Books published by publisher Black Inc.

When my dad dropped us off at the front gate, the first things I saw were the rose garden spreading out on either side of the main driveway and the enormous sign in iron cursive letters spelling out LAURINDA. No “Ladies College” after it, of course; the name was meant to speak for itself.Laurinda is an exclusive school for girls. At its secret core is the Cabinet, a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates - and some of their teachers.Entering this world of wealth and secrets is Lucy Lam, a scholarship girl with sharp eyes and a shaky sense of self. As she watches the Cabinet at work, and is courted by them, Lucy finds herself in a battle for her identity and integrity. Funny, feisty and moving, Laurinda explores Lucy’s struggle to stay true to herself as she finds her way in a new world of privilege and opportunity.Winner of the Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature: 2016 NSW Premier's Literary AwardsShortlisted in the 2015 Indie Awards, 2015 Inky Awards, 2015 Australian Book Industry Awards, 2016 Barbara Jefferis Award, and the 2017 Young Australians Best Book Awards (YABBA). Longlisted for the 2015 Stella Prize.Notable Book of the Year for Older Readers, Children's Book Council of Australia 2015 ‘Biting yet compassionate’ —Books of the Year, Australian Book Review‘Alice Pung totally nails it with Laurinda. Funny, horrifying, and sharp as a serpent’s fangs.’ —John Marsden‘Pung continues to impress with her nuanced storytelling; Laurinda will surely resonate with anyone who remembers the cliquey, hierarchical nature of the playground.’ —Sunday Age‘A candid and powerful exploration of family, culture and class … it is those of us who take our fortune and privilege for granted that I wish would read this powerful book.’ —Readings Monthly‘In her debut novel [Pung] successfully dramatizes the high stakes when an impoverished Chinese girl is parachuted into the private system … Pung’s forceful writing reveals the diverse and often difficult lives of her immigrant compatriots too often hidden away from us by masks of discretion.’ —The Age‘Based loosely on Pung’s own experiences, the book has an unmissable ring of truth to it, making it all the more compelling and horrifying.’ —Sydney Morning Herald“Schoolgirl Lucy Lam was one of this year’s best characters – smart, hardworking and brave. Pung tackles big issues with a light touch.’ —Herald Sun

Jellyfish have been swimming in our oceans for over half a billion years, longer than any other animal that lives on the planet. Their sting is the fastest known motion in the animal kingdom, their venom so toxic it can kill a human in three minutes. Made of roughly 95 percent water, some jellies are barely perceptible virtuosos of disguise, while others’ luminescent glow has revolutionized biotechnology. Yet until recently, jellyfish were largely ignored by science, and they remain among the most poorly understood of ocean dwellers.Over a decade ago, ocean scientist Juli Berwald left her career to raise a family in landlocked Austin, Texas, but jellyfish drew her back to the sea. Driven by questions about how overfishing, coastal development, and climate change were contributing to a jellyfish population explosion that has caused millions of dollars of damage, Juli embarked on a scientific odyssey that took her across the globe. She met the biologists who devote their careers to jellies, hitched rides on Japanese fishing boats to see giant jellyfish in the wild, raised jellyfish in her dining room, and throughout it all marveled at the complexity of these alluring and ominous biological wonders.Gracefully blending personal memoir with crystal-clear distillations of science, Spineless is the story of how Juli learned to navigate and ultimately embrace her ambition, her curiosity, and her passion for the natural world. She discovers that jellyfish science is a call to realize our collective responsibility for the planet we share.‘Captivating and informative.’—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review‘In this astonishing adventure of a book, Juli Berwald takes us on a personal journey into the enchanting and mystifying aqueous world of jellyfish, and in so doing, sheds light on the vital ecological balances upon which our own survival depends.’ —Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being‘Berwald uncovers many fascinating aspects of jellyfish behaviour, including the fact that they are the most efficient swimmers ever discovered.’—Tim Flannery‘This thoroughly engaging book turned my old horror into wonderment and by its end into something close to love and awe.’—Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk‘In this lovely exploration of the mysterious jellyfish, Berwald both entrances and sounds a warning: pay attention to the messages sent by ocean life, and act to protect their environment, and ours.’ —Kirkus

How to solve the world’s trickiest political problems?In Reframe, Eric Knight explains how a change of focus can reveal a solution that was lying just outside your frame of vision. From terrorism to global warming, from border security to high finance, he brings a new perspective that is both exhilarating and useful.Why can’t we eliminate terrorism by killing terrorists?Why can’t we learn anything about climate change by talking about the weather?Why can’t we resolve immigration tensions by building higher fences?And what do fishermen in Turkey have to teach us about international relations?This is an optimistic, lucid and original book by a brilliant young Australian thinker.‘Eric Knight asks us to apply a different lens when looking at some of our trickiest problems. And by doing so we do indeed find new solutions. Great insight and intriguing reading.’ —Hans-Paul Bürkner, President and CEO, Boston Consulting Group‘The extraordinary breadth and depth of Knight’s knowledge, and the scale of his insights, place Reframe in the rarefied company of books like Blink, The Black Swan and Freakonomics.’ —Lev Grossman, senior writer, Time Magazine‘This is one of those books that’s exciting if you agree with it, but even more exciting if you don’t. Eric Knight is provoking us to consider not just what we think, but how we think.’ —Waleed Aly‘Not only is it well written and entertaining, but Reframe turns conventional thinking on its head and leaves one asking, what if?’ —David Gonski AC‘Reframe is written in a positive, fresh voice that is accessible to a wide audience, including those new to politics.’ —Bookseller+Publisher‘Knight is an accomplished writer, not just logical and lucid but also consistently interesting and challenging,’ —The Age‘An original and vital contribution to understanding politics’ —Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist‘A lucid, wide-ranging argument for counter-intuitive thinking.’ —Sun Herald

