CBCA 2024 shortlists announced
19 March 2024
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its shortlist for the 2024 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. The shortlisted books in each category, selected from the 2024...
Skate appointed Writers Victoria CEO
19 March 2024
Writers Victoria has appointed Julie Skate as its new CEO. Skate takes over the role from Lucy Hamilton, who in February announced she would depart after three-and-a-half years with the...
Pantera acquires Wright fantasy debut
19 March 2024
Pantera Press has acquired Skysong, a fantasy novel by debut author C A Wright. Skysong is a ‘beautiful, lyrical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale’ that follows Oriane, a...
North American rights sold for Rogers’ ‘The Heart Is a Star’
19 March 2024
North American rights to The Heart Is a Star (Megan Rogers, HarperCollins) have been sold in a pre-empt to Central Avenue Publishing by Benython Oldfield at Zeitgeist Agency. The novel—Rogers’...
Auckland Writers Festival program announced
18 March 2024
The program for the Auckland Writers Festival, which will run 14–19 May 2024, has been announced. Fiction headliners include prize-winning novelist Ann Patchett; international bestselling author Celeste Ng; Pulitzer Prize–winning...
Yarros tops 2023 ebook charts
18 March 2024
Rebecca Yarros’ romantasy titles Fourth Wing and Iron Flame (both Piatkus) have taken out the top two places in Nielsen BookScan’s 2023 ebook charts—and the second and third place overall...
Aurealis Awards shortlists announced
18 March 2024
The shortlists for the 2023 Aurealis Awards, presented for science fiction, fantasy and horror writing in Australia, have been announced. Among longer-form works shortlisted for this year’s awards are: Best...
Local publishers nominated for Bologna Prize
14 March 2024
Australian publishers Affirm Press, Fremantle Press and Hardie Grant Children's Publishing and Aotearoa New Zealand publishers Scholastic New Zealand and Huia Publishers have been shortlisted for this year’s Bologna Prize...
Affirm Press signs Sweatshop mentees Nour and Barnette
14 March 2024
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to books by Egyptian-Australian writer and journalist Daniel Nour and African-American Australian writer Tyree Barnette. Nour and Barnette were recipients of the 2021 Affirm...
Fullagar wins 2024 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship
14 March 2024
Social and cultural historian Kate Fullagar is the winner of the 2024 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship, worth $20,000. Fullagar was awarded the fellowship for her proposed biography, ‘The Secret Life...
S&S acquires three titles by Heiss
14 March 2024
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to three new books by Anita Heiss, via Tara Wynne of Curtis Brown Australia. The first book, which has the working...
Christmas Press acquires Kelleher SF novel ‘The Lastling’
13 March 2024
Christmas Press has acquired world rights to The Lastling, a science fiction novel for upper middle-grade readers by Victor Kelleher, via Margaret Connolly of Margaret Connolly and Associates. The Lastling,...
Larrikin House acquires ‘I Can’t Believe…’ nonfiction series
13 March 2024
Larrikin House has acquired world rights to a nonfiction series with multiple authors, including John Larkin, Cristy Burne, Louise Park and George Ivanoff, to be illustrated by Jules Faber. The...
Hachette acquires Paris debut ‘The Unravelling’ in two-book deal
13 March 2024
Hachette Australia and Hachette New Zealand have acquired world rights to The Unravelling, a debut novel from Rachel Paris, in a six-figure two-book deal. Describing the book, Hachette said it...
Sort Of Books acquires UK rights to De Kretser novel
12 March 2024
UK independent publisher Sort Of Books has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) to Michelle de Kretser’s forthcoming novel Theory & Practice, via Sarah Lutyens at Lutyens & Rubenstein....
Needham wins 2024 MUD Literary Prize
12 March 2024
Kylie Needham has been announced as the winner of the 2024 MUD Literary Prize, at an event at the Adelaide Festival, for her novel Girl in a Pink Dress (Hamish...
Zhan receives 2024 Kat Muscat Fellowship
12 March 2024
Express Media and the Kat Muscat Fellowship Committee have announced that Xiaole Zhan is the recipient of the 2024 Kat Muscat Fellowship. Selected from a shortlist of six announced last...
Garmus, Patchett, Connelly, Ng to headline SWF
8 March 2024
The program for this year’s Sydney Writers' Festival (SWF), which runs 20–26 May under the theme Take Me Away, has been announced. The program includes almost 300 guests and comprises...
Penguin Literary Prize 2024 shortlist announced
7 March 2024
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has announced the shortlist for the 2024 Penguin Literary Prize. The shortlisted manuscripts are: ‘What Is Left for Us’ by Sophie Stern (Sydney, NSW)—When Rebecca...
Aotearoa publishers receive audiobook funding
7 March 2024
The successful recipients of the second round of funding in the Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage audiobook publishing seed program in Aotearoa New Zealand have been announced by...
Affirm acquires Hardy’s ‘Unbury the Dead’
7 March 2024
Affirm Press has acquired world English rights to Unbury the Dead, a debut adult crime novel from Fiona Hardy, via Jacinta di Mase and Danielle Binks at Jacinta di Mase...
Australian Book Design Awards 2024 longlists announced
6 March 2024
The longlists for the 2024 Australian Book Design Awards, presented by the Australian Book Designers Association (ABDA), have been announced. The longlisted titles in the first three categories, and the...
Ockham 2024 shortlists announced
6 March 2024
The shortlists for the 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. Chosen from longlists announced earlier this year, the shortlisted titles in each category are: Jann Medlicott Acorn...
Grenville longlisted for 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction
6 March 2024
In the UK, the longlist for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced. Local author Kate Grenville has been longlisted for Restless Dolly Maunder (Text). The longlisted titles...
Breen appointed Affirm agency manager
6 March 2024
Affirm Press has announced former marketing and publicity manager Grace Breen has returned from parental leave to take up the newly created role of agency manager. Breen will head Affirm’s...
Ultimo acquires Khurana’s ‘The Passenger Seat’
5 March 2024
Ultimo Press has acquired ANZ rights to Vijay Khurana’s debut novel, The Passenger Seat, in a three-way acquisition deal via Philip Gwyn Jones at Greyhound Literary. Described by the agent...
Gender pay gaps revealed for large Australian booksellers
5 March 2024
Many larger Australian booksellers’ gender pay gaps are now viewable through the Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) data explorer, which was made available last week. As reported by...
Stella Prize 2024 longlist announced
4 March 2024
The longlist for the $60,000 Stella Prize for women and non-binary writers has been announced. The longlisted books are: Praiseworthy (Alexis Wright, Giramondo) She Is the Earth (Ali Cobby Eckermann,...
T&H announces sales and marketing staff changes
4 March 2024
Thames & Hudson (T&H) has announced several changes to its sales and marketing departments, alongside the upcoming retirement of its head of sales, Louise Lawson. Lawson’s last day with T&H...
Booktopia half-year revenue down 21%; profit down 34%
4 March 2024
Booktopia has reported $86.3 million in revenue for the six months to 31 December, down 21% compared to the corresponding period last financial year ($109.3m). The company also reported an...