all the way down to a seed of a brand-new rattlin’ tree. Includes notes on Irish peat bogs and the creatures that live there, as well as plant and animal life cycles.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 24

Dimensions: 254 x 247 mm

Publication Date: 01-04-2024

When at last Mars flickers, and the owl begins to hoot, Sofia and her family venture into a dazzling summer night filled with firefly light. Sofia and her siblings can hardly wait for nightfall - Sofia hopes to fill a jar with fireflies! When at last Mars flickers, and the owl begins to hoot, Sofia and her family venture into a dazzling summer night where firefly light is like a glittering galaxy. Lyrical text and gorgeous collage artwork are supplemented by informative endmatter on finding fireflies and protecting their habitats.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 32

Dimensions: 254 x 247 mm

Publication Date: 01-04-2024

In this thrilling original fable, a young starling learns the value of community when a hawk comes hunting. Star the starling wants to sing all by himself so that everyone will look at his beautiful feathers . . . but when a hawk comes hunting, Star discovers that there's more strength and power in community than in being alone. This thrilling original fable about why starlings flock in murmurations and why their wings have speckles will draw readers in again and again.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 32

Dimensions: 216 x 273 mm

Publication Date: 01-04-2024

Dump Truck Daisy and her construction vehicle crew are on a secret nighttime mission — build a playground before sunrise! Detailed endnotes provide additional information about construction vehicles and inclusive playgrounds. Vibrant artwork and a catchy disco tune and animation make this a stellar choice for any child who is fascinated by construction vehicles. QR code includes access to an animated singalong of the book.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 32

Dimensions: 247 x 255 mm

New Zealand Railways At Night seeks to redress a void in our written history, covering the night railway as experienced in the period from the mid-1920s through to 1982 when the Government railway was corporatised, a period when many New Zealanders’ chose the railway as their principal form of transport. This was a time when most of the night travel was endured sitting upright on firm non-reclinable seats. Refreshment room stops caused a minor disruption in the darkened carriage as some travellers unable to sleep sought comfort in food, or simply stretched their legs on the platform, while others more fortunate slumbered on… It is occasions like that which images in the book evoke memories of. Converse to the night railway view by the travelling public, featured also is the night railway endured by the railway shift worker, exposing a life at work after dark. Images “in the dark” create a sense of mystique, as it is sometimes not just what is highlighted in the images, but equally what lurks in the darkened background. Considered by many as an “art book”, with 239 photographs, the majority presented full-size, this book is a visual treat.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 256

Dimensions: 285 x 215 mm

Publication Date: 13-05-2024

A spectacular re-telling of this classic story in six gorgeous pop-up and novelty scenes. Tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice, accompany her to the Mad Hatter's tea party and see the Cheshire Cat grin.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 12

Dimensions: 276 x 276 mm

Publication Date: 01-03-2024

The book also contains a light cardboard fold-out carefully tucked in the back page with more information on the seasons and the names of all the plants and animals. A "Can you spot ...?" box on each season encourages children to look at all the details in each scene.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 8

Dimensions: 246 x 372 mm

Publication Date: 01-04-2024

An action-packed overview of the Age of Dinosaurs arranged chronologically from the rise of reptiles in the early Triassic to the catastrophic event that ended dinosaur life at the end of the Cretaceous. The 3D illustrations are so realistic it's like stepping back in time!

Bind: hardback

Pages: 160

Dimensions: 230 x 287 mm

Publication Date: 01-12-2023