Are we ready for our post-American future? In an era of rising danger for all, and dramatic choices for Australia, Hugh White explores how the world is changing and how Australia should respond.

‘Informative and timely ’—Books+Publishing 

‘This book takes you from the tiniest quantum quirks to the grand sweep of the cosmos, all in one exhilarating ride.’ —Dr Karl Kruszelnick

‘Engaging, timely, and written straight from the heart, Don’t Forget to Smile . . .  is a call to action, a love letter to ballet and an unputdownable read for ages 12+.’ —Readings Books

August 2026 brings three standout new titles: Realms of Gold by A.J. Mackinnon, the sequel to the bestselling The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow; Alice’s dreaming – a remarkable new work of history from Tom Griffiths; and Truth Under Fire by Daniel Seaton, a biography of six Australian Second World War correspondents. Also landing this month is Hard New World by Hugh White – a thoroughly expanded edition of the bestselling Quarterly Essay 98 – plus two Black Inc. favourites in fresh new editions: a new paperback of The Shortest History of Australia by Mark McKenna, and a tenth-anniversary edition of The Art of Time Travel by Tom Griffiths.

This month, we’re publishing four fascinating new books: The Shortest History of Reality by Geraint F. Lewis, an accessible journey through the history of the universe; The Shortest History of the United States of America by Don Watson, now available in paperback; Neighbours: Australia and the Pacific by Joanne Wallis and Jack Corbett, a timely look at Australia’s place in the region; and Don’t Forget to Smile by Ariane Beeston, a gripping YA novel exploring fame, power and consent in the elite ballet world.

From one of Australia’s most celebrated literary voices comes a luminous and deeply original novella. In Little World, Josephine Rowe weaves together lives across continents and decades in a haunting tale of faith, memory and the mysteries that shape us.

From Black Inc. in June 2026: Anna Goldsworthy’s brilliant new Quarterly Essay The God We Made; the twentieth-anniversary edition of Alice Pung’s beloved Unpolished Gem, alongside a beautiful new B-format edition of Alice's 2022 novel One Hundred Days; and Maria Golia’s The Shortest History of Egypt, a fresh perspective on one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring civilisations.

Egypt is historically the most photographed, studied, fictionalised and commoditised place on Earth...

A David-and-Goliath story set in the ancient landscape of the Pilbara