Features

Wellingtonian Luke Finnigan has been awarded the first ever Māori and Pasifika Publishing Scholarship thanks to a collaboration with Whitireia Community Polytechnic and Penguin Random House New Zealand (PRH).

In partnership with the Graduate Diploma in Publishing at Whitireia Community Polytechnic Ltd, Penguin Random House New Zealand is delighted to announce a new publishing scholarship for Māori and Pasifika students.

The presidential memoirs of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, will be published in two volumes.

Epic plant-based comfort food for everyone...with gluten-free options for just about everything.

Netflix have announced a new documentary following Michelle Obama during the publication of her bestselling memoir, Becoming, which will be released on Wednesday 6 May.

Penguin Random House New Zealand believes that all children should have access to books and stories and be encouraged to develop a love of reading.

Penguin Random House authors Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo share the 2019 Booker Prize.

Multi-talented illustrator and children’s writer, Gavin Bishop (Ngāti Pukeko, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Mahuta, Tainui) has will be honoured for non-fiction and his outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature. 

Winners to be announced Monday 14 October.

We were thrilled to hear Netflix announce its second Danish original series, The Chestnut Man, at Copenhagen TV Festival this week.

February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019

Further details about the publication of Philip Pullman’s highly-anticipated new book, The Secret Commonwealth, are revealed today. 

Earlier this year, as part of Puffin’s upcoming 80th Anniversary Celebrations, Penguin Random House NZ offered to fund bookseller initiatives to get kids reading, to the value of $5000 each.

Dame Fiona Kidman has won this year’s $53,000 Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for her novel, This Mortal Boy.

We're excited to announce the August release of Driven, from New Zealand’s most successful rally driver, Hayden Paddon.

Elisabeth Moss, star of the hit TV show The Handmaid’s Tale, has narrated the audiobook edition of Margaret Atwood’s classic novel. 

This extraodinary memoir, from American artisitc visionary Prince, will be released worldwide on 29 October, 2019.

Volume Two of The Book of Dust is set to arrive on 3rd October 2019, jumping 20 years forward from Volume One, La Belle Sauvage. 

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know will be published in September 2019. 

E L James, whose Fifty Shades of Grey series has broken sales records for contemporary adult publishing (150 million copies sold worldwide), has written a new novel, The Mister, which will be published on 16 April 2019. 

Your first look at The Mister, the new book from Fifty Shades author E L James.

From the creator of Hannibal Lecter and The Silence of the Lambs comes a new story of evil, greed and the consequences of dark obsession.

Agent Running in the Field will be published in October 2019.

Big Sky will be published on 18th June 2019.

I am running through the desert, the red earth firm and unyielding beneath my trainers.

Jake lay on top of his board, feeling the swells move beneath him, like the air moving in and out of his lungs, like the blood surging through the four chambers of his stubbornly beating heart.

Breathing covers a spectrum of needs, and it is important to know the best way to breathe in order to meet our needs at any moment, and how best we can move through sleep, rest, activity, exercise, sport, play, work, stress, ill health and recovery.

Inside Laura's head, Deidre spoke. The trouble with you, Laura, she said, is that you make bad choices.

They were still 400 yards from the strip of white beach and the crammed jungle behind it when the fighter planes came.

Billy said goodbye without any fuss.

Kristen trotted to the patio’s edge and crouched, long arm outstretched.

In 2009 – 4 years after it was published – I read Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity Is Near.

In a waiting room at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, George Cleverley sits quietly, looking at his five-year-old son

Once upon a memory, at the far end of the Mediterranean Sea, there lay an island so beautiful and blue

The forest had a particular scent to it, a dewy moistness off the Columbia River mixed with Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, red cedar, hemlock, and maple.

Things come from nowhere.

‘Max?’

In a little tin-shed barbershop in the hood . . .

The baby is starting to grumble.

‘What on earth has Harry got now?’

Henrietta Yi and her team have been underground for three days.

The boy gasped for breath, hair in his mouth, before the next wave slammed him back against the bottom. He tumbled, the fizz of bubbles around him.

