AustLit

'On the first day of year 10, Shaun sees a dead body.

'When Shaun finds a body floating in the lake of a quiet mining town in outback Queensland, he immediately reports it to the police. But when he returns to the site with the constable, the body is gone.

'Determined to reveal the truth, Shaun and his best friend, Will, open their own investigation. But what they discover is far more sinister than they expected, and reveals a darkness below the surface of their small town.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Gripping and inspirational drama, St Mary’s in Exile is the story of a tight-knit community, a poignant reminder that the word “church” refers not to the 123-year-old heritage listed Renaissance building, but the bond between the disparate people who gather there. A bond that endured when Peter handed over the keys amid a media frenzy, and led his flock down the street to the Trades and Labor Council building, where they still worship every weekend. ' (Source: Queensland Theatre Company website)

'A funny, sad and serious memoir, How to Be Happy is David Burton’s story of his turbulent life at high school and beyond. Feeling out of place and convinced that he is not normal, David has a rocky start. He longs to have a girlfriend, but his first ‘date’ is a disaster. There’s the catastrophe of the school swimming carnival—David is not sporty—and friendships that take devastating turns. Then he finds some solace in drama classes with the creation of ‘Crazy Dave’, and he builds a life where everything is fine. But everything is not fine.

'And, at the centre of it all, trying desperately to work it all out, is the real David.

'How to Be Happy tackles depression, friendship, sexual identity, suicide, academic pressure, love and adolescent confusion. It’s a brave and honest account of one young man’s search for a happy, true and meaningful life that will resonate with readers young and old.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.