Australian authors are dominating bestseller lists at independent bookshops across the country this Christmas, as customers seeking personal recommendations and the human touch have helped keep stores busy despite the threat of online retailers and Black Friday sales

The new book by Sydney-based cooking sensation Nagi Maehashi, Tonight – or RecipeTin Eats, as her website is called – was the most popular nationally in both physical retail and online sales, according to industry watchers Nielsen BookData.