Coast

From the winner of the ACT Book of the year Award for his first book, The River, comes this celebration of the Australian seascape, from its natural grandeur to the quirky individualism of those who live beside it. It is also the heartfelt and pertinent story of the issues facing our coast today and the resilience of communities at a turning point. Chris Hammer travels the length of the east coast of Australia on a journey of discovery and reflection, from the Torres Strait to Tasmania; from an island whose beach has been lost forever to the humbling optimism of the survivors of Cyclone yasi; from the showy beaches of Sydney to a beautiful village that endures despite the loss of its fishing fleet. This is a relevant, satisfying and highly readable book, imbued with a sense of optimism and humour. Even as new economic imperatives emerge and the shift in our climate becomes apparent, we can revel in the heritage and character of our shores, reminding us why the coast is so important to all of us.

Chris Hammer is a leading Australian author of crime fiction with sales of over 1.5 million copies around the world. His first novel, Scrublands, was an instant bestseller when it was published in mid-2018. It won the prestigious UK Crime Writers Association John Creasey Award for best debut crime novel in 2019 and was shortlisted for various awards in Australia and the United States. Scrublands and subsequent books have been sold into translation in multiple languages, and made into a hit television series. His follow-up books—Silver (2019), Trust (2020), Treasure & Dirt (2021), The Tilt (2022), The Seven (2023), The Valley (2024) and Legacy (2025)—are also bestsellers, and many have been shortlisted for major literary prizes. Before turning to fiction, Chris was a journalist for more than thirty years, dividing his career between covering Australian federal politics and international affairs. He reported from more than thirty countries on six continents with SBS TV, while in Canberra his roles included chief political correspondent for The Bulletin, senior writer for The Age and online political editor for the Sydney Morning Herald. Chris has also written two non-fiction books, The River (2010; 2025) and The Coast (2012). He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Charles Sturt University and a master's degree in international relations from the Australian National University.