Hardie Grant Books

Silk Silver Opium not only tells the fascinating stories of silk and tea, porcelain, silver and opium, missionaries, mercenaries and trade, but also what became inevitable – war and humiliation. Much about China’s modern relationship with the West is the product of its past inter-reactions, conflicts, victories and humiliations. The South China Sea was the place from where the ultimately destructive European sailing ships arrived. The Ryukyu Island chain was the place from where marauding Japanese pirates preyed mercilessly on China’s east coast ports. Taiwan was where anti-Qing rebels established a stronghold in the seventeenth century. The story of imperial China’s trading relationship with the West is a powerful tale, with clear implications for the future.  

The Grief Companion is a beautifully illustrated and heartfelt resource designed to gently guide and support you through the complexities of loss and grief. This thoughtful collection features prompts, actions and insights that will support you through your ever evolving grieving journey. It offers grounding thoughts, meaningful ideas for honoring your loved ones, and reliable resources to help you navigate the shifting landscape of your emotions. The book can be used in a number of different ways. Simply read an Insight, Action, or Prompt every day or week as part of a mindful intention, or during a difficult moment to be comforted.  With The Grief Companion, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the grieving process, learn valuable coping mechanisms, and ultimately feel supported in your journey.

Trails to Freedom is the story of a solo hike across the Alps that brings to life the fascinating, largely unknown history of the Anzac POWs who escaped Fascist Italy to find safety in neutral Switzerland during WWII. In October 1943, four Australian soldiers left Biella in the foothills of the Alps in northern Turin, fleeing Italy's Nazi–Fascist regime. They spoke no Italian, and they had scant clothing and no food. With the help of local partisans, who offered support at great risk to themselves and their families, the soldiers crossed into neutral Switzerland eight days later. They were four of more than 500 Anzac POWs who followed the sentieri della libertá, the trails to freedom. Decades later, author Simon Tancred embarks on a modern-day pilgrimage along the same route. With every step he takes, history rises to meet him: the stories of the four escapees, the Italian anti-fascists who helped them and the Anzac soldiers who didn't make it. He remembers, too, his uncle John, a POW who perished in the blue waters of the Mediterranean. Along the way, he passes through some of the most spectacular and challenging terrain in Europe.

Big Pussy Energy offers daily rituals and journal prompts designed to ignite your power and help you become your most passionate and inspired self. Written by sexologist Vanessa Muradian, Big Pussy Energy is an incredibly uplifting an inspiring book of activities, mantras, inspiring quotes and journalling prompts that will awaken the power within you. It will help you tune into your body, connect with your desires, liberate yourself from fear, and teach you how to embody your most gentle, loud, proud, self-loving, authentic and confident self. Featuring gorgeous illustrations by Dai Ruiz, Big Pussy Energy will help fire up your fierce femme power. 

For all the books on pregnancy, preparing for parenthood and what to expect postpartum, very few touch on what happens when you're faced with going it alone. Mothering on Our Own is a raw and honest collection of 30 stories from single and solo mothers.  Whether by circumstance or choice, solo and single parenting is a long – and often isolating – road, but there is so much wisdom to be learned from others. From managing co-parenting to juggling work and caring for children, escaping abusive relationships, overcoming societal stigmas to finding community and a working out who you are on your own, these stories encapsulate the resilience, courage, boundless love and unwavering spirit of mums.

Did you know that bringing bananas on a ship could spell peril for sailors? Or that haircuts on Tuesday are considered a no-no in India? Unlucky unpacks 50 signs, superstitions and omens you should know to avoid bad luck. From Megan McKean, the author and illustrator of Lucky (Hardie Grant Books, 2025) comes this weird and delightful illustrated guide to all things misfortunate. From superstitions tracking back centuries to region-specific omens, Unlucky is full of fun and frightful facts paired with Megan's signature colorful illustrations and lots of hidden details.

Style Your Home: Design Secrets for Styling with Confidence is a design guide filled with need-to-know styling tips when setting up your new home. Be it a rental or that long-awaited first home purchase, decorating and renovating can be exciting, but also daunting. Interior design expert Emma Blomfield breaks down the rules in a fun and informative way. Whether it's how to pick the right size rug for your living room or how to curate a gallery wall, which indoor plants add the most oomph or how high to hang your dining table pendant light, Emma covers all the essential elements of style.  With tips for every major room in the house and insider secrets to help maximize your space and make it look stylish, no matter your budget, this book is essential for anyone wanting to make their new house a home. 

Megan Hess: Perfume is a love story to the scents and fragrances that stand as the final touch on an outfit, from internationally renowned fashion illustrator Megan Hess.   A piece of fashion is so much more than an object. To the designer who created it, the fashion lover who lusts after it, or the star who made it iconic – that piece is part of a story. Fragrances reflect our personality and spark nostalgia for precious memories. From a spritz of Chanel N°5 or Gaultier Divine or Shalimar by Guerlain, perfumes surround us with an air of invisible elegance. This is the next in the Ultimate Fashion Wardrobe series, filled with fascinating information and stunning illustrations and packaged up in a beautiful hardback: the perfect accessory for any fashion life.

