The Greek-Australian Cultural League's literary magazine Antipodes has received the Elaias Kotinos prize from the International Patras Poetry Festival. The award recognises its long-standing role in promoting Greek literature and culture in Australia. The magazine, which has been published continuously for 53 years, will launch its 2026 edition on Saturday, November 14, at 2pm at the Hall of Saint Catherine in East Malvern. The issue marks the Greek language and the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Missolonghi. Literary and book awards will be presented at the launch.
A new book marking 50 years of Strapper Surf was launched at the Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club last weekend. Titled The Surfers Shop, it celebrates the people, surfboards and stories behind the Torquay surf brand, which dates to 1976. Founder Dennis Day and long-time owner Mike Di Sciascio led guests through the brand's colourful history. The evening included unveiling the book's cover, interviews with familiar Strapper faces, archival footage and a book signing.
Ghost tour creator Jack Sim has released Haunted Redlands, a book of local legends and ghost stories from the Redlands Coast. The collection draws on accounts shared by current and former residents, with more than 70 people interviewed during its preparation. Sim will host a free author talk at Capalaba Library on 29 October 2026, with bookings required. A ticketed launch follows at the Grand View Hotel in Cleveland on 31 October 2026, where he will sign copies of the book.
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Canungra author Dieter Luske is launching his latest crime thriller, The Breakfast Murder, at Canungra Book and Art on Saturday morning, October 17, from 10.30am. The novel follows investigative journalist Blake Newcome, who is drawn into a dangerous web of killings and blackmail. Dieter will sign copies at the event, and each buyer will receive a glass of sparkling wine. The paperback costs $29.95. It is his seventh book, following his first title, It Happened in the Seventies, published five years ago.
Torquay retiree Steve Shelley is preparing to launch his debut poetry collection, Private Poetry: Trespassers Welcome, later this month. He began writing after deciding to list his occupation as poet rather than retired on a form in 2024. Shelley, who moved to Melbourne from Canada in 1986, previously worked in technical sales. The 70-poem collection will launch at Torquay Bowls Club on Sunday 25 October from 5pm, with all proceeds from ticket and book sales donated to Feed Me Surf Coast.
Bestselling author Fiona McIntosh will appear at Shellharbour City Library on October 24 for an event tied to her new novel, The Art Lovers. The book, set in wartime Malta, follows a barkeeper's daughter and a British pilot who meet after his plane crashes into her world. McIntosh said the idea grew from a visit to Valletta and a Caravaggio painting, and that she spent more than three years on research. The event runs from 6pm to 8pm and includes a signing and a display of World War II pieces from Shellharbour City Museum. Tickets cost $10.
