The award-winning Alex books, which first appeared in the 1980s, are to be reprinted in one omnibus edition in October 2019. Tessa Duder's series covers Alex Archer's life from early in 1959, vying for selection for the Rome Olympics, her struggles during the winter of 1960, her experiences in Rome in August 1960 and the six months following, when she must make major decisions about her life. She has been described as one of the most memorable characters in all New Zealand literature. The four titles are Alex; Alex in Winter; Alessandra - Alex in Rome and Songs for Alex.