In a Common Hour

Name: In a Common Hour
Price: 34.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781761153471

Sita Walker

$34.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Ultimo Press
28 January 2026

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Australian Fiction

Sometimes the most important lessons are learnt at lunchtime

Parks State High is a melting pot of misfits. There is Oliver Fish, the teen philosopher hiding a secret relationship; Dev Desai, hopelessly in love with the brilliant Maryam Fadel; and a staffroom thick with gossip, camaraderie and burnt-out teachers. At the centre of it all is well-loved teacher Paul Bush. But when a disgruntled student makes a devastating move – one lunchtime is all it takes for Bushie’s life to change forever.

With a cast of unforgettable characters, In a Common Hour is a smart, funny and wise novel that shows us all the ways we are connected.

PRAISE FOR IN A COMMON HOUR

‘In a Common Hour is a hope-filled masterpiece about contemporary high school classrooms and the people that inhabit them.’ – Gabbie Stroud, author of Teacher and The Things that Matter Most

‘I read this in a gulp. In a Common Hour marks the arrival of a major new talent. Sita Walker makes me fall in love with reading all over again.’ – Nikki Gemmell, author of Wing

‘Walker’s novel is unputdownable. I was charmed, moved, and so sorry to close the covers.’ – Sharlene Allsopp, author of The Great Undoing

‘The full emotional force of Walker’s well-plotted tale arrives in the final chapter, offering an ending that is empathetic to both students and teachers, and ultimately optimistic.’ – Books+Publishing

By: Sita Walker
Imprint: Ultimo Press
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
Weight: 404g
ISBN: 9781761153471
ISBN 10: 1761153471
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 28 January 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Sita Walker is a high school literature teacher, freelance writer and award-winning author whose first book, The God of No Good (Ultimo Press, 2023), won The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Award at the Queensland Literary Awards and the University of Sydney People’s Choice Award at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.