Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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ABA Bookseller of the Year shortlists announced

Australian Booksellers Association logo Monday, 18 May 2026
The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) has announced the shortlists for its Bookseller of Year awards. The nominated booksellers in each category are: Text Publishing Bookseller of the Year Charlotte Austin-Lindsay,...

New bill combines public and educational lending rights

Monday, 18 May 2026
The Australian Government has combined the Public Lending Rights (PLR) and Educational Lending Rights (ELR) schemes under a single act of legislation, replacing the Public Lending Right Act 1985. The...

Book Club – this month’s reads

Friday, 15 May 2026
Looking for your next great group read? Our monthly Book Club rounds up new release titles perfect for sparking conversation and perhaps even some debate. From compelling fiction to thought-provoking...

Ockham 2026 winners announced

Thursday, 14 May 2026
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the winners of the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. Poet, memoirist and scholar Ingrid Horrocks won the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for...

Fisher wins inaugural Libraro Prize

Donna Fisher Thursday, 14 May 2026
Donna Fisher, a UK author currently based in Queensland, is the inaugural winner of the £50,000 (A$93,000) Libraro Prize for her novel Sheep’s Clothing. Administered by the community digital platform...

Macdonald wins 2026 Ernest Scott Prize for History

Cover of "Garrison World" Thursday, 14 May 2026
Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire (Charlotte Macdonald, Bridget Williams Books) has won the 2026 Ernest Scott Prize for History. Awarded annually, the Ernest...

Howie Casey wins ASA/HQ Fiction Prize

Karen Howie Casey Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Karen Howie Casey has won the 2026 ASA/HQ Fiction Prize for unpublished manuscripts for her novel All the Little Wide Worlds, as announced by the Australian Society of Authors (ASA)...

Author of “Unbranded” remembered

Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this announcement contains the image and name of a deceased person and that these have been reproduced with permission of...

Blake Poetry Prize 2026 winner announced

Chen Wang Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Chen Wang has won the 69th Blake Poetry Prize, worth $5000, for his poem “The Woman Who Refused the Kingdom of Forgetting”. Chen Wang is a Melbourne-based medical student whose...

Allen & Unwin acquires Ryan’s “Eleven”

Photograph of Christian Ryan Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Eleven: We Burn Them in the Sun by Christian Ryan. The narrative nonfiction title about cricket is “a hugely creative work...

Vale Lorraine Marwood

Lorraine Marwood and Katrina Nannestad Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Writer and poet Lorraine Marwood has died, aged 73. The Jane Novak Literary Agency writes: Lorraine was the author of several children’s books and poetry collections. In 2010, her novel Star Jumps [Walker...

Sales and product coordinator, Sydney

Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Phoenix International Publications Phoenix International has an exciting opportunity for a candidate who is currently in a sales or product support role and wants to take the next step in...

Publicist, Sydney

Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Allen & Unwin We are a hardworking, fun, dynamic team looking for someone very special to join us and help to drive awareness for our authors and list. If successful,...

Account manager, Melbourne

Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Penguin Random House Penguin Random House is seeking a full-time Account Manager to join their sales team in Melbourne. Reporting to the Field Sales Manager, you will maximise book sales...

PRH acquires Leighton-Dore YA graphic novel

Illustration of a person in bed Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has acquired “delightful new coming-of-age graphic novel” Willy by Samuel Leighton-Dore, illustrated by Jack Grayson. The title will also be developed as an animated series...

Nix awarded 2026 Janet Mackenzie Medal

Photograph of Linda Nix Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Linda Nix has been awarded the 2026 Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) Janet Mackenzie Medal. The Janet Mackenzie Medal is IPEd’s highest honour and recognises “outstanding service to the editing...

Bakers Lane acquires Craig’s “Flying Hearts”

Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Bakers Lane Books has acquired world rights to YA verse novel Flying Hearts by Rico Craig. Flying Hearts “celebrates teen friendship and love, as four teenagers – Telly, Karr, Ahmad...

“Nobody’s Girl” among Fingerprint Awards shortlistees

Tuesday, 12 May 2026
In the UK, the posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl (Doubleday) by the late Australia-based author Virginia Roberts Giuffre, co-written with Amy Wallace, has been shortlisted in the Fingerprint Awards. Nobody’s Girl...

Open Book 2026 interns announced

Paula Campos (upper left), Mabel Gibson (upper right), Charo Palenzuela (lower left) and Savi Ross (lower right, credit: Nisha Hunter). Tuesday, 12 May 2026
The successful interns for the 2026 Open Book: Australian Publishing Internship have been announced. Chosen from over 500 applicants, the 2026 interns and their placements are: Paula Campos – Giramondo Publishing and...

Australian Book Design Awards 2026 winners announced

Yoko Nakazawa and Michelle Mackintosh Monday, 11 May 2026
The winners of the 2026 Australian Book Design Awards, presented by the Australian Book Designers Association (ABDA), have been announced. Winning and highly commended works in each category are: OPUS...

UWA Publishing acquires Sniff Squad series

A border collie with author Nic Gill; and graphic novelist Jake Minton, credit Alexandra Phillips. Monday, 11 May 2026
UWA Publishing has acquired world rights to the 4-book series Sniff Squad by Tasmanian author Nic Gill, via Sarah McKenzie Literary Management. Inspired by real-life working dogs, the series will...