A father prepares himself for the day he lets go of his daughter’s hand. A young man breaks up with his girlfriend so they can both follow their dreams. A couple play nice in public to hide the fractures at home. A woman rebuilds herself along with a flood-devastated city. A working mum contemplates taking the photographs of her late husband down from the fridge. A grandmother dreams of seeing her grandson’s face. A renowned 100-year-old scientist ponders the one great earthly puzzle he was never able to solve: ‘What is love?’

Inspired by a personal moment of profound love and generosity, bestselling author-and one of Australia’s finest journalists-Trent Dalton spent two months in 2021 gathering stories on his sky-blue 1960s Olivetti typewriter, on a prominent street corner in Brisbane’s CBD.