Inaugural New Voices of Aotearoa winners announced
Monday, 16 June 2025
The Coalition for Books has announced the winners of the inaugural New Voices of Aotearoa competition. Chosen from over 30 nominations, the winners are: Wellington essayist Una Cruickshank Raglan journalist,...
Sharp acquires Marshall short story film rights
Monday, 16 June 2025
Melbourne-based filmmaker Tim Sharp has acquired the film option to Wayne Marshall’s short story ‘A Night Out’ from Marshall’s debut collection Shirl (Affirm Press), via Martin Shaw at Shaw Literary. Sharp...
ACT Literary Awards 2025 shortlist announced
Thursday, 12 June 2025
MARION ACT has announced the shortlists for the 2025 ACT Literary Awards. The shortlisted titles are: Children’s literature shortlist (younger readers) Alphabetter (Maura Pierlot, illus by Jorge Garcia Redondo, Affirm Kids)...
Colussi wins 2025 Penguin Literary Prize
Thursday, 12 June 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has announced Touch Grass by Mary Colussi as the winner of the 2025 Penguin Literary Prize. Chosen from a shortlist of six, Touch Grass is...
UQP acquires Lucashenko’s first nonfiction title
Thursday, 12 June 2025
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired ANZ rights to Not Quite White in the Head, a collection of essays and journalism by Melissa Lucashenko, via Alex Adsett of...
First events announced for Red Room Poetry Month 2025
Thursday, 12 June 2025
Red Room Poetry has announced the first events for the 2025 program for the annual Poetry Month, set to run 30 July – 3 September 2025. Originally launched in 2021,...
Varuna First Nations Fellowship 2025 recipients announced
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Varuna, the National Writers' House has announced 12 recipients of the 2025 Copyright Agency First Nations Fellowship. The 2025 fellowship recipients are: Sharlene Allsopp Alison J Barton Skye Cusack Eugenia...
Q-Lit Festival 2025 program announced
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
The program for the 2025 Q-Lit Festival, running this year 20–28 June, has been announced. Under the theme 'What Fills Your Cup', the 2025 festival will begin with an opening...
Writers, industry professionals named in King’s Birthday Honours
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
The recipients of the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours have been announced. Various writers and book industry professionals are among those presented with awards. Appointed a Companion of the Order of...
Transit Lounge acquires Gates novel
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to The Phantom Surrealist by Geoffrey Gates. According to the publisher, the novel follows protagonist Christopher Tiffen as he ‘moves between Sydney, London, Paris, Barcelona,...
First Nations Writers Festival award winners announced
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
The First Nations Writers Festival (FNWF) has announced the 2025 winners of the festival's book awards and short story awards. Winning titles are: Book award 'Dual' (Marshall Ericho, PNG) 'Resilient...
ASLA DANZ Children’s Book Award winners announced
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
The Australian School Library Association (ASLA) has announced the 2025 Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (DANZ) Children's Book Award winners. Winning titles, chosen from a shortlist announced in...
Fremantle Press launches 2025 Books for Little Bookaburras program
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Fremantle Press has launched its 2025 Books for Little Bookaburras program, an initiative that distributes a selection of Western Australian books to young readers aged 3–4 within the state. Books...
2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults shortlists
Thursday, 5 June 2025
The 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults (NZCYA) shortlists have been announced. The shortlisted titles, chosen from 156 entries, are: The BookHub Picture Book Award Beddy...
PANZ withdraws from the 2027 Bologna Guest of Honour Program
Thursday, 5 June 2025
The Publishers Association of New Zealand/Te Rau o Tākupu (PANZ) has announced that it has ‘withdrawn its commitment’ to be the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2027 Country Guest of Honour...
The 2025 Deep Creek Residency Fellowship shortlist announced
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Matilda Bookshop, in partnership with Writers South Australia, and in association with Ultimo Press, has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Deep Creek Residency Fellowship. The annual fellowship is offered...
Reid wins 2025 Landfall Tauraka Young Writers’ Essay Prize
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Ava Reid has been announced the Landfall Young Writers’ Essay Competition winner for her essay ‘Two and a Half Mealworms’. An Ōtepoti resident, Reid is an anthropology student at Ōtakou...
Julia Marshall included in 2025 Aotearoa New Zealand King’s Birthday Honours
Thursday, 5 June 2025
As part of the 2025 King's Birthday Honours, Julia Marshall has been announced as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit ‘for services to children's literature’, Publishers Association...
Slatter announced as 2025 Hedberg Writer-in-Residence
Thursday, 5 June 2025
The University of Tasmania has announced author Angela Slatter as the 2025 Hedberg Writer-in-Residence, running from 4 August to 12 December 2025. Slatter receives a $20,000 stipend, three months of...
Green appointed Story Factory chair
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Ali Green has been appointed chair of the Story Factory board, replacing Gemma Salteri, who served three three-year terms. Story Factory is a not-for-profit organisation delivering creative writing programs for...
A&U Aotearoa New Zealand acquires Shapiro’s second novel
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand has acquired world rights for Good Things Come and Go by Josie Shapiro. The novel follows Penny Whittaker and Adam Riggs after the death of...
Summit Books acquires Gray’s ‘Chosen Family’
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Summit Books has acquired ANZ rights to Chosen Family by Madeleine Gray, via Grace Heifetz at a4 Literary. Overseas, Chosen Family was also acquired by Lettice Franklin at Orion (UK), via...
Murdoch acquires Leong memoir
Tuesday, 3 June 2025
Murdoch Books has acquired world rights to Guts by Melissa Leong, a ‘gripping, incisive, and darkly funny memoir’. ‘Guts is a powerful exploration of identity, resilience and finding the courage...
Bendigo Writers Festival 2025 program announced
Tuesday, 3 June 2025
The program for the 2025 Bendigo Writers Festival program, which runs 15–17 August on Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung Country, has been announced. The festival will open with an ABC Radio...
Hardie Grant Melbourne office moves to Collingwood
Tuesday, 3 June 2025
Hardie Grant has announced the relocation of its Melbourne office. The new office, located in the T3 building in Collingwood, offers ‘spaces for both teamwork and focused individual work, reflecting...
Roberts-Orr wins 2024 Anne Elder Award
Tuesday, 3 June 2025
Raw Salt (Vagabond Press) by Izzy Roberts-Orr has been announced the winner of the 2024 Anne Elder Award. The prize is awarded annually for a debut, solo-authored collection of poetry,...
Disher, Bishop on CWA Dagger shortlists
Monday, 2 June 2025
Garry Disher and DV Bishop have been shortlisted for the UK Crime Writers’ Association’s (CWA) 2025 Dagger Awards. Disher and Bishop were shortlisted from longlists announced earlier this year. The shortlisted...
2025 Michael King Writers Centre Australian Residency announced
Monday, 2 June 2025
The 2025 Michael King Writers Centre Australian Residency, in association with Varuna, The National Writers House, has announced Ingrid Horrock as the 2025 Aotearoa New Zealand winner. Horrock is the author...
Dorothy Hewett Award 2025 shortlist announced
Monday, 2 June 2025
UWA Publishing has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Dorothy Hewett Award for an unpublished manuscript. The shortlisted manuscripts, chosen from over 300 entries, are: ‘Clutch Feathers, Draw Breath’ by...
PRH acquires Stedman’s ‘A Far-flung Life’
Monday, 2 June 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has acquired ANZ rights to A Far-flung Life by ML Stedman. The novel will be published simultaneously with Doubleday in the UK. A Far-flung Life...
