Free | Books+Publishing

Australian illustrator Tanner longlisted for 2018 Kate Greenaway Medal Archive

Friday, 16 February 2018
Australian illustrator Jane Tanner has been longlisted for the 2018 Kate Greenaway Medal for her work on the picture book Storm Whale (written by Sarah Brennan, A&U). Tanner was chosen...

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...

Introducing Scribble Archive

Thursday, 15 February 2018
Scribe Publications’ picture book imprint, Scribble, is ‘a vibrant, eclectic list of illustrated books for children’ that combines ‘editorial expertise with innovative design and production’. Publisher Miriam Rosenbloom spoke to Think...

Middle-grade historical epic wins Prime Minister’s Literary Award Archive

Thursday, 15 February 2018
Wendy Orr’s Minoan-era historical epic, Dragonfly Song (Allen & Unwin), was the joint winner of the Prime Minister’s Literary Award (PMLA) for children’s fiction, and has also been shortlisted for...

‘Akarnae’ tops young adult bestsellers chart Archive

Thursday, 15 February 2018
Lynette Noni takes top spot in the young adult (YA) bestseller chart for January with Akarnae, the first in Noni’s fantasy series, the ‘Medoran Chronicles’. The third book in the...

US bookstore sales down in 2017 Archive

Thursday, 15 February 2018
Preliminary estimates from the US Census Bureau indicate bookstore sales in the US dropped 3.6% in 2017 compared to 2016, reports Publishers Weekly. Sales in 2017 are estimated at $10.73...

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...

Amazon to axe hundreds of jobs Archive

Thursday, 15 February 2018
In the US, Amazon is cutting several hundred jobs at its Seattle headquarters, focused mainly on its established consumer retail business, reports the Seattle Times. The cuts come after the...

Aurealis Awards 2017 finalists announced Archive

Thursday, 15 February 2018
The finalists for the 2017 Aurealis Awards, presented for science-fiction, fantasy and horror writing in Australia, have been announced. Judging coordinator Tehani Croft said she was ‘impressed by the breadth...

Debut picture book builds international buzz Archive

Thursday, 15 February 2018
Scribble, has sold rights to two forthcoming children’s books: world rights (ex ANZ) to Antonia Pesenti’s board book Rhyme Cordial were sold to Phaidon ahead of its Australian release date in May,...

Gleitzman to be ambassador for Australian children’s lit Archive

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
The position of Australian Children’s Laureate was created to ‘promote the importance and transformational power of reading, creativity and story in the lives of young Australians’, and this week Morris...

PRH and Books on the Rail launch ‘blind date with a book’ initiative Archive

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Penguin Random House Australia has partnered with Books on the Rail and the Street Library to launch a ‘blind date with a book’ campaign to coincide with Valentine’s Day. The...

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...

Trump’s budget proposal calls for elimination of library funding Archive

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
In the US, the Trump administration has argued for the elimination of the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities (NEA and NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library...

Rights round-up Archive

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Sales Fiction: Penguin Random House Australia has licensed French-language rights to All Day at the Movies (Fiona Kidman); and German-language rights to The Chocolate Tin (Fiona McIntosh). Nonfiction: Penguin Random...

WA libraries launch film-streaming service Kanopy statewide Archive

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Western Australian public libraries have rolled out movie-streaming service Kanopy to all its members across the state, reports the West Australian. WA library members will be able to access more...

New NLA Indigenous curator highlights library’s oral history collection Archive

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Newly appointed National Library of Australia (NLA) Indigenous curator Rebecca Bateman has highlighted the library’s ‘Bringing Them Home’ oral history collection, which holds more than 300 spoken-word testimonies from both...

Controversy over sexual harassment in US children’s publishing; accused writer responds Archive

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Jay Asher, author of the young adult novel Thirteen Reasons Why, has responded to reports he was ‘expelled’ from the US Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) for...

New podcast on Australian kids’ books launches Archive

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
A new fortnightly podcast about Australian children’s books has launched. One More Page focuses on Australian picture books through to middle-grade titles, and includes interviews, book reviews and competitions. Creators,...