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US kids authors launch digital festival in wake of cancellations

Wednesday, 18 March 2020
In the US, a group of children’s authors have launched a digital festival focused on children’s literature, after more than a dozen US literary festivals were cancelled in less than...

Morrissey awarded Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship

Wednesday, 18 March 2020
John Morrissey, a Melbourne writer of Kalkadoon descent, has been awarded the 2020 Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship. Morrissey’s winning submission, ‘The Dig’, is described as ‘a riotous, page-turning short story...

Amazon deprioritises book sales

Wednesday, 18 March 2020
In the US and Europe, Amazon has deprioritised book sales as the company works to meet the surge in demand for household staples, medical supplies and other high demand products,...

CBCA NSW branch conference postponed

Wednesday, 18 March 2020
The NSW branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has postponed its professional development conference until 8 September, in line with government directions about mass gatherings. Originally scheduled...

About Australia Reads

Tuesday, 17 March 2020
Reaching more than 11 million Australians in 2019, Australian Reading Hour has become the most successful campaign to unite the nation to pick up a book and discover the joys...

Get involved in Australia Reads 2020

Tuesday, 17 March 2020
Register now to get involved in Australia Reads 2020. To make a pledge to read please visit www.australiareads.org.au Join the conversation with #AustraliaReads and #AustraliaReadsAtHome The project has been assisted...

What do our ambassadors say about Australia Reads?

Tuesday, 17 March 2020
'Being surrounded by wonderful picture books from a young age inspired me to dream of one day becoming an illustrator and author. However, the less obvious reason is that reading...

Latest cancellations: SWF, the Wheeler Centre, MJBW and ABDA Awards

Tuesday, 17 March 2020
A number of festivals and literary organisations made announcements overnight related to the Covid-19 outbreak. Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF) organisers said the festival's cancellation was an ‘inevitable but nonetheless devastating...

SRB announces recipients of Emerging Critics fellowships

Tuesday, 17 March 2020
The Sydney Review of Books has announced the recipients of this year’s Copyright Agency–SRB Emerging Critics fellowships. The recipients are: Bryan Andy (NSW) Cher Tan (VIC) Keyvan Allahyari (VIC) Prithvi Varatharajan...

Penguin Literary Prize shortlist 2020 announced

Tuesday, 17 March 2020
Penguin Random House (PRH) has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Penguin Literary Prize, worth $20,000. The prize, now in its third year, aims to find and develop new Australian...

LEB conference postponed

Monday, 16 March 2020
Leading Edge Books (LEB) has postponed the upcoming LEB conference, scheduled for 22–24 March, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. LEB said in a statement this morning that it has...

SLV shuts doors temporarily amid state of emergency in Victoria

Monday, 16 March 2020
State Library Victoria (SLV) will temporarily close all public spaces and cancel or postpone upcoming events as ‘a preventative measure’ against the current coronavirus pandemic. The news comes alongside announcements...

US staff at PRH, Macmillan to work from home; Madrid Book Fair postponed

Monday, 16 March 2020
In response to the global coronavirus pandemic, the US offices of Penguin Random House and Macmillan will remain open but staff have been instructed to work from home. In an...

National Book Critics Circle Awards winners announced

Monday, 16 March 2020
In the US, the winners of the 2019 National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Awards have been announced. The winners include: Fiction Everything Inside: Stories (Edwidge Danticat, Knopf) Nonfiction Say Nothing:...

Clunes Booktown Festival cancelled

Friday, 13 March 2020
Clunes Booktown Festival 2020 has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The festival was scheduled for the weekend of 2–3 May, with the program featuring over 30 authors including...

Evaristo, Taddeo, Jamison among 2020 SWF lineup

Friday, 13 March 2020
The program has been announced for the 2020 Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF), which runs from 27 April to 3 May. Over 400 local and international writers, journalists and public figures...

Zimet joins Edinburgh International Book Festival

Friday, 13 March 2020
Former Sydney Writers’ Festival associate director and Broadside festival founding director Tamara Zimet has been appointed deputy program director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF). ‘We were overwhelmed by...

ASA Writers and Illustrators Mentorship Program winners announced

Friday, 13 March 2020
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced the winners of its 2020 Writers and Illustrators Mentorship Program. The winners are: Adult fiction Victoria Benn Jennifer Carlisle Bon-Wai Chou Will...

Coronavirus wreaks conference havoc, Stella Prize shortlist and latest industry moves

Thursday, 12 March 2020
The fallout from the global coronavirus crisis continued this week, with the inevitable cancellation of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Locally, organisers pulled the pin on the ALIA national conference,...

PANZ International Conference postponed until September

Thursday, 12 March 2020
The Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) has postponed the PANZ International Conference, initially scheduled for 30 April–1 May, until 17–18 September. ‘PANZ Council and the organising committee … have...

Australia’s literary readership is shrinking

Thursday, 12 March 2020
‘I think we are in a period of stagnation. New titles continue to be published into the established categories, and readers are even more prone than before to act like...

RiP Shirley Stackhouse

Thursday, 12 March 2020
Sydney-based author and gardening personality Shirley Stackhouse has died, aged 92. Stackhouse was the Sydney Morning Herald’s gardening columnist for more than 30 years, during which time she dispatched gardening advice and illustrated the column with...