Doom and Bloom is a self-help book that distils powerful insights into actionable steps to help you turn the sh*t you’ve faced in life into fertilizer for personal growth. Doom is the feeling when everything seems hopeless and hard, and you want to give up. Bloom, on the other hand, is a state of effortless creativity, where solutions surprise you as they flow into reality. Bloom is our highest and most natural state of being, but how do we reach it when the world feels so dark and heavy? In Doom and Bloom bestselling author and YouTube sensation Campbell Walker (aka Struthless) offers us a roadmap.  ​Blending modern research with ancient philosophy, Campbell's witty sense of humour, searing intelligence and intense vulnerability will make you laugh, cry and pull you from the depths of darkness.  Creativity is like a garden – you have to start from the ground and work your way up. In Doom and Bloom Campbell teaches us how getting down in the dirt can lead to a blossoming life. 

The Fashion Icons Quote Series is a series of gift books full of inspiring and fabulous quotes from fashion icons across the generations.Words from a Fashion Icon: Guccio Gucci is a fully illustrated collection of quotes with Megan Hess’ iconic and hugely popular illustrations, profiling one of fashion’s most popular icons. Bringing her trademark wit and warmth alongside her beloved illustrations, this will be a unique insight into the key thoughts and moments surrounding Guccio Gucci's life and his impact on fashion.   

The Fashion Icons Quote Series is a series of gift books full of inspiring and fabulous quotes from fashion icons across the generations.Words from a Fashion Icon: Marilyn Monroe is a fully illustrated collection of quotes with Megan Hess’ iconic and hugely popular illustrations, profiling one of fashion’s most popular icons. Bringing her trademark wit and warmth alongside her beloved illustrations, this will be a unique insight into the key thoughts and moments surrounding Marilyn Monroe's life and her impact on the fashion industry.   

Sanctuary: Creative Homes with Intention, Meaning and Beauty is a beautifully curated interiors book featuring 21 homes from around the world that showcase the art of authentic living and intentional style. From an idyllic forest dwelling in Vancouver to a mid-century masterpiece in Los Angeles to a rural retreat in Devon, Sanctuary will take you on a journey around the world exploring how creative individuals live, and how they instil their homes with meaning, warmth and memories. Featuring beautiful homes from Australia, the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, the personal essays and profiles detail the many unique ways inspiring people create spaces that reflect their values. The homes featured are as varied as the lifestyles of the people who live there – share houses, rentals, treetop abodes and more. Sanctuaryis an antidote to over-styled interiors; it's full of homes and people that feel refreshingly real. Whether you're seeking inspiration for your own space or simply looking to escape into the beauty of others', Sanctuary shines a light on the art of authentic living.

The Fashion Icons Quote Series is a series of gift books full of inspiring and fabulous quotes from fashion icons across the generations.Fashion Icons: Christian Dior Quotes is a fully illustrated collection of quotes with Megan Hess’ iconic and hugely popular illustrations, profiling one of fashion’s most popular icons. Bringing her trademark wit and warmth alongside her beloved illustrations, this will be a unique insight into the key thoughts and moments surrounding Christian Dior's life and his impact on the fashion industry. 

Complete with a foreword from Dr Russ Harris (author of The Happiness Trap and ACT Made Simple), Sit, Stay, Grow is a joyful guide to observing and learning with the dog in your life. In this book, counsellor Angelika von Sanden invites us to face life's challenges supported by our furry friends, but also to join into their playfulness and joy, and to use the daily dog walk as a time for meaningful contemplation. Across fourteen chapters, Sit, Stay, Grow explores how dogs can inspire us to have fun, teach us how to tackle difficult questions and to take different perspectives. Complete with a short 'Taking a thought for a walk' activity at the end of each chapter, this simple and accessible practice can help you lead a more enriching life. As well as giving us their unconditional love, in good times and in bad, dogs are great listeners. Observing their habits and how we interact with them, can help us live with less worries and more moments of happiness.  

The Fashion Icons Quote Series is a series of gift books full of inspiring and fabulous quotes from fashion icons across the generations.Words from a Fashion Icon: Coco Chanel is a fully illustrated collection of quotes with Megan Hess’ iconic and hugely popular illustrations, profiling one of fashion’s most popular icons. Bringing her trademark wit and warmth alongside her beloved illustrations, this will be a unique insight into the key thoughts and moments surrounding Coco Chanel's life and her impact on the fashion industry.   

Celebrating the amazing career of AFL star Tom Hawkins, from his family background, with his dad also a champion player, through to his contribution to Geelong's ongoing success on the football field, we learn what has made Tom a star. From a scholarship in 2006 as an under-18, Tom’s career has been full of accolades, including three times being part of a winning premiership team for Geelong, four McClelland trophies, five all Australian team selections, a Coleman medal in 2020, eleven times being the leading goal-kicker for Geelong and many many other accolades. In Tom Hawkins: An Autobiography you will discover what has made him the star player he is, and meet all of the people who have been part of his journey including players, coaches and family. Tom's story is rich with events, people and the development of a winning attitude that has been his mainstay.