Wednesday, July 29, 2026 / 5.30 – 7pm
Upstairs at Time Out Bookstore
432 Mount Eden Road
Auckland

Join us for the launch of the debut novel from Leanne Comer, based on a haunting story from 19th-century Auckland.

Doors open 5.30 with some light refreshments.

Meet the author, hear about the research and writing – and behind-the-scenes book production with pages that bring this haunting ghost story to 21st-century readers.

Books available for purchase from Time Out Bookstore – the author will sign copies for you!

More about the book.

We Know Not When recreates the fragile coming-of-age of a young immigrant who unwittingly merges into the tapestry of 19th -century Auckland. The novel is a moving depiction of young love, and the spectral presence of those who refuse to be forgotten. - Tina Shaw

A compelling and imaginatively told tale, with letters, diary entries and Emily Keeling’s haunted voice from beyond the grave. This is the story of a terrible but all too common murder of a young woman, resonating from nearly 150 years ago to 21st-century readers. - Diane Brown

Please join us for drinks, nibbles and a reading from Şeyda Kurt's Hate: The Uses of a Powerful Emotion translated (and read) by Jackie de Pont in the upstairs of Time Out Bookstore in Mt Eden. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. All welcome!

Nervous, timid and socially awkward, Nick is the most unlikely person to get involved in a deadly spy game of cat and mouse. But when his grandfather goes missing during a trip to Berlin, he is suddenly alone in a city where he knows nobody and cannot speak the language.

Desperate for answers, he looks through Grandpa Joe’s belongings and is astonished to discover an old diary containing his grandfather’s memoirs as a teenage spy during World War II and the Cold War. As the world counts down to the new millennium, Nick finds himself running for his life as his pursuers close in. His only ally is Rejhana, a girl with a tragic past. But can Nick really trust her?

 Spider Games: In the City of Spies is a fast-paced, death-defying race through the streets of Berlin that delves into themes of identity, espionage and survival.

A Flame in the Dark tells the remarkable true story of Nancy Wake – a fearless woman whose courage burned brightly in the shadows of World War II. Born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, Nancy defied expectations of her time by becoming a journalist working in turbulent Europe during the building up to WWII. Then when war broke out, she chose an even bolder path. Trained as a secret agent and parachuted behind enemy lines, Nancy became one of the most effective leaders of the French Resistance. Known as the White Mouse for her ability to slip through the Gestapo’s grasp, she organised and inspired fighters who struck blows against the Nazi regime. Clever, daring, and unyielding, Nancy outwitted the enemy at every turn – and unlike many of her comrades, lived to tell the tale. A story of extraordinary bravery, determination, and survival, A Flame in the Dark shines a light on one of history’s inspiring women.

Time Out Bookstore and Influx Press (UK) warmly welcome you to an author talk with Eva Wyles, chaired by Saraid de Silva. 

Please consider pre-ordering Deliverywoman. A limited number of books will also be available to purchase on the night. 

RSVP here.

About the book:

Described as ‘haunting and beautifully constructed’ by Booker-shortlisted author Daisy Johnson, Deliverywoman (Influx Press, UK) is the stunning debut collection from Eva Wyles – thirteen short stories that dive into the complexities of human connection, the pursuit of meaning, and modern-day loneliness.

Across a diverse cast of characters – from teachers and gas station workers to hedonistic revellers and wealthy gamers – Wyles explores the strange dimensions of our world and the dangers of ordinary life, with needle-sharp writing both real and surreal.

Deliverywoman sits alongside A.M. Homes’ The Safety of Objects and Ottessa Moshfegh’s Homesick for Another World, announcing the arrival of a powerful new voice in contemporary fiction.

About the speakers:

Eva Wyles is a graduate of Te Herenga Waka and the MA programme in fiction at the International Institute of Modern Letters, where she worked on a short-story collection that received the Jean Squire Project Scholarship. She grew up in Te Whanganui-a-Tara and is currently based in London. Deliverywoman is her first book.

Saraid de Silva is a writer and arts worker based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Her debut novel, Amma, was published in Australia and New Zealand by Moa Press, part of Hachette Aotearoa, and in the UK by Weatherglass Books in 2024.

Pre-ordering is essential for the book being available to you on the evening as the title will be imported internationally.

