A&U acquires third Rose McHugh Mystery novel
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Murder at Thornwood Park, the third book in Joan Sauers’s Rose McHugh Mystery series. Murder at Thornwood Park is “for readers who...
Indie Book Awards 2026 longlists announced
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
The longlist for the 2026 Indie Book Awards has been announced. The longlisted titles in each category are: Fiction Lyrebird (Jane Caro, A&U) Gravity Let Me Go (Trent Dalton, Fourth...
Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2026 longlist announced
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced the longlist for the 2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize. The longlisted poets are: J Andros (United States) Jamil Badi (Vic.) Daragh Byrne (NSW) Elena Croitoru-Reed...
Blak & Bright board director Harrison steps down
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Literary festival Blak & Bright has announced that Jane Harrison (The Visitors, HarperCollins) has stepped down from the board. Harrison was the festival’s first artistic director and CEO. In 2024,...
Bakers Lane acquires Coomer’s “Ravensbourne”
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Bakers Lane Books has acquired world rights to Ravensbourne, a young adult novel by Amy Coomer, in a deal brokered by agent Belinda Bolliger. Ravensbourne follows 17-year-old Maisie McDevitt as...
UWAP acquires McWilliams’s “Bandoola”
Monday, 8 December 2025
UWA Publishing (UWAP) has acquired world rights to Bandoola, a middle-grade historical fiction novel by Beverley McWilliams, following an Australian Society of Authors’ Virtual Literary Speed Dating event in March...
A&U acquires Tunny’s debut novel
Monday, 8 December 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Over to You by Georgie Tunny, in a deal brokered by Cathy Baker at CMC Talent Management. According to the publisher, Over...
SLV controversy continues
Monday, 8 December 2025
State Library Victoria (SLV) has responded in more detail to media reporting of a leaked document outlining job and service cuts and redeployments. Over the past two weeks, the SLV’s...
Copyright Agency announces latest Cultural Fund grants
Thursday, 4 December 2025
Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has announced the recipients of funding in its final round for 2025, including 3 new publishing fellowships. Launched earlier this year, the revamped publishing fellowships “are...
Fremantle Press arrivals and departures
Thursday, 4 December 2025
Fremantle Press has appointed Aimee Harrison as marketing and communications assistant, and farewelled publicist Adam Matthews, who is setting up his own bookstore, Page Boys. Fremantle Press CEO Alex Allan said,...
Writing Australia appointments
Thursday, 4 December 2025
Writing Australia has announced the appointment of Léa Antigny as program manager and Emily Stewart as senior project officer. Antigny has worked at Text Publishing, Pan Macmillan, Giramondo and Pantera...
Rockpool acquires Major Street
Tuesday, 2 December 2025
Rockpool Publishing has announced its acquisition of independent Australian publisher Major Street Publishing. Rockpool will now “assume ownership of Major Street’s brand, frontlist, backlist and author relationships,” said organisers. Major...
Bundyi acquires Sawyer’s debut
Tuesday, 2 December 2025
Bundyi has acquired world rights to Luca Sawyer’s novel Nightcrawlers. Written from a First Nations perspective, Sawyer’s debut explores leaving Country, the experience of urban isolation, and the challenges posed...
MUP acquires Stafford nonfiction
Tuesday, 2 December 2025
Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) has acquired world rights to The Wanted and Unwanted by Annabel Stafford, in a deal brokered by Jeanne Ryckmans at Key People Creative Management. According to the publisher,...
Walker Books partners with Messy Press
Monday, 1 December 2025
Walker Books Australia has announced a new partnership with Aotearoa New Zealand children’s publishing studio Messy Press. Walker Books will “look after sales, distribution and marketing” for the independent children’s...
Living Libraries Infrastructure Program funding announced
Monday, 1 December 2025
The Victorian Government has announced the 2025–26 funding round of the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program (LLIP). The 18 libraries across the state receiving funding are: Banyule City Council – Olympic...