THE DIVIDED WORLD

In the 1980's, my husband Alan and I decided we would like to have children.

It was a perfect day for a funeral.

They gave him the gun in New York, he was pretty certain, and he thought some money too.

MY NOVEL TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN was published in October of 2017, and after spending that month on tour for the book, I came home to Indianapolis and blazed a trail between my children’s tree house and the little room where my wife and I often work

Hello, I’m so glad you’ve picked up my book.

Secrets, thrills, heartbreak, and adventure. . . we bet we've got your favourite new read covered!

The shortlist for the 2021 Booker Prize has been announced, with four Penguin Random House novels named.

Kōrerotia te reo this Māori Language Week 2021 with our selection of Māori Language books.

The author of The Edible Backyard shares five of her favourite spring crops, why they're so fantastic and tips on how you can enjoy them too!

Looking for your kid's next great read? Let our Puffin Ambassadors tell you why you should pick up Coastwatcher, a thrilling adventure novel for 9+ readers.

Former British children's laureate, Chris Riddell, has said The Memory Thief is "Intriguing, exciting, everything about this story captured my imagination." But what do our Puffin Ambassadors think? Read on to find out!

Victoria Devine's top five tips to help you reach your savings goals sooner.

Filled with adventure, inspiration and humour, these books are sure to take little readers and their imaginations to new and fantastic places!

Why do I even need a publisher? How do I write for kids? What are publishers looking for right now? Should I send a sample chapter? Do you accept science fiction books?

An unbiased promotional letter from the author of Things I Learned at Art School on why you should definitely pick up a copy—or two—today (without delay).

Set yourself up for good health with a whole-food plant-based diet.

Figuring out how to talk to children about difficult emotions can sometimes feel impossible. Books can offer a good gateway to starting these conversations. Here are some books that might help you to navigate those tricky topics.

We know it can be tricky to find the perfect recipe to make mum for Mother’s Day so we’ve put together this list of fantastic recipe ideas from some of our favourite cookbooks. Whether you’re looking for a cosy soup or a sweet treat, or something in between, we’ve got you covered!

The First Lady of the United States pens a letter to her younger self.

Author Krystal Sutherland shares her favourite stories.

We wanted to know what young Kiwi readers thought about Jesse O's book Locked Down (hint: they loved it!). Read on to see their reviews.

When Jesse O wrote Locked Down (then titled Staying Home) back in 2011, she never imagined that almost a decade later, the events of her novel would prove spookily accurate . . .

Syd, the Muster Pony tells the story of the Wilson sisters' most epic adventure yet, and it's inspired by a real-life road trip Kelly and her sisters took in 2001! (warning: this article might induce a desperate longing to go adventuring around the country, read on at your own risk)

In How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, Bill Gates outlines just some of the hurdles between humanity and a net-zero carbon world.

Find out the inspiration behind Beyond Burnout, as well as what you'll learn from reading it!

From contemporary rom-coms, to literary debuts, to the creepiest modern gothic fairytale you could imagine (seriously . . . it is AWESOME!), we've got some stellar YA lined up for you this year. Read on for recommendations for your TBR pile!

Hairy Maclary and his friends are known and loved all over the world. But how familiar are you with Dame Lynley Dodd's other creations? There are plenty to discover, and just like Hairy Maclary, they all feature Lynely's uniquely exuberant artwork and gorgeously readable rhymes! Here are some suggestions to get you started.

After an exhausting and unusual 2020, we’ve got plenty of reasons to be grateful for a new year, not least because of the stellar line up of children’s books we have coming your way over the next few months!Read on for a sneak peek at some of the best new children’s books we’re bringing to you in 2021.

Sometimes a story is best told alongside a beautiful picture, Here's a small selection of some of our favourite 2020 picture books from local creators. 

With cocktail sauce, avo, tomatoes & crispy pancetta crumbs.

A pleasure to make, this cake is joyous served with a cup of tea.