About the book:

A fresh narrative history of the rise of Rome's empire in Italy, that exposes the monumental expansion of the Roman familial, social, political, and militaristic way of living across Italy.Before the Romans could become masters of the Mediterranean, they had to first conquer the people of their own peninsula. This book explores the origins of Roman imperialism and the creation of Rome's early Italian empire, bringing new light and interpretations to this important but problematic period in Roman history. It explains how and why the Romans were able to expand their influence within Italy, often through the use of armed conflict, laying the foundations for their great imperial project.This book critically reexamines and reframes the traditional literary narrative within an archaeologically informed, archaic Italian context. Jeremy Armstrong presents a new interpretation of the early Roman army, highlighting the fluid and family-driven character which is increasingly visible in the evidence. Drawing on recent developments within the field of early Roman studies, Children of Mars argues that the emergence of Rome's empire in Italy should not be seen as the spread of a distinct "Roman" people across Italian land, but rather the expansion of a social, political, and military network amongst the Italian people. Armstrong suggests that Rome's early empire was a fundamentally human and relational one. While this reinterpretation of early Roman imperialism is no less violent than the traditional model, it alters its core dynamic and nature, and thus shifts the entire trajectory of Rome's Republican history.FeaturesA fresh narrative history of the rise of Rome that assimilates the most current historical and archaeological researchDevelops a new model for understanding early Roman expansion within Italy, that puts social networks and familial connections at its coreOffers a new interpretaion of the early Roman army and its evolution

About the author:
Jeremy Armstrong is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and the author of Early Roman Warfare: From the Regal Period to the First Punic War and War and Society in Early Rome: From Warlords to Generals.

these poems were made during five years of eating and living in glaschu, scotland. they should not be taken as reviews - nor should the quality of the poems necessarily be seen to reflect on the quality of any food or place which may bare a similar name, in either a positive or negative light.

Food, culture, history, race, food. No-one combines these subjects like Glasgow based, England born, of Hong Kong heritage Sean Wai Keung.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sean Wai Keung is a Glasgow-based poet and performer. His pamphlet you are mistaken won the Rialto Open Pamphlet Competition 2016 and he has also released how to cook and be happy, both with Speculative Books. He has developed solo performances with the National Theatre of Scotland, where he was a Starter Artist in 2017, Anatomy Arts, Magnetic North and the Fringe of Colour, and is also a poetry editor at EX/POST magazine. He holds degrees from Roehampton University, London, and the University of East Anglia, Norwich and has been published in 404Ink, Blood Bath, datableedzine and The Suburban Review, amongst others. Full credits can be found at seanwaikeung.carrd.co

Readers beware… Boos & Besties is here!

Time Out and HarperCollins have your Halloween plans sorted – come along to Boos & Besties! Here you will meet other readers, form book clubs, and get the best new book club book recommendations. We encourage you to dress up as your favourite book character – it is Halloween after all, and there are spot prizes to be won!

The best part? The first book club to form on the night will win a prize pack for the entire club!

RSVPs are necessary, please email books@timeout.co.nz and let them know you’re coming along!

Venue: Upstairs at Time Out Bookstore, 432 Mt Eden Road
Date: 24th October
Time: 7 – 9:00 pm

Free entry: all welcome. Bring a friend.

Join Estelle Bingham and Emma Farry as they share their healing journeys and read from their books, Manifest Your True Essence and Be Love: The Book of Reminders. This is a free community event and everyone is warmly welcome.

Estelle Bingham – author of Manifest Your True Essence
Emma Farry – author of Be Love: The Book of Reminders

Expect soulful conversation, laughter, and a heart-expanding evening in one of Auckland’s most beloved bookstores. Come and celebrate the magic of words, community, and connection. Estelle and Emma will share readings from their acclaimed books, and signed copies for you to take home.

In Pastoral Care, Auckland writer John Prins gives us nine clear-eyed, witty and beautifully written stories centred on daily life in twenty-first-century Aotearoa New Zealand.

On the shores of Lake Pukaki; in kitchens, bedrooms and Lego-strewn living rooms; at school events; walking the dog, pushing a buggy, or stuck in traffic with a child kicking the back of the driver’s seat—Prins blends wry humour and emotional depth to illuminate the dark gulf between youthful dreams and the reality of adult obligations.

John Prins reinvigorates the tradition of social realism in New Zealand short fiction, investing character, scene and dialogue with a distinctive, engaging voice. Often moving, frequently funny, and always relatable, Pastoral Care marks the arrival of a bold new voice in New Zealand fiction.

Pastoral Care is the second title in the Landfall Tauraka Short Stories series, following Pretty Ugly by Kirsty Gunn.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Prins has a Master of Creative Writing from Auckland University. His stories have been published in Landfall and Newsroom. He lives with his family in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Pastoral Care is his first book.

An unsparing investigation into Spotify's origins and influence on music, weaving unprecedented reporting with incisive cultural criticism, illuminating how streaming is reshaping music for listeners and artists alike.

