This series of short books on big subjects, written by extraordinary thinkers from across Aotearoa, has had a mighty big impact since it kicked off in 2013. You’ve probably crossed paths with a BWB Text before – they have a way of sneaking into the haul at the bookshop, being discussed at dinner parties… there’s probably one in your bag right now, awaiting a moment at the bus stop.  

The line up now numbers over 100 titles, including such gems as Kāinga: People, Land, Belonging, by Paul Tapsell; Marilyn Waring’s Still Counting: Wellbeing, Women’s Work and Policy-making; Old Asian, New Asian by K. Emma Ng; False Divides by Lana Lopesi; The Interregnum, Rethinking New Zealand, edited by Morgan Godfery; Island Time: New Zealand's Pacific Futures by Damon Salesa … we could go on but just take a look at the full list here to save us reproducing it in entirety. BWB Texts are an adept chart of all the issues burning through the country’s minds and being argued over its dinner tables.

Little books with big heart

It's exactly the kind of stuff we like – probing, erudite, provocative in all the right ways, and critical to the last. We’re now into our fourth year sponsoring these small-but-perfectly-formed little tomes, and our appreciation only grows. 

And, we’re not alone in our admiration. 

 "Splendid little books," said Harry Broad on RNZ’s Nine to Noon. "These are little books with big heart... They cover the big stories in a very concise way." Adds Fiona Farrell: "BWB supplies a forum for our best writers to contribute not as practitioners of their especial genre, but as citizens, voicing a point of view about life in this country at this point in its history."

“They’re all incisive and they’ve all got really good stamina and design,” Unity Book’s Tilly Lloyd told RNZ. 

Needless to say, BWB Texts get our total two thumbs up.