MidnightSun Publishing launches picture book prize
Monday, 1 December 2025
MidnightSun Publishing has announced the MidnightSun Picture Book Prize, a new manuscript prize for emerging or established picture book writers across Australia. Entries are open until 25 December, with the...
Magabala acquires Pascoe & Norris’s “Big Sky”
Monday, 1 December 2025
Magabala Books has acquired Big Sky: When the Emu Left the Earth by First Nations author Bruce Pascoe and astrophysicist Ray Norris. A Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man, Pascoe is...
Morton wins Walkley for “Mean Streak”
Monday, 1 December 2025
Mean Streak (Fourth Estate), Rick Morton’s account of the robodebt scandal, has won this year’s Walkley Book Award. Judges said, “Mean Streak is a riveting and detailed exposition of government...
Majumdar named RMIT’s non/fictionLab Graphic Storyteller Fellow
Thursday, 27 November 2025
RMIT has announced Soolagna Majumdar as the winner of the inaugural non/fictionLab Graphic Storyteller Fellowship for her graphic novel “Food Bird”. Chosen from 48 applicants, Majumdar receives $15,000 in prize...
SLV responds to reports on cuts
Thursday, 27 November 2025
State Library Victoria (SLV) has responded to reports of changes to its services and staffing. On 21 November, the Age reported leaked details of cuts at SLV: “As outlined to...
Woollahra Digital Literary Award 2025 winners announced
Thursday, 27 November 2025
The winners of the 2025 Woollahra Digital Literary Awards have been announced. The winning works in each category are: Fiction ($2500) Nadia Mahjouri for The Miracle (published in Island Magazine) Nonfiction ($2500)...
Thom-Jones takes out top Scarlet Stiletto Award
Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Author Sandra Thom-Jones has won first prize in Sisters in Crime’s 32nd Scarlet Stiletto Awards for her short story “Der Hölle Rache”. Thom-Jones, who identifies as neurodivergent, said, “I’m still...
HarperCollins acquires new Swann novel
Tuesday, 25 November 2025
HarperCollins has acquired ANZ rights to Leah Swann’s novel Later, Only Love Remains, in a deal brokered by Gaby Naher at the Naher Agency. Described by the publisher as a...
Transit Lounge acquires new Kenway novel
Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to East Coast Low, Lisa Kenway’s follow-up to All You Took from Me (also Transit Lounge, 2024). East Coast Low tells the story of...
Beveridge receives lifetime achievement award
Monday, 24 November 2025
Poet Judith Beveridge has been named one of this year’s recipients of Creative Australia Awards for Lifetime Achievement. Born in London in 1956, Beveridge moved to Sydney in 1960. Her...
ABC adapts “The Unbelieved”
Monday, 24 November 2025
Production has commenced on Dustfall, a six-part ABC adaptation of Vikki Petraitis’s 2022 crime novel The Unbelieved (A&U). Allen & Unwin sold film/TV rights to The Unbelieved to UK-based Moonriver TV,...
Five Islands Poetry Prize shortlist announced
Monday, 24 November 2025
The shortlist for the 2024 to 2025 Five Islands Poetry Prize has been announced. Shortlisted titles are: Bathypelagia (Debbie Lim, Cordite) Portraits of Drowning (Madeleine Dale, UQP) The Infant Vine...
The Next Chapter 2026 recipients announced
Monday, 24 November 2025
The Wheeler Centre has announced the 2026 recipients of The Next Chapter fellowship program. The fellowships aim to encourage “voices who aren’t getting heard through conventional publishing channels”, according the...
UQP sells UK and Commonwealth rights to “Dead Ink”
Monday, 24 November 2025
University of Queensland Press (UQP) has sold UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canada and ANZ) rights to Jordan Prosser’s Blue Giant to Dead Ink Books. According to the publisher, Blue Giant...
