All posts by Editor-in-Chief

Exciting new acquisition

17 October, 2017 Editor-in-Chief 3 Comments

MidnightSun acquires debut novel Beneath the Mother Tree

MidnightSun has acquired world rights to playwright and radio dramatist D M Cameron’s debut novel Beneath the Mother Tree for publication in 2018.

Beneath the Mother Tree is a ‘fast-paced’ mystery and love story set in an Australian town similar to the one in which Cameron grew up, and uses Indigenous and Irish mythology to create a spiritual subtext.

‘We are thrilled to have won the rights to this exciting novel, which generated a great deal of interest as a manuscript,’ said MidnightSun publishing director Anna Solding. ‘There were several other publishing contracts on the table, and we had to fight for this book!’

Solding said she sees ‘potential’ for the novel in the international market. ‘We anticipate Beneath the Mother Tree will garner interest overseas, with its Australian setting, contemporary love story and universal themes,’ said Solding. ‘We will be taking it to both London and Frankfurt Book Fairs.’

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Plane Tree Drive

26 September, 2017 Editor-in-Chief 4 Comments

by Lynette Washington

Peer through the windows and doors on Plane Tree Drive to find a streetscape that is humorous, heartbreaking, real and surreal. Here, the loneliness of domestic isolation and the joy of connection weave together to form an interlaced map of suburban life.

‘With each story in this complex fresco, layers are peeled away and others added, slowly revealing a delicate portrait of hurts and hopes, vulnerability and strength. Plane Tree Drive is a stunning and sensitive exploration of people, place and relationships.’
–Michelle Wright, author of Fine

Continue reading Plane Tree Drive →

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Crush

23 August, 2017 Editor-in-Chief 6 Comments

Edited by Simone Corletto, Amy T. Matthews, Jess M. Miller and Lynette Washington

Bursting with affection, wit, loss, sex and a whole lot of love, the authors in this collection face the burning beauty of love and write of both the blaze and the ashes left behind. Crush will quicken the pulses of cynics and believers alike as it reimagines everything that makes the heart leap.

‘A delicious and captivating look at love in all its wonderful and varied forms. I’d love to read more from these fresh voices!’
–Rachael Johns

Continue reading Crush →

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Papa Sky

18 July, 2017 Editor-in-Chief 1 Comment

by Jane Jolly and Sally Heinrich

HB 32 | 300 x 250 | ISBN 9781925227291
$27.99 | Picture book
MidnightSun Publishing | October 2017
Distributed by NewSouth Books

Another stunning picture book from the
award-winning team who brought you One
Step at a Time, Honour Book in the CBCA
Awards 2016.

Papa Sky sits where earth meets sky, until one night the wind blows him down, down, down through the cloud forest, where he lands with a bump.

What will happen next? Who will help him? Continue reading Papa Sky →

Books, Reviews

Wild Gestures wins Saboteur Award

16 May, 2017 Editor-in-Chief Leave a comment

The MidnightSun team would like to congratulate Lucy Durneen on her win for best short story collection at the Saboteur Awards in the UK. We are so proud of her and of the collection, Wild Gestures, that is finding enthusiastic readers around the globe. Such wonderful news!

http://sabotagereviews.com/2017/05/14/saboteur-awards-2017-the-results/

Hear what the award voters had to say about Wild Gestures:

Lucy’s work is nothing less than exceptional. Her words and content take my breath away. She is also a hard working full-time academic, single-mother of four, who somehow still finds the time to dream and write. This alone should be worthy of an award.
Lucy’s collection is a tremendous work of humanity at its best and worst, its strongest and most vulnerable. Every story is packed with beautiful, unexpected and original imagery — to the point of enabling the reader to perceive a fresh perspective on their own life predicaments. This is a rare achievement in recent times and must be recognised and commended in the wider arena.
Because this is one off the most exquisite short story collections ever published. It is funny, sad, tender, cheeky, insightful and so, so clever. Lucy Durneen may be a new star in the literature hall-of-fame but she is certainly there to stay.

Books, Launches

King of the Outback Book Launch

15 May, 2017 Editor-in-Chief Leave a comment

MidnightSun launched Kristin Weidenbach‘s and Timothy Ide‘s gorgeous picture book King of the Outback yesterday. The hall was packed, the speech by Dyan Blacklock was strong and supportive, but most importantly the vibe was great! So many friendly faces in the crowd, many of them friends from the writing community. Thank you so much for once again supporting a local writer and publisher. Without you, there would be no books!

Books, Reviews

A Beautiful Review of Olivia’s Voice

11 May, 2017 Editor-in-Chief Leave a comment

‘Stunning, evocative, thought-provoking.’

Another amazing review for Olivia’s Voice. Congratulations Mike and Jennifer!
It doesn’t really get much better than that.

http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/?s=OLIVIA%27S+VOICE

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A Cardboard Palace

4 April, 2017 Editor-in-Chief 3 Comments

by Allayne L. Webster

Jorge lives in a shanty town on the outskirts of Paris. Bill, a controller, has an army of child thieves at his command—and Jorge is one of them.

