An illuminating tour through the native sea creatures of Aotearoa, by the bestselling author of The Meaning of Trees.

Secrets of the Sea is a fascinating introduction to New Zealand's fish and shellfish, weaving together history, biology and culture to reveal how these unique and intriguing creatures have shaped our lives. Ranging from sandy shores and rocky reefs to the open ocean and its cavernous depths, Robert Vennell celebrates the magic and mystery of the world beneath the waves.​
'Steeped in history and tradition, Secrets of the Sea is a standout ... gorgeously illustrated, and with stunning photography, Secrets of the Sea is a resplendent unravelling of the mysteries surrounding some of the incredible inhabitants of Aotearoa waters' Jo Lucre, Wellington Regional News
'Secrets of the Sea is a treasury of interesting facts, beautiful photography and remarkable prose. Beyond the luscious illustrations is a perfect blend of science, history and mātauranga Māori that gives the text depth and relevance and reveals in fascinating (and urgent) ways the interconnectedness of the human and extra human world. Visually compelling and hugely accessible, this impactful book will delight the marine biologist, sea aficionado and general reader alike.' New Zealand Book Awards Trust, Ockham shortlist for Best Illustrated Book of Nonfiction

First up: this is absolutely not a guide to life. I've done some impressive stuff, but I've also slept on the floor of an old Greek man's house and lost my dignity in the Brunei jungle. I say yes to everything this life has to offer - I'm from the 'women can have it all' club - and, boy, have I got the stories to show for it. From surf-lifesaving to a hungover Army deployment, being broke with a gum infection in Europe, spooning Richie McCaw on a mountain, improvising make-up for Paul Holmes, running my first ultra-marathon and reinventing myself after redundancy: every wild, brilliant and hilarious experience has taught me something new. Whether it's how not to care about being judged, how to fake it till you make it, how to throw yourself into the unknown or how to push through the pit of despair, I've come to love that we are all works in progress. If I fail from time to time, that's okay too. Open the book of this open book (me). I want to show you the raw, the real and the vulnerable of a full-volume life and how the greatest moments - or at the very least the greatest yarns - come about by just giving it a crack.

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For much of his life, Mike McRoberts felt burdened by not knowing his own language - te reo Māori. Growing up at a time when te reo was scarcely spoken in daily conversations, and within a mixed-race family with little connection to Māoritanga, his experience mirrored that of many other New Zealanders of his generation. In later years, as a journalist and presenter of Newshub's six o'clock news, his confident television persona masked the anxiety he felt greeting viewers with the simple phrase, 'Kia ora, good evening'. Not being comfortable speaking his language was a source of shame - a shame that ironically kept him from starting his te reo journey sooner. In Speaking My Language / Kōrero i Tōku Reo Mike shares his story of that journey to speak te reo Māori and reclaim his identity. His book is an invitation for all New Zealanders to take the first step to understand why speaking our Māori language and treasuring our culture matters.

From a childhood in rural Piopio, Jenny-May Coffin grew up to achieve international success as a Silver Fern and then began a stellar career on radio and television as a sports commentator and morning presenter. But outward success can often mask inner uncertainty, and Jenny-May lost her grip on the confidence her ten-year-old self possessed. The ups and downs of a full life, with tragedies as well as triumphs, left her in need of renewal. Here is the story of how she found self-confidence again, reclaiming strength and identity through her connections to te ao Māori, with the support of her husband, Dean Clarkson, and her close ties to her parents and siblings.

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FREEDOM’s EDGE - This true story is a personal account of a young woman photographer’s journey and imprisonment in Afghanistan, at a pivotal moment in history— A rebel, artist, eager to see beyond the shores of her home - New Zealand- , at the beginning of young Victoria’s journey into Afghanistan in February of 1978, the country – a breath-taking array of mountains, valleys, deserts, and home to a peoples' whose cultural, religious footprint dated back 50,000 years BC – was a mecca for travelers of every ilk. Ruled by the dictator, Daoud, the Country was seemingly at peace and prospering. Had Daoud upheld the maxim of his exiled cousin, King Zahir Shah (and that of predecessors) of ‘the right to freedom and dignity for every individual’– two hundred years of Afghanistan’s internal peace might have continued, and Afghanistan retained its position as one of the world’s MUST VISIT cultural and world-wonder destinations to this day. As it was, the Dictator suppressed democratic freedoms, while playing dice with two ambitious Superpowers -the USSR and USA – eager to find a chink in Afghanistan’s amour. This is the subjective story of a 'sensitive's' extraordinary experience in a country where (quote) 'legend speaks of a concentration of knowledge or mystery held within its land and peoples'...