Rosie and Nona are sisters. Yapas.They are also best friends. It doesn’t matter that Rosie is white and Nona is Aboriginal: their family connections tie them together for life.The girls are inseparable until Nona moves away at the age of nine. By the time she returns, they’re in Year 10 and things have changed. Rosie prefers to hang out in the nearby mining town, where she goes to school with the glamorous Selena and her gorgeous older brother, Nick.When a political announcement highlights divisions between the Aboriginal community and the mining town, Rosie is put in a difficult position: will she have to choose between her first love and her oldest friend?Winner, Book of the Year: 2016 NT Literary AwardsHighly commended, Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards for Writing for Young AdultsLonglisted, 2015 Inky AwardsHonour Book, 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia, Book of the Year for Older ReaderShortlisted, 2016 Territory Read Award‘A powerful coming-of-age story … Atkins writes with clear-eyed sensitivity, and although I longed to hear Nona’s voice, its absence is deliberate and effective. Nona & Me is poignant young-adult fiction invoking the complex and often overlooked realities of remote indigenous life.’ —Sydney Morning Herald‘[Clare Atkins] wrestles with some of this country's most hotly debated political issues with a rare lightness of touch. [Nona & Me is] a convincing portrait of a naive but feverish first love, friendships waxing and waning, and the clash between fitting in and sticking to your values. Above all, there's a warmth and optimism that's hard to resist.’ —Sunday Age‘This [is a] powerful, beautifully contoured story of cross-cultural friendship.’ —The Weekend Australian

From the award-winning author of Nona & Me comes a stunning new novel about two teenagers separated by cultural differences, their parents’ expectations and twenty kilometres of barbed-wire fence.Is it possible for two very different teenagers to fall in love despite high barbed-wire fences and a political wilderness between them?Anahita is passionate, curious and determined. She is also an Iranian asylum seeker who is only allowed out of detention to attend school. On weekdays, during school hours, she can be a ‘regular Australian girl’.Jono needs the distraction of an infatuation. In the past year his mum has walked out, he’s been dumped and his sister has moved away. Lost and depressed, Jono feels as if he’s been left behind with his Vietnamese single father, Kenny.Kenny is struggling to work out the rules in his new job; he recently started work as a guard at the Wickham Point Detention Centre. He tells Anahita to look out for Jono at school, but quickly comes to regret this, spiraling into suspicion and mistrust. Who is this girl, really? What is her story? Is she a genuine refugee or a queue jumper? As Jono and Anahita grow closer, Kenny starts snooping behind the scenes … ‘An urgent, compelling and transcendent love story of our times.’ —Alice Pung‘I want everyone to read this book right now.’ —Fiona Wood‘A beautiful, raw and timely book.’ —Melina MarchettaClare Atkins has worked as a scriptwriter for many successful television series, including All Saints and Home and Away. Her debut novel, Nona and Me, won the 2016 Book of the Year in the NT Literary Awards, and was shortlisted for the 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards, longlisted for the 2015 Inky Awards, and highly commended for the 2015 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.

An eye-opening and essential tour of the vanishing worldWhat if Atlantis wasn't a myth, but an early precursor to a new age of great flooding? Across the globe, scientists and civilians alike are noticing rapidly rising sea levels, and higher and higher tides pushing more water directly into the places we live, from our most vibrant, historic cities to our last remaining traditional coastal villages. With each crack in the great ice sheets of the Arctic and Antarctica, and each tick upwards of Earth's thermometer, we are moving closer to the brink of broad disaster.By century's end, hundreds of millions of people will be retreating from the world's shores as our coasts become inundated and our landscapes transformed. From island nations to the world's major cities, coastal regions will disappear. Engineering projects to hold back the water are bold and may buy some time. Yet despite international efforts and tireless research, there is no permanent solution – no barriers to erect or walls to build – that will protect us in the end from the drowning of the world as we know it.The Water Will Come is the definitive account of the coming water, why and how this will happen, and what it will all mean. As he travels across twelve countries and reports from the front lines, acclaimed journalist Jeff Goodell employs fact, science, and first-person, on-the-ground journalism to show vivid scenes from what already is becoming a water world.

