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May 2026 new releases from Black Inc.
Four standout new books this May – from urgent reportage to gripping history and extraordinary nature writing: Sirens by Martin McKenzie-Murray, a moving glimpse into the lives of three first responders, the triumphant The Shortest History of Ireland by James Hawes, The Enigmatic Echidna from biologist and natural history author Danielle Clode and The Shortest History of Scotland by Murray Pittock – a dazzling account of Scotland’s defining past.
'Courageous and deeply moving.' —Sarah Krasnostein, author of The Trauma Cleaner
‘Amazingly lucid . . . leaping off the page as it cuts through the weeds. In short, it’s accessible in a good way.’ —Professor Stuart Ward, Harvard University
'The Enigmatic Echidna asks us to look past the assumption that its subject is no more than an evolutionary curio to reveal an animal rich in cultural and scientific significance. Written with rigour and expansive curiosity, it contains multitudes.' —James Bradley
From clan castles and conflict to Hadrian's Wall and Brexit
About the authors
Martin McKenzie-Murray is The Saturday Paper's associate editor and a staff writer for The Monthly. He is a two-time Walkley finalist and winner of the Melbourne Press Club's Quill Award for commentary. He has worked as a teacher, speechwriter, columnist for The Age and adviser to the chief commissioner of Victoria Police. His first book, A Murder Without Motive, was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Awards for crime writing. His second, The Speechwriter, …
More about Martin McKenzie-Murray
James Hawes published six novels before turning to non-fiction. His books include The Shortest History of Germany and The Shortest History of England, which have sold more than half a million copies around the world. He has known Ireland since the 1970s, lectured for two years at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, and is married to an Irishwoman.
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Danielle Clode is a biologist and natural history author. Her books include Koala, winner of the 2023 Whitley Award for Popular Ecology; Killers in Eden, which was made into an award-winning ABC TV documentary; Voyage to the South Seas, winner of the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Non-fiction; In Search of the Woman Who Sailed the World; and The Wasp and the Orchid, which was shortlisted for National Biography Award.
More about Danielle Clode
Murray Pittock MAE FRSE is Scotland's leading cultural historian. His books include Culloden, Enlightenment in a Smart City, The Myth of the Jacobite Clans and Robert Burns in Global Culture.
More about Murray Pittock
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