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Hardy to step down as MWF artistic director

Friday, 22 November 2019
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) artistic director Marieke Hardy has announced she will leave her role ahead of the 2020 festival, after completing two years of a three-year contract. Hardy advised...

‘Songwoman’ wins 2019 Most Underrated Book Award

Friday, 22 November 2019
Ilka Tampke’s second novel Songwoman (Text) has won the Small Press Network’s (SPN) Most Underrated Book Award (MUBA) for 2019. Songwoman is a sequel to Tampke’s debut novel