In 1935 the British publisher Allen Lane produced a range of 10 books in a revolutionary paperback binding and put them on sale for sixpence each. The distinctive orange and white books made Penguin a household name, synonymous with good literature and popular learning. Eleven years later an Australian office was set up in a tin shed in South Melbourne. A Rare Birdis the vivid portrayal of the dramas, the tensions, the books and the people involved in building what is today one of the largest and most successful book publishing operations in the country.