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O’Brien awarded £40k David Cohen Prize for Literature

Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Irish novelist Edna O'Brien has been awarded the £40,000 (A$75,800) David Cohen Prize for Literature, which recognises a living writer from the UK or Ireland's lifetime achievement in literature. O'Brien...

‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’ sold into multiple territories ahead of ANZ release

Tuesday, 26 November 2019
International rights to Pip Williams’ debut novel The Dictionary of Lost Words (Affirm, April) have been sold in multiple territories following this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. UK and Commonwealth rights...

Medieval mystery ‘The Western Wind’ wins 2019 Staunch Book Prize

Tuesday, 26 November 2019
In the UK, Samantha Harvey has won the 2019 Staunch Book Prize—for the best thriller novel in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped or murdered—for her novel...

Clark wins Sisters in Crime Scarlet Stiletto Award 2019

Tuesday, 26 November 2019
The winners of the 2019 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, presented by Sisters in Crime, have been announced. Melbourne-based writer and former Herald Sun books editor Blanche Clark won the $1500 first...

Dr Karl awarded UNESCO Kalinga Prize

Monday, 25 November 2019
The United Nations has awarded Karl Kruszelnicki, popularly known as Dr Karl, the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularisation of Science at the World Science Forum in Budapest, Hungary. He...

Matt Okine’s debut novel to be adapted for film

Monday, 25 November 2019
Sydney-based production company Aquarius Films has acquired film rights to comedian Matt Okine’s debut novel Being Black 'N Chicken, & Chips (Hachette), reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Principal producer Angie...

PRH sells Aung Than graphic novel series to US in six-figure deal

Monday, 25 November 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold North American rights to the first three books in Gavin Aung Than’s middle-grade graphic novel series ‘Super Sidekicks’ to Random House Children's Books...

Christmas predictions: Nat Latter from Rabble Books & Games in Perth

Friday, 22 November 2019
In the lead-up to Christmas, the busiest time of year on the bookselling calendar, Books+Publishing is asking booksellers across the country to predict their biggest sellers and surprise sellers. In this instalment, Nat...

Black Inc. sells ‘The Motivation Hoax’ to UK

Friday, 22 November 2019
Black Inc. has sold UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) to James Adonis’ The Motivation Hoax: A smart person’s guide to inspirational nonsense (Nero) to The History Press. The History Press,...

Hardy to step down as MWF artistic director

Friday, 22 November 2019
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) artistic director Marieke Hardy has announced she will leave her role ahead of the 2020 festival, after completing two years of a three-year contract. Hardy advised...

‘A Secret Safe to Tell’ wins Chinese children’s award

Friday, 22 November 2019
In China, a translated edition of Naomi Hunter’s A Secret Safe to Tell (illus by Karen Erasmus, Empowering Resources) has won the gold award at the Children’s Choice Book Awards. Translated into...

‘Trust Exercise’ wins 2019 National Book Award for fiction

Friday, 22 November 2019
In the US, the winners of the 2019 National Book Awards have been announced. The winners in each category are: Fiction Trust Exercise (Susan Choi, Serpent’s Tail) Nonfiction The Yellow House...

‘Songwoman’ wins 2019 Most Underrated Book Award

Friday, 22 November 2019
Ilka Tampke’s second novel Songwoman (Text) has won the Small Press Network’s (SPN) Most Underrated Book Award (MUBA) for 2019. Songwoman is a sequel to Tampke’s debut novel Skin (Text), published...

Anti-bullying picture book wins Children’s Peace Literature Award

Thursday, 21 November 2019
Sue deGennaro’s picture book Missing Marvin (Scholastic) has won the Children’s Peace Literature Award, presented to a book that ‘encourages the peaceful resolution of conflict’ or ‘promotes peace at the...

‘The Baddest Day Ever’ tops Australian children’s fiction bestsellers chart

Thursday, 21 November 2019
Last year, Allen & Unwin acquired ANZ rights to three new children’s series by Anh Do, author of the bestselling middle-grade series ‘WeirDo’, ‘Hotdog!’ and ‘Ninja Kid’ (all Scholastic). Two...

‘All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors’ sold to US, Canada

Thursday, 21 November 2019
Hardie Grant Egmont has sold US and Canadian rights to the picture book All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors (Davina Bell, illus by Jenny Løvlie) to HarperCollins...

Children’s book awards shine a spotlight on small presses

Thursday, 21 November 2019
A number of Australian and international children’s book awards have been announced over the past month, and it’s interesting to see how many of the winning titles have been published...

Recipients of $150k The Next Chapter initiative announced

Thursday, 21 November 2019
The Wheeler Centre has announced the 10 recipients of the 2019 Next Chapter grants for developing writers, worth $15,000 each. The 2019 recipients are: Arthur Bolkas (nonfiction, VIC) Racheal Oak...

Hardie Grant Reconciliation Action Plan endorsed

Thursday, 21 November 2019
Reconciliation Australia has endorsed Hardie Grant’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which sets a path for the company to work towards reconciliation and constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...

ABDA end-of-year Christmas drinks

Wednesday, 20 November 2019
The Australian Book Designers Association (ABDA) invites all book collaborators (including editors, publishers and illustrators) to its end-of-year Christmas drinks. Celebrations will be held in both Melbourne and Sydney. Light...