Local news | Books+Publishing

Cappelluto appointed Bloomsbury Australia MD

Thursday, 13 January 2022
Bloomsbury has announced the appointment of Cristina Cappelluto as managing director of Bloomsbury Australia, replacing Liz Bray, who announced in September that she would step down from the role. Cappelluto...

ASA survey 2021: Author earnings ‘unsustainable’

Thursday, 13 January 2022
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) 2021 survey, which received over 800 responses from members, has found author earnings are continuing to decline. The 2020 survey, which was open to...

‘We’ve Got This’ sells to Scribe UK in three-way auction

Thursday, 13 January 2022
Black Inc. has sold world English-language rights (ex ANZ) to the anthology We’ve Got This: Stories by disabled parents. Edited by writer and musician Eliza Hull, the book was sold...

Hipwell to depart Leading Edge

Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Leading Edge has announced Ruth Hipwell will be leaving her role as member service manager for the books group. Hipwell’s last day will be Friday, 14 January. Hipwell told Books+Publishing...

Government releases draft Copyright Amendment bill

Wednesday, 12 January 2022
In December the federal government released the exposure draft and discussion paper of its proposed Copyright Amendment (Access Reforms) Bill 2021. In its introduction, the discussion paper said the government’s...

Eastern states booksellers face staff shortages

Wednesday, 12 January 2022
After a Christmas beset by supply issues, booksellers in Australia’s eastern states, like all retailers, are facing staffing issues due to Covid infections and contact isolation. On Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula...

ACCC lodges case against Booktopia

Tuesday, 11 January 2022
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has lodged a case with the Federal Court against Booktopia, alleging the online bookseller made ‘false or misleading representations to consumers about their...

Latest RISE and Australia Council funding recipients

Tuesday, 11 January 2022
The federal government announced the sixth batch of Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) fund recipients in late December 2021. Among those sharing in more than $19.5 million funding...

McPherson and Green recipients of 2021 Magabala fellowship

Tuesday, 11 January 2022
Magabala Books has announced Sue McPherson and Charmaine Papertalk Green as the recipients of the 2021 mid-career Fellowship. McPherson and Green each receive $10,000 to work on a current manuscript....

Aung Thin awarded $20,000 Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship 2021

Monday, 10 January 2022
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced Michelle Aung Thin as the winner of the 2021 Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship for her manuscript 'The Japanese Photographer'. Aung Thin receives $20,000....

PMLA 2021 winners announced

Wednesday, 15 December 2021
The winners of the 2021 Prime Minister's Literary Awards (PMLA) have been announced. Selected from shortlists announced in October, the winning titles in each category are: Fiction The Labyrinth (Amanda Lohrey,...

Lohrey wins 2021 Voss Literary Prize

Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Amanda Lohrey has won the 2021 Voss Literary Prize for her novel The Labyrinth (Text). Lohrey, whose book was chosen from a shortlist of five, receives $5000. This year’s judges...

Bookface Macarthur Square closed

Friday, 10 December 2021
Bookface in Macarthur Square Shopping Centre in Campbelltown, New South Wales has closed. In a statement the shop said it had made ‘the difficult decision’ to close due to Covid-19...

Some supply improvements amid ‘record’ orders

Friday, 10 December 2021
Following severe supply chain disruption in Australia’s eastern states, some booksellers report delivery times have improved for recently ordered stock, although several report they are still waiting on overdue consignments....

Shortlist for $20,000 Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship announced

Friday, 10 December 2021
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced the shortlist for the $20,000 Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship. The annual scholarship is offered to an Australian author ‘to provide them with valuable...

UQP acquires two books by debut crime writer Mottram

Friday, 10 December 2021
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired ANZ rights to Nikki Mottram’s debut crime novel Crows Nest, via Benjamin Paz at Curtis Brown. UQP also acquired rights to the...

ABA campaign to promote books ‘missed during Covid’

Friday, 10 December 2021
The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) has received Copyright Agency funding for a new campaign to promote Australian books ‘missed during Covid’. The campaign, which receives $20,000 in funding, will promote...

Authors, literary orgs among latest Cultural Fund recipients

Friday, 10 December 2021
The Copyright Agency has announced the 22 successful recipients of a total $715,522 in funding from its Cultural Fund, as well as the five writer and visual artist recipients of...

Hardy wins 2021 Children’s Peace Literature Award

Thursday, 9 December 2021
How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life by Fiona Hardy (Affirm) is the winner of the 2021 Children's Peace Literature Award. Hardy's book was chosen by a judging panel...

Scribner acquires Sullivan’s ‘Calcium-Magnesium’

Thursday, 9 December 2021
Scribner has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Helen Sullivan’s nonfiction collection Calcium-Magnesium, via James Pullen at Wylie Agency. Calcium-Magnesium blends reportage and memoir to explore ‘how encounters with the...