Between Us is the story of two teenagers – Jono and Anahita – falling in love for the first time. There’s just one thing standing between them: twenty kilometres of barbed wire fence. Anahita lives in the Wickham Point Immigration Detention Centre, where asylum seekers are detained while they wait to be ‘processed’ by the Australian government. The two teenagers meet at Darwin High School. Anahita travels from Wickham Point to school each day, passing through metal detectors, checkpoints and enduring multiple roll calls on the detention centre bus. Jono has no idea about any of this. All he knows is that there’s a beautiful new girl with dark eyes, who keeps looking over in his direction ... is it possible she likes him? Between Us is a playful and bittersweet novel about starting a new romance with someone whose life circumstances are miles from yours. Jono is athletic, musical and self-assured. He sees himself as 100% Australian, despite his Vietnamese heritage. He’s had girls keen on him before and hasn’t been interested ... but Anahita is different. He doesn’t know that she lives in a three by three metre room with her mother, and shares a bunk bed with her younger brother. He doesn’t know that she has to participate in activities to earn credits to buy a phone card to call him for half an hour. Or that she’s allocated an hour of internet time a day, with guards patrolling behind her to make sure she’s only doing homework. And she doesn’t want to tell him either. She wants to try to maintain the feeling of having something special, something secret, between them. It’s one area of her life in which she can pretend to be relatively normal ... but for how long?

“The stories in this anthology are special because they capture the school experience with rare authenticity. These are not adults writing about teenagers, but real young adult writers.” —Alice PungAward-winning author Alice Pung has selected 25 diverse stories written by high school students inspired by her bestselling YA novel, Laurinda. The collection features an impressive range of genres by exciting new voices, exploring themes as varied as intergenerational friendship, cultural identity, bullying and heartbreak. From epiphanies on an African safari to trying to cope with the death of a parent, from a prank gone wrong to finding love in unexpected places, the stories in My First Lesson are vivid and imaginative, funny and surprising, poetic and moving.Alice Pung is the author of Unpolished Gem, Her Father’s Daughter and the editor of the anthology Growing Up Asian in Australia. Her first novel, Laurinda, won the Ethel Turner Prize at the 2016 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

When my dad dropped us off at the front gate, the first things I saw were the rose garden spreading out on either side of the main driveway and the enormous sign in iron cursive letters spelling out LAURINDA. No "Ladies College" after it, of course; the name was meant to speak for itself. Laurinda is an exclusive school for girls. At its secret core is the Cabinet, a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates - and some of their teachers. Entering this world of wealth and secrets is Lucy Lam, a scholarship girl with sharp eyes and a shaky sense of self. As she watches the Cabinet at work, and is courted by them, Lucy finds herself in a battle for her identity and integrity. Funny, feisty and moving, Laurinda explores Lucy's struggle to stay true to herself as she finds her way in a new world of privilege and opportunity. "Alice Pung totally nails it with Laurinda. Funny, horrifying, and sharp as a serpent's fangs."-John Marsden

Rosie and Nona are sisters. Yapas.They are also best friends. It doesn’t matter that Rosie is white and Nona is Aboriginal: their family connections tie them together for life.The girls are inseparable until Nona moves away at the age of nine. By the time she returns, they’re in Year 10 and things have changed. Rosie prefers to hang out in the nearby mining town, where she goes to school with the glamorous Selena and her gorgeous older brother, Nick.When a political announcement highlights divisions between the Aboriginal community and the mining town, Rosie is put in a difficult position: will she have to choose between her first love and her oldest friend?

Meet Harriet, the giant Galapagos tortoise who turns 175 years old this year! When Harriet was discovered by Charles Darwin in 1835 when he visited the Galapagos Islands, she was the size of a dinner plate. Now she is as large as a table! Darwin was so fascinated by this strange creature that he packed her into a box and took her with him to England. Studying Harriet’s appearance and eating habits helped Darwin formulate his daring theory of evolution. But he soon found that he couldn’t keep her in frosty London forever. She needed sunshine! So, Harriet travelled oceans and highways before finally finding a permanent home at Australia Zoo on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

A former ocean scientist goes in pursuit of the slippery story of jellyfish, rediscovering her passion for marine science and the sea’s imperilled ecosystems. Jellyfish are an enigma. They have no centralised brain, but they see and feel and react to their environment in complex ways. They look simple, yet their propulsion systems are so advanced that engineers are just learning how to mimic them. They produce some of the deadliest toxins on the planet and still remain undeniably alluring. Long ignored by science, they may be a key to ecosystem stability. In Spineless, Berwald’s desire to understand jellyfish takes her on a scientific odyssey. She travels the globe to meet the scientists who devote their careers to jellies; hitches rides on Japanese fishing boats to see giant jellyfish in the wild; raises jellyfish in her dining room; and throughout it all marvels at the complexity of these fascinating and ominous biological wonders. Gracefully blending personal memoir with crystal-clear distillations of science, Spineless reveals that jellyfish are a bellwether for the damage we’re inflicting on the climate and the oceans and a call to realise our collective responsibility for the planet we share.