Drawing on over a hundred interviews with industry insiders, former Spotify employees and musicians, Mood Machine takes us to the inner workings of today's highly consolidated record business, showing what has changed as music has become increasingly playlisted, personalized and autoplayed.

Building on her years of wide-ranging reporting on streaming, music journalist Liz Pelly details the consequences of the Spotify model by examining both sides of what the company calls its two-sided marketplace: the listeners who pay with their dollars and data, and the musicians who provide the material powering it all.  The music business is notoriously opaque, but here Pelly lifts the veil on major stories like streaming services filling popular playlists with low-cost stock music and the rise of new payola-like practices.

For all of the inequities exacerbated by streaming, Pelly also finds hope in chronicling the artist-led fight for better models, pointing toward what must be done collectively to revalue music and create sustainable systems.  A timely exploration of a company that has become synonymous with music, Mood Machine will change the way you think about and listen to music.

RSVP to books@timeout.co.nz
Koha entry

Songs from the Shaky Isles is a fast-paced, big-picture account of how popular music arose in our far-flung island nation. It shows how wider society influenced, and was itself impacted by the country's musical culture, but with plenty of room for outrageous anecdotes and insightful analysis. It's a treat for music fans and history buffs alike.

From early Māori waiata and European settler folk songs that could only be heard in person through to modern pop/hip- hop hits that have spread digitally to all ends of the earth, this book is the complete guide to the bands and the songs that have reached iconic NZ status.

Songs from the Shaky Isles is a pictorial feast and features bands and musicians including Boh Runga from Stellar (featured on the cover), Bic Runga, Benee, The Chills, Dave Dobbyn, The Mockers, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Margaret Urlich, Jenny Morris, Lorde, Sir Howard Morrison, Ray Columbus, Max Merritt, The Human Instinct, Savage, Shihad, Shapeshifter, Six60, Scribe, Tex Morton, Walter Smith, Split Enz and so many more.

Gareth Shute has a wide-ranging understanding of popular music in New Zealand, which gives him a singular perspective on how it has progressed over the last century and a half. He is also a gigging musician with garage rock band, Thee Golden Geese. Since 2002, he has also helped run the label Lil Chief Records and in the first decade of the label he toured internationally with two of its bands: The Brunettes and The Ruby Suns. This gives him a unique insight as someone who not only researches local music history but is directly involved in the scene on a weekly basis.

A stunning debut novel about love, guilt and forgiveness. If you loved Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts by Josie Shapiro, you will adore The Stars are a Million Glittering Worlds.

Thea, a young woman crippled by guilt, flees to Central America to escape her life. In Guatemala, she meets the charismatic Chris and his partner, Sarah, and the three of them form a tight bond. But everything changes when a tragedy occurs.

Thea soon finds herself in a new relationship, bonded to her partner by grief. Together they do their best to start over in Hobart, but when tragedy strikes again - bringing up unanswered questions for Thea - she realises that if she wants to know the truth, she will need to come clean about her past.

Reviews
'A compelling plot, fully-imagined characters, and beautifully-observed settings. Butson gently guides the reader on a journey marked by pain, secrets and guilt to a place of forgiveness, acceptance and peace. A stunning debut.' - Laurence Fearnley

Author description
Gina Butson is a former lawyer who completed her MA in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) in 2023. Her short fiction has been published in Newsroom, Salient and Turbine. Gina won the Salient Creative Writing competition and was Highly Commended in the Sargeson Prize in 2024.

A first poetry collection full of telenoid daydreams and androids in the bureaucracy.

I was born this way.
I was made to be soft and pleasant to touch.
It’s the silicone. Father is considering
polyvinyl chloride for my future siblings
because it’s cheaper. I hope you understand
how special that makes me.

Were you born this way too?
Your body is not smooth but it is warm.

Exploring the ambiguities, paradoxes and kinships between human and machine in this first poetry collection, Jiaqiao Liu conjures passionate robots and open-source body hacking, password managers and fuzzy moon rovers, missed communications and learned sensations. Drawing on Chinese mythologies and experiments in form, Liu pulls us into a world that feels familiar to twenty-first-century cybercitizens, yet is new and strange to inhabit.

Is it natural to grow up?
Are you growing down?
Where will I grow up to?

Jiaqiao Liu (they/he) is a poet from Shandong, China, who grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau. Their writing has been included in journals including The Spinoff, badapple and OF ZOOS, as well as in anthologies such as Ōrongohau | Best New Zealand Poems 2017 and A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand (Auckland University Press, 2021). Jiaqiao has an MA in creative writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. Dear Alter is their first book.