But soon Jorge faces an even bigger threat. His home is to be bulldozed. Where will Jorge sleep? What will happen to his Continue reading A Cardboard Palace →

Author

Timothy Ide

31 March, 2017 Editor-in-Chief Leave a comment

Timothy Ide is an Adelaide-based illustrator. He is best known locally for his work as a sketch artist for the TV News, capturing some of South Australia’s most notorious cases over the last thirty years.

Timothy has also illustrated a number of children’s books, one of which, Tom the Outback Mailman written by Kristin Weidenbach and published by Hachette in 2012 won the Eve Pownall CBCA award in 2013. His most recent children’s books are Continue reading Timothy Ide →

Author

Jennifer Harrison

31 March, 2017 Editor-in-Chief Leave a comment

Jennifer Harrison lives in Adelaide with her son Nathaniel. Since leaving university she has worked as a graphic designer, commercial artist and art director. Her illustrations have been commissioned for book covers, magazines and packaging for overseas and local markets and she has exhibited in Adelaide galleries.

MidnightSun published her children’s book Olivia’s Voice in March 2017 and Vanishing in November 2018, both written by Mike Lucas.

Author

Mike Lucas

31 March, 2017 Editor-in-Chief Leave a comment

Mike Lucas is the author of several collections of humorous poetry for children and has had work published in anthologies and literary magazines. Originally from the UK, he now lives in Adelaide, where he works as an engineer and runs an independent book store with his wife, Becky. He has a passion for encouraging children to use imagination and creativity to produce original stories and poetry.

MidnightSun published his children’s book Olivia’s Voice in March 2017 and Vanishing in November 2018, both beautifully illustrated by Jennifer Harrison.

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Olivia’s Voice

8 March, 2017 Editor-in-Chief Leave a comment

written by Mike Lucas,
Illustrated by Jennifer Harrison

HB 32 | 210 x 297 | ISBN: 9781925227192
$26.99 | Picture book
MidnightSun Publishing | March 2017
Distributed by NewSouth Books

Today, like all days, Olivia wakes to a silent world. Outside her window, birds dance upon the branches of the giant gum tree. She follows the delicious smell of breakfast downstairs, walks to school with her friends and is greeted by her favourite teachers. In the music room, everyone knows which instrument she will choose. Continue reading Olivia’s Voice →

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King of the Outback

8 March, 2017 Editor-in-Chief 1 Comment

From the award-winning writer/illustrator team who brought you Tom the Outback Mailman.

by Kristin Weidenbach,
Illustrated by Timothy Ide

HB 32 | 260 x 290 | ISBN 9781925227246
$26.99 | Non-fiction picture book
MidnightSun Publishing | May 2017
Distributed by NewSouth Books

Sidney Kidman runs away from home at thirteen and travels to the outback on a one-eyed horse. He finds stray cows in the scrub, swims across rivers by hanging on to a bullock’s tail and dreams of having the biggest herd of cattle in Australia.

Many years later, when the workers on Sid’s cattle station organise a giant rodeo for Sid’s birthday party the cattle from the bush take fright in the city. People panic and horses bolt. Can the Kidman stockmen save the day? Continue reading King of the Outback →

Author

Allayne Webster

8 March, 2017 Editor-in-Chief Leave a comment

Allayne Webster is Adelaide-based Children’s and Young Adult Fiction author who grew up in rural South Australia. Her middle-grade title Paper Planes was a 2016 Children’s Book Council Notable Book and shortlisted for the 2016 Adelaide Festival Awards for Children’s Literature. Allayne is the author of two Young Adult novels (plus a third with Penguin Random House – released in Feb 2018) and the author of two Junior Fiction novels with Omnibus Scholastic. Allayne is also the proud recipient of three South Australian Arts Grants. She travelled to Paris in 2010, and suitably inspired, she wrote A Cardboard Palace.

Uncategorized

Happy Birthday to us!

9 February, 2017 Editor-in-Chief Leave a comment

MidnightSun is turning five!

From our humble beginnings, with Anna Solding’s The Hum of Concrete in 2012, we have grown to one of the largest publishers in South Australia, publishing everything from picture books to adult literary fiction. So many people have helped along the way: designers, writers, illustrators, editors and readers. 2017 looks to be an incredibly exciting year with at least seven books published. It’s our Year of Stories so three of them will be short story collections, beginning with Lucy Durneen’s exquisite Wild Gestures. To thank you all for your support, we are having our first ever sale. We’d like to offer all our books at 20% discount from 9-11 February 2017. Don’t hesitate. Just go to our web shop and put in the coupon code HappyBirthday.

MidnightSun acquires debut novel Beneath the Mother Tree

Publishing Brilliance