ABIA 2018 longlists announced Archive
Thursday, 8 March 2018
The longlists for the 2018 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) have been announced. The titles in each category are: General fiction book of the year Force of Nature (Jane Harper,...
20,000 attend PFWW; Beer tops bestsellers Archive
Wednesday, 7 March 2018
Twenty thousand people attended the 2018 Perth Festival Writer’s Week (PFWW), which ran from 19 to 25 February. Attendance was down on last year’s event, but a festival spokesperson said...
New spec fic festival announces headliners Kaufman, Kristoff and Canavan Archive
Wednesday, 7 March 2018
The creators of the Morning Bell literary podcast have announced a new festival focusing on speculative fiction and ‘the craft of writing’. The Speculate Literary Festival will run on Saturday...
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature 2018 winners announced; Winton donates prize money to Ningaloo Reef protection Archive
Monday, 5 March 2018
The winners of the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature were announced at a ceremony on 3 March as part of Adelaide Writers’ Week. The winners in each category are:...
McLean appointed acting CEO of UPLIT and BWF Archive
Thursday, 22 February 2018
Ann McLean has been appointed acting chief executive officer for 2018 at UPLIT, the organisation responsible for the Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF). McLean will serve in the role while the...
New storytelling festival to launch at multilingual kids’ bookshop in Sydney Archive
Friday, 16 February 2018
Lost in Books, a specialist multilingual children’s bookshop in Sydney’s western suburbs, is launching a new annual festival to highlight music, storytelling and ideas in multilingual communities. The inaugural In...
Scott appointed chair of SWF Archive
Thursday, 15 February 2018
Mark Scott AO has been appointed chair of the Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF) board, beginning on 15 February. Scott, who joined the SWF board in July 2016, is replacing chair...
Inaugural ‘Rising Star’ award added to ABIAs 2018 Archive
Wednesday, 14 February 2018
The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) has introduced a new award to recognise emerging talent in the publishing industry. The inaugural Rising Star of the Year Award will be presented...
Blythe to direct Homecooked Comics Festival Archive
Tuesday, 13 February 2018
Publicity and marketing manager at Black Inc. Marian Blythe has been announced as festival director for the 2018 Homecooked Comics Festival. Blythe, who was formerly marketing manager at Scribe, will...
ASA launches virtual ‘literary speed dating’ for regional members Archive
Friday, 9 February 2018
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) will launch its first virtual ‘literary speed dating’ session for regional members as part of Red Dirt Writers’ Week. ASA members in remote and...
Inaugural children’s literature festival to be held in WA Archive
Thursday, 8 February 2018
A new festival celebrating children’s literature and arts will be held in Claremont, Western Australia from 9-13 May. The inaugural Scribblers Festival is conceived by WA arts advocacy organisation FORM...
FWF expands to two festivals in 2018 Archive
Monday, 5 February 2018
The Feminist Writers Festival (FWF) has announced it will expand to two festivals in 2018, with the theme ‘rewriting the story’. FWF will run its first New South Wales festival in...
VIPs announced for 2018 SWF Archive
Friday, 2 February 2018
The Australia Council for the Arts has announced the guests attending the 2018 Visiting International Publishers (VIPs) program, to be held alongside the Sydney Writers’ Festival in early May. The...
Full program for Adelaide Writers’ Week 2018 announced Archive
Thursday, 1 February 2018
The full program for Adelaide Writers’ Week, which runs from 3-8 March, has been announced. This year’s festival is dedicated to children's author Mem Fox, who will be in conversation...
Full program announced for 2018 Perth Writers Week Archive
Friday, 19 January 2018
The full program has been announced for the 2018 Perth Festival Writers Week, which runs from 19-25 February. Events at the festival include the pairing of ‘literary giants’ Kim Scott...
SWF announces earlier dates for 2018, 2019 Archive
Wednesday, 10 January 2018
The 2018 Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF) will be held from 30 April to 6 May—a month earlier than in previous years. The date change is due to the festival’s temporary...
ABIAs 2018 date, venue announced Archive
Wednesday, 10 January 2018
The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) will be held on Thursday, 3 May this year. This year’s awards will be held at the International Convention Centre Sydney to accommodate the...
Attendance up at SPN conference; children’s books a growth area for small publishers Archive
Tuesday, 28 November 2017
The Small Press Network’s (SPN) sixth Independent Publishing Conference was held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on 16-18 November. With attendance up on last year, SPN general manager Matthia...
Dark Mofo festival announces new ‘literature, film and ideas’ program Archive
Monday, 27 November 2017
Tasmania’s midwinter festival Dark Mofo will incorporate a new ‘literature, film and ideas’ program into its June 2018 festival. The Dark and Dangerous Thoughts (DDT) program will ‘comprise a curated...
SWF 2018 schools program announced Archive
Wednesday, 22 November 2017
The Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF) has announced the line-up for the 2018 Primary and Secondary School Days programs, to be held from 2 to 7 May. Former UK children’s laureate,...
First authors announced for 2018 Perth Writers Week Archive
Monday, 13 November 2017
The first authors have been announced for the 2018 Perth Writers Week, which runs from 19-25 February. The guests include UK author Alan Hollinghurst, Canadian author Louise Penny and local...
SPN Independent Publishing Conference 2017 program announced Archive
Tuesday, 31 October 2017
The Small Press Network (SPN) has launched the program for its 2017 Independent Publishing Conference, which will run at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne from 16-18 November. The three-day conference...
First authors announced for 2018 Adelaide Writers’ Week Archive
Friday, 27 October 2017
A number of authors have been announced for the 2018 Adelaide Writers’ Week, which runs from 3-8 March. Among the big-name international authors attending the festival are US novelist Barbara...
Noted festival on hiatus in 2018 Archive
Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Canberra’s experimental writers’ festival Noted will not be held in 2018. The festival announced on its website in September that it will spend the next year ‘looking at ways to...
Rushdie to headline Melbourne’s Global Atheist Convention in 2018 Archive
Friday, 20 October 2017
UK author Salman Rushdie will headline the 2018 Global Atheist Convention, which runs from 9-11 February at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. International guests also include UK author Richard...
Authors announced for NZ Festival Archive
Thursday, 19 October 2017
The New Zealand Festival in Wellington has announced the authors appearing at its Writers and Readers stream, which runs from 8-11 March 2018. Among the international guests are US sci-fi...
Feminist Writers Festival receives state government funding for 2018 event Archive
Monday, 16 October 2017
The Feminist Writers Festival (FWF) has received $45,000 in funding from the Victorian Government to stage its second festival in 2018. The four-day festival will be held in Melbourne and...
ABA to hold 2018 conference in Canberra Archive
Monday, 16 October 2017
The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) will hold its 2018 conference in Canberra on 17-18 June. The conference and trade exhibition will be held at the QT Hotel and the gala...
Carey to headline Geelong’s Word for Word Nonfiction festival Archive
Friday, 6 October 2017
Novelist Peter Carey will headline this year’s Word for Word Nonfiction festival, which runs at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre from 17-19 November. Carey will be in conversation with...
LEB to hold 2018 conference in Hobart Archive
Wednesday, 4 October 2017
Leading Edge Books (LEB) will hold its annual conference on 25-27 March 2018 at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Hobart. The conference program will incorporate a half-day supplier trade show...





