It’s been a busy start to the year, building toward the Manly Writers’ Festival in March and preparing a strong new line-up of books for 2026. If you enjoy thoughtful sports writing, history, memoir, and books about life, this season is for you.
Here’s what’s happening.
📚 Fair Play Publishing at the Manly Writers’ Festival (19–22 March)
We’re proud to be part of this year’s Manly Writers’ Festival program, with Fair Play authors appearing across multiple sessions — from sport and history to memoir and big-idea conversations.
The Festival is headlined by the Thomas Keneally Oration on the opening night of Thursday, 19th March.
You’ll find our books at the festival bookshop and many of our authors on stage across the four days. If you’re coming along, please say hello — independent publishing only works because readers show up.
🎟️ View the full festival program and tickets here.
📖 Featured Fair Play Titles at the Festival
Look out for sessions and signings connected to:
• Football history and culture
• Memoir and personal journeys
• Australian sporting heritage
• New fiction voices
(We’ll share a dedicated festival author guide later)
🚀 Forthcoming Books — On the Way
We have several new titles to hit bookstores next month:
• Jumping Jack by Garry Jack with Adam Hawse
• Home, Forever by Anna Dombkins
• Betrayal by J S Ayliffe
👥 Readers’ Bench — Early Copies & Honest Reviews
Our Readers’ Bench program connects keen readers with advance copies in exchange for thoughtful feedback and reviews. If you’d like to be considered for upcoming titles, let us know.
⚽️ Independent Publishing Matters
Fair Play Publishing remains an independent press that focuses on stories that larger houses often overlook, especially in sport, history, and lived experience. Every purchase, review, library request, and recommendation makes a difference.
If you’ve read one of our books recently, a short online review is one of the most helpful things you can do for an author.
More soon, including Festival session highlights and new release announcements.