Serving pulled beef over a small kūmara not only looks attractive but is a clever way to help control portion size. The meat rub for this dish is great – it gives the dish all the flavour it needs. It keeps well, too, so try doubling this rub recipe and keep it in your kitchen cupboard to sprinkle over roast chicken or barbecued lamb chops.

If you thought that risotto was about slaving over a hot stove, drizzling stock into a pan over the course of an hour, think again. This risotto is quick, easy and satisfying. Plus you can fry whatever vegetable is in season to put on the top. Making risotto just became an easy choice.

I created my first version of this tart when I was living in France with Douglas for a couple of months, relishing the crispy pastry, creamy cheese, juicy flavourful tomatoes, fresh herbs and spicy cracked pepper. Back then I used a lovely soft salty white French cheese riddled with herbs and garlic. Naturally, I’ve created a new version of this, and it’s still amazingly good.

Braised in a beautiful balsamic sauce, these slow-cooked beef cheeks are so meltingly tender you could devour them with a spoon! Eight hours of cooking ensures that the braising liquid turns into a luscious, gravy-like sauce. I encourage you to enjoy it spooned over creamy potato mash or fluffy cooked grains such as quinoa or bulgur wheat.

This sticky date pudding is one of my favourite things to make during the colder months. What makes this dessert really special is the hint of ginger and cardamom in the coconut butterscotch sauce. I bet you can’t wait to grab your spoon and dig in! Just remember to get your dates on to soak a bit beforehand. If you don’t need this to be vegan, you can use regular milk, cream and butter.

This recipe has been a fan favourite for over a decade. Cut it into slices for the kids or into tiny squares as a treat with your cuppa. It also freezes well, so you can stash a few squares away for when no one is looking.

This hearty soup is a proper hug in a mug. The ricotta and Parmesan topping really fulfills the 'lasagne' promise, but if you don’t want to bother you can just top it with grated cheese and it’ll still be a winner. The super-cheesy garlicky toasties are a good addition to any tomatoey soup — or just eat them on their own!

This is not exactly the same as perhaps the most precious recipe in my repertoire, My Mother’s Praised Chicken, which found a home in my eighth book, Kitchen, but it owes a lot to it. A family favourite, it’s a simple one-pot dish which brings comfort and joy, and it is my pleasure to share that with you.

I have been making a banana bread with chocolate and tahini on repeat for a while now, and every time I’ve eaten it over the last year or so, I couldn’t help thinking that the particular combination of intense chocolatiness, sweet, texture-softening banana and the rich earthiness of tahini would make the perfect warm pudding.

Sausage rolls will always be über-cool, no matter what anyone says. They're always the first to be nabbed at morning tea, classily dressed-up with a generous splurt of store-bought tomato sauce... crispy, juicy little taste bombs. 

A fruity dish from Ottolenghi Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage.

A vegetarian recipe that is simply as good as any steak (with mash), if not better.

With red pesto-layered filo, Cheddar and cottage cheese.

With fragrant spices, tomatoes, cashew butter and yoghurt.

With cajun spice, mango, sweet cherry tomatoes and lime.

One of the rather pathetic realities of the fact that so many of the restaurants in France are disappointing these days is the almost tearful joy in finding one that’s everything you would have hoped for, often from your childhood or teenage memories. Such a place is Le Bistro du Paradou near Arles.

Sprouts (and the whole brassica family) go fantastically with Asian flavours. Out of season, use a mix of the rest of the brassicas – broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, spring greens etc. You could also make a spring version with asparagus and peas.

We ate many dishes similar to this while spending time in Italy and they were all different depending on the part of Tuscany that we were in. This is our version of a Tuscan chicken casserole and it’s very moreish and flavoursome. I love it in the winter and any leftovers get tossed through some pasta the next day.

With root veg, porcini mushrooms, marmite & crispy rosemary.

Try this free recipe from Country Women’s Association Preserves.

This is a great Nordic recipe — the tartness of the citrus cuts through what would otherwise be the overbearing sweetness of the shortbread. The flavours complement each other brilliantly . . . it’s definitely a combination made in Valhalla. We’ve decorated it with preserved lemon slices, which you can buy from any good gourmet or speciality food store.

