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Report finds bookshops contribute £1.9b to UK economy

Tuesday, 12 September 2017
In the UK, a new report commissioned by the British Booksellers Association (BA) has found that bookshops contribute an estimated £1.9bn (A$3.12bn) annually to the UK economy, support 46,000 jobs,...

Inaugural Boundless festival launches program

Tuesday, 12 September 2017
The full program has been launched for the inaugural Boundless festival for Indigenous and culturally diverse writers. Ellen van Neerven, Julie Koh, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Benjamin Law, Sarah Ayoub and...

PRH acquires new Tim Winton novel for March 2018

Monday, 11 September 2017
Penguin Random House (PRH) has acquired ANZ rights to a new Tim Winton novel, The Shepherd’s Hut, to be published in March 2018. Literary agency Jenny Darling also sold UK...

Longlist announced for Baillie Gifford Prize 2017

Monday, 11 September 2017
The longlist for the £30,000 (A$49,130) 2017 Baillie Gifford Prize, which recognises nonfiction writing by authors of any nationality, has been announced. The longlisted titles are: Red Famine: Stalin’s War...

Melbourne writers, literary organisations receive council arts grants

Monday, 11 September 2017
Several writers and literary organisations have received a share of about $800,000 in funding from Melbourne City Council. Among the recipients are Australian Poetry, for its Melbourne Eco! Slam; poetry...

Monash University Publishing to publish contemporary Australian literature series

Monday, 11 September 2017
Monash University Publishing will launch a new series of literary criticism in 2018 focusing on contemporary Australian writers. The press will publish two volumes in the ‘Contemporary Australian Writers’ series...

Wilson wins 2017 Miles Franklin Literary Award for ‘Extinctions’

Friday, 8 September 2017
Josephine Wilson has won the 2017 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel Extinctions (UWA Publishing). Wilson was named as the winner at an event at the State Library of...

New ‘Books+Publishing Junior’ reviews out now

Friday, 8 September 2017
Books+Publishing’s latest Junior newsletter contains 14 reviews of books publishing in September, October and November. Two November picture books scored the highest possible rating of 5 stars: Swan Lake (Anne Spudvilas, A&U)...

US ABA and Authors Guild to partner on emerging author events

Friday, 8 September 2017
In the US, the American Booksellers Association (ABA) and the US Authors Guild have partnered on a new initiative to produce events in independent bookstores around the country, reports Publishers...

Line-up for Bundaberg’s WriteFest announced

Friday, 8 September 2017
The program for WriteFest 2017, running in Bundaberg from 6-8 October, has been announced. Author Arnold Zable headlines the festival program, joining other guests including Aleesah Darlison, Helena Pastor, Cindi...

UK publishing survey finds 90% of industry is white; gender pay gap still exists

Thursday, 7 September 2017
A survey of more than 1000 people working in the UK publishing industry has found that more than 90% of respondents identify as white, reports the Guardian. Of the 1,023...

Academy of the Humanities, communications firm to deliver arts advocacy program

Thursday, 7 September 2017
The Australian Academy of the Humanities (AAH) and communications firm Newgate have been chosen to deliver a $1.65m program that will champion investment and return in arts and culture. As...

Reminder: Miles Franklin Literary Award announced tonight

Thursday, 7 September 2017
The winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award will be announced tonight at an event at the State Library of New South Wales. The shortlisted titles are: An Isolated Incident (Emily...

Audiobooks added to Kobo app

Thursday, 7 September 2017
Kobo has added an audiobook service to its smartphone and tablet app, with a monthly one-book membership costing $12.99. The service launched on 6 September in Australia. Members can also...

Berbay launches junior fiction series

Thursday, 7 September 2017
Berbay Publishing will release its first junior fiction series, ‘Norton’, in 2018, by Melbourne writer and illustrator John Dickson. The series focuses on seven-year-old Norton, who is ‘finding his way...

WestWords and Pinerolo announce recipients of illustrator residency

Wednesday, 6 September 2017
Delene White and Sadami Konchi have been selected for the 2017 WestWords / Pinerolo Illustrators in Residence program, aimed at extending emerging illustrators’ knowledge of ‘picture book creation and design,...

Rights round-up

Wednesday, 6 September 2017
Sales Fiction—Allen & Unwin has sold the following rights to The Museum of Modern Love (Heather Rose): Hebrew rights to Modan Publishing House; Korean rights to Hankyoreh; and Greek rights...

Australian Libraries Copyright Committee welcomes government response to IP inquiry

Wednesday, 6 September 2017
The Australian Libraries Copyright Committee (ALCC) has welcomed the government’s response to the Productivity Commission inquiry into intellectual property, labelling its recommendations ‘a good start to the implementation of vital changes...