In a Common Hour

Sita Walker


Publish Date   28 January, 2026
RRP   $34.99

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




 

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.

ISBN   9781761153471
Pages   304
Publisher   Ultimo Press
Format   Paperback
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