Being a huge fan of cabinet food, we were looking for a good gluten-free, vegetarian alternative to potato cakes to serve for lunch straight out of the cabinet. 

The debut author of the YA novel soon to hit Netflix on discipline, working with Daniel Kaluuya, and the complications of writing about time travel.

The bestselling author discusses tapping back into Jack's world, twisty-turny stories and her favourite crime dramas.

The Great Circle author on inspiring travel, research and spending seven years on her latest novel.

Vintage Creative Director Suzanne Dean and artist Lena Peters on circles, Murakami and monkeys.

House of Hollow author on ghost doors, googling corpses and advice to aspiring YA authors.

Author Richard Fairgray talks about what he thinks makes a good scary story, what scares him and more in this Q&A!

Dame Lynley Dodd on what comes first, the stories or the illustrations, where her ideas come from and more! 

The Booker Prize winning author answers our questions about his strangely beautiful story about hope and love and orange-bellied parrots: The Living Sea of Waking Dreams.

The bestselling author on thrilling reads and the things that scare her.

The Women and Leadership co-authors answer our questions on gender equality and finding the inspiration to lead.

The international bestselling author on cryptozoology, life in the 1950s and writing the ending early.

Falastin authors Tara Wigley and Sami Tamimi lift the lid on Palestinian cooking.

Debut author Sam Lloyd on the chess tournament that inspired his thrilling novel, The Memory Wood, 

The artist on his inspiration for The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse​.

The author of Dear Edward on the real plane crash and sole survivor who inspired her novel.

An in-depth discussion between Lee Child and George Martin in Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 2018.

Margaret Atwood discusses her return to Gilead.

 Wondrous and wild, The Brilliance of Birds gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of some of New Zealand’s feathered friends. We the extraordinary minds behind this beautiful book Skye Wishart and Edin Whitehead all about this New Zealand Birdventure!

We sat down for a chat with David Hill and Phoebe Morris, the great minds behind the latest story in the Kiwi Heroes series: Dinosaur Hunter. 

We sat down with best-selling author - Eleanor Ozich, to find out about her latest book, Homemade. 

The Star-crossed author takes on our rapid-fire questions.

The bestselling master of suspense reveals why he swapped psychology for crime writing.

Bestselling author Sophie Kinsella on her new book, I Owe You One. 

Questions and answers with the witty and wonderful Catherine Robertson about her latest novel; What You Wish For - A Gabriel's Bay Story.

A curious question for every day of the year.

Download activities for school and home.

Little ones can colour in their favourite characters from the hit Ten Minutes to Bed series with this set of activity sheets. Plus, there are some fun mazes to solve.

Design a collar fit for Wellington's most famous cat.

How do little kids become sporting superstars? Find out in this inspiring activity pack featuring three Olympic legends.

Step outside and discover the science that surrounds you

Sarah thinks she's discovered the perfect gift for her garden-loving grandma, but before you can say GARDEN FULL OF UNICORNS, things grow wildly out-of-hand! Download our colouring sheet to colour in your own magical unicorn.

Cut out wild animals to play hide and seek around the house!

Celebrate 50 years of the wonderful world of Mr Men and Little Miss with this fun party pack

There's a brand new Little Kiwi book out! And to mark the occasion, Bob Darroch, the legendary creator of our favourite feathery friend, drew this colouring-in sheet for us.

Celebrate Easter with this free printable download.

Calling all fans of the Showtym Adventures series! We've put together this awesome activity pack just for you.

Dive into Bluey: The Pool this summer and download this colouring-in sheet!

Get little ones prepped for school with these printable activity sheets. Learn to count, write first words, and finish off with a fun dot-to-dot. 

Beware, the Witches are here. And we have the perfect activity pack to keep you prepared.

Practising gratitude is scientifically proven to make you happier. Use the prompts in this download to help you fill out the table of all the things you are grateful for. 