'Part memoir and part masterclass in finding hope and joy in the face of unthinkable challenges. This isn't a book about cancer, it's a book about living.' - Jaquie Brown Dai Henwood wanted to be a comedian even before he knew what a comedian was. He always knew there was something special in being able to make people laugh - even when the world goes dark. In January 2023 Dai shared publicly that three years earlier he had been diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. Perhaps the ultimate teacher for what really matters, his incurable cancer has shown him a new way of living that embraces small moments of perfection and cherishes things we often overlook. As well as showing us how laughter can be a wonderful medicine - and there are many laughs in his book - he teaches us that often the gifts we've been searching for are right in front of us, if only we could see them.

A guide to the spectacular oddities of the New Zealand forest, by the bestselling author of The Meaning of Trees and Secrets of the Sea
Deep in the forest, in places you would never think to look, are some of the most remarkable creatures. Overlooked and unsung, this is the forgotten forest: a world of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms and giant mosses, where slime moulds travel the forest in search of prey and ancient lichens live for thousands of years. 
Join bestselling author Robert Vennell on a walk through this fantastical forest, wandering through tales from history, science, and spirituality in search of these weird and wonderful species. Filled with beautiful historical artworks and illustrations, The Forgotten Forest is a celebration of the little things that pass us by and will forever transform a simple walk in the bush.

In my family, we never talked about the past... Since the age of twelve, Alison Mau wanted to be a journalist just like her dad. A beer-swilling, straight-talking man who was rough around the edges but could quote passages of Hamlet at will, he taught Ali everything from rabbit-hunting to throwing a punch and crafting a sharp sentence. Didn't matter that he complained loudly of his sexless marriage and put down the women in their social circle - these were just a mark of the times, Ali thought. Ali grew up in suburban Melbourne in the 1970s, and got her start in journalism at The Warracknabeal Herald, where the entire reporting staff of the eight-page gazette was female. But from there, Ali would go on to work in some of the most infamous and patriarchal Australian newsrooms of the 80s and 90s, including the Herald Sun, and Australia's top TV news station, Channel 9, under the notorious John Sorrel. When romance took her to New Zealand, Ali made a glittering career for herself as New Zealand's media darling of the early noughties, one half of the country's most recognizable news power-couple and going on to host shows such as Breakfast, Seven Sharp, Fair Go and RadioLIVE. Then one day Ali's sister called her out of the blue for a conversation forty years in the making. In this book, Ali recounts what happened when she reckoned with flashbacks of a buried past. She began to question her whole identity, and the reason she became a journalist. It set Ali on a new path for herself and for other survivors of sexual abuse. As the leading journalist for New Zealand's #MeToo movement, Ali was forced to ask the same questions so many others face: Am I strong enough to go through this? What does justice look like? This is an inspiring, personal and honest memoir about family, love, purpose, and rising from the ashes to re-discover yourself.

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​Walking from Bluff to Cape Reinga, award-winning journalist Naomi Arnold goes in search of New Zealand. Walking from Bluff, at the bottom of the South Island, to Cape Reinga, at the top of the North Island, award-winning journalist Naomi Arnold spends nearly nine months following Te Araroa, fulfilling a 20-year dream. Alone, she traverses mountains, rivers, cities and plains from summer to spring, walking on through days of thick mud, blazing sun, lightning storms, and cold, starlit nights. Along the way she encounters colourful locals and travellers who delight and inspire her. An upbeat, fascinating, and inspiring memoir of the joys and pains found in the wilderness, solitude, friendship, and love.

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Surviving the unsurvivable. Healing from the unhealable. This is an inspiring memoir of physical and mental recovery, by someone who lived through the Whakaari White Island volcanic eruption. "I heard someone say, 'Wow!' Someone else went, 'Look at that!' I had my back to the crater. I turned around. The moment I saw it, I knew what was happening. The island was erupting. An enormous black-and-white plume was rising above the island, already higher than the peak. It was beautiful actually, set against the bright blue sky. Beautiful and awful. In my memory, it was silent, but that's because my ears had switched off - a survival response, apparently. In reality, our radios were already blaring something along the lines of 'ERUPTION! TAKE COVER!' and I was yelling, 'Everyone, with me! Run!' " In this book Kelsey Waghorn tells her story for the first time, from physical rehab for her life-threatening burns to her mental struggle with PTSD. By a brave and powerful woman with a wicked sense of humour, this is an uplifting story of acceptance, strength, perseverance and hope.