In a Common Hour by Sita Walker

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 Patel, 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

About the Author:

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.

28 Jan 2026
 

In a Common Hour by Sita Walker ISBN 9781761153471