Are you more of a Greg or a Rowley? Take your pick then DIY your Wimpy Kid costume with these printable masks. 

Be in to win the full set of Gavin Bishop's Aotearoa books!

Test your creativity and brush up your building skills in this Halloween-themed LEGO activity pack.

Each week on our Facebook page we've been sharing a whakataukī from Aroha by Dr Hinemoa Elder. Now you can download them to share or use as email signatures! 

You can even download everything you need to throw your own frolicking Hairy Maclary birthday party!

We've put together this activity pack so you can take a sneak peek and try out a couple of the activities. Use your hunting skills in Wordfind Warrior, crack the Land Loss Labyrinth code and get creative thinking about what your Atua would be as a supernatural being!

Organising a beach clean-up is a great way to help keep Little Hector's (and Mini Maui's) home safe. Download our beach clean-up pack to organise your own community clean-up event!

Lots of wondrous ideas for how to celebrate at home or in the classroom.

An exciting new thriller from the author of The Girl on the Train to discuss with your book club.

A magnificent literary pick for book club.

Ponder whether one life is worth more than another with Fiona McIntosh's latest thriller.

This heart-stopping thriller set on the rugged coast of Tasmania is an excellent choice for book club.

Track down your reading group to discuss Candice Fox's latest thriller.

Stephanie Johnson shares discussion points and questions for her new book Everything Changes in this book club guide.

A tale of extraordinary friendship and a lifetime of stories to share with your book club pals.

Sweep your book club off to Malaysia with this spellbinding novel of war and family betrayal.

A classic whodunit for the most perceptive reading groups.

Settle in for a memorable reading group discussion, with Barack Obama’s long-awaited memoirs: A Promised Land.

Sweep your book club off to the sun-kissed vineyards of rural France.

Eileen Merriman, author of The Silence of Snow, has provided some background information on her latest book along with some discussion points for your book club meeting! 

Carl Nixon shares some discussion points and questions for his new book The Tally Stick in this book club guide.

Rajorshi Chakraborti shares discussion points, ideas and questions for his new book Shakti in this book club guide. Special powers are gifted, but there is a Faustian price to pay in this epic novel, packed with laughter, darkness, pain, dreams, superpowers, love and light.

Laurence Fearnley shares her process for writing Scented along with discussion points, ideas and questions for your next book club meeting. 

Christine Leunens shares discussion points, ideas and questions for her book Caging Skies in this book club guide. Caging Skies is a gripping, atmospheric novel about obsession and love.

Two female spies, a banned masterpiece, a book that changed history... The Secrets We Kept is perfect for book club.

Eileen Merriman shares discussion points, ideas and questions for Moonlight Sonata - Book Club Guide. Moonlight Sonata is Eileen Merriman's first adult book, it is a bitter-sweet novel of forbidden love and family secrets. Some secrets should never be told... will the truth be revealed? 

Nailing Down the Saint explores modern movie making, friendship, fatherhood and the limits of the possible by following Duncan Blake on his quest to resurrect his career by scouting locations for the biopic of Saint Joseph of Copertino.

Award-winning author Charlotte Grimshaw shares discussion points, ideas and questions for The Bad Seed - Book Club Guide. Now combined into a major TV drama, these two connected novels by award-winning writer Charlotte Grimshaw take an unflinching look at politics and power, contemporary New Zealand society and the arid morality of the privileged.

Auckland-based writer Rosetta Allan's latest novel, The Unreliable People is a compelling, contemporary story where love and loss intersect. We asked Rosetta for questions and discussion points to guide your book club.  

Lloyd Jones’s fable-like novel The Cage is both profound and unsettling. We asked the multi-award winning Kiwi author to share the story's origins and create book club questions to help guide your discussion.

Incredible NZ author and Ockham 2019 Award Winner Dame Fiona Kidman shares some thoughts and questions to get the ball rolling in a book club discussion for This Mortal Boy.

NZ author and poet Owen Marshall shares with us some questions to get the ball rolling in a book club discussion for his latest Novel, Pearly Gates.