Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

International news >

PEN America Literary Awards 2019 winners announced

Thursday, 28 February 2019
In the US, PEN America has announced the winners of its 2019 Literary Awards. Among the award winners are: PEN/Jean Stein Book Award Friday Black (Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, riverrun) PEN/Robert...

Pearson reports 9% revenue drop; PRH has ‘solid’ 2018

Wednesday, 27 February 2019
UK educational publisher Pearson, which owns a 25% stake in Penguin Random House (PRH), has reported company-wide results showing its 2018 revenue fell by 9% to £4.13 billion (A$7.61bn), reports...

PRH Southeast Asia announces inaugural list

Friday, 22 February 2019
The new Southeast Asia arm of Penguin Random House (PRH SEA) has announced its inaugural list of 93 titles, reports the Straits Times. The first list from the Singapore-based operation,...

Germany’s largest wholesaler files for bankruptcy

Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Germany’s largest book wholesaler and distributor, KNV, has filed for bankruptcy, reports Publishers Weekly. On Thursday, 14 February, the managing directors of companies within the KNV Group filed for bankruptcy,...

Pearson sells US textbook business

Tuesday, 19 February 2019
UK educational publisher Pearson is selling its US textbook business to private equity group Nexus Capital Management and is shifting its focus to digital, reports the Financial Times. Pearson's US K12...

Simon & Schuster sales flat in 2018

Monday, 18 February 2019
Simon & Schuster worldwide revenues fell marginally from US$830 million (A$1.16bn) in 2017 to US$825 million (A$1.15bn) in 2018, reports Publishers Weekly. During 2018 domestic sales in adult and children's books...

EU agrees on copyright directive

Friday, 15 February 2019
The European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission have made an agreement on the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, which modernises copyright law...

US trade segment increased by 4.6% in 2018

Thursday, 14 February 2019
In the US, estimates from the Association of American Publishers' (AAP) StatShot program show that US publishers’ revenue for trade books was US$7.49 billion (A$10.57bn) in 2018, an increase of...

Cabrera appointed CEO of Lonely Planet

Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Lonely Planet has appointed Luis Cabrera as president and CEO. New partnerships and acquisitions, as well as diversification, will be top priorities for Cabrera, according to a statement from Lonely...

Verso launches fiction imprint

Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Independent, radical publisher Verso will launch a fiction imprint later this year, reports Publishers Weekly. Verso Fiction will release its first two titles in late 2019: Will and Testament, a novel...

French media company Vivendi buys publisher

Tuesday, 12 February 2019
French media company Vivendi has bought French-language publisher Editis from Spanish owner Planeta in a deal that values the business at €900 million ($A1.4bn), reports BookBrunch. Editis is the second-largest...

UK sales of YA dropped 21.5% in 2018

Monday, 11 February 2019
Nielsen figures for 2018 show that sales of YA titles in the UK dropped by 21.5% last year, reports the Bookseller. The YA fiction sector fell by £6.2 million (A$11.3m)...

Lagardère’s sales drop slightly in 2018

Friday, 8 February 2019
Hachette Book Group (HBG) parent company Lagardère Publishing's total consolidated sales for its publishing group fell by 1.6% in 2018 compared to the previous year, dropping to €2.52 billion (A$4bn)....

Gladwell to release first book in six years

Thursday, 7 February 2019
Penguin Random House Australia imprint Allen Lane will publish Malcolm Gladwell’s first book in six years, Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know, on 10...

New Salinger writings to be published, confirms son

Tuesday, 5 February 2019
The unpublished work of J D Salinger will be published in the near future, Salinger's son Matt Salinger has confirmed in an interview with the Guardian. Salinger, who published his last...

Amazon reports 31% net sales increase in 2018

Monday, 4 February 2019
Amazon has released full-year financial results, showing a net sales increase of 31% in 2018. The retailer earned net sales of US$232.9 billion (A$321.3bn) this year, compared with US$177.9bn (A$245.4)...

Man Group withdraws Booker sponsorship

Tuesday, 29 January 2019
In the UK, hedge fund company Man Group has withdrawn its sponsorship of the Booker Prize. The sponsorship departure will not affect this year’s awards cycle for the Man Booker...

Makkai, Laymon win 2019 ALA Andrew Carnegie Medals

Tuesday, 29 January 2019
The American Library Association (ALA) has announced the winners of the 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medals. The fiction prize was awarded to Rebecca Makkai for The Great Believers (Fleet) and the nonfiction...

Wattpad launches data-driven publishing division

Friday, 25 January 2019
In the US, online storytelling platform Wattpad is launching a publishing division called Wattpad Books. Producing both print and ebooks, Wattpad Books will launch its list in September 2019 with...

Goldsmiths Prize expands eligibility criteria

Thursday, 24 January 2019
In the UK, the Goldsmiths Prize has expanded its eligibility criteria, allowing authors of any nationality to enter, as long as they have resided in the UK or the Republic of...

Edgar Awards 2019 shortlists announced

Wednesday, 23 January 2019
In the US, the shortlists for the 2019 Edgar Allan Poe Awards (the Edgars) have been announced. The Edgars honour ‘the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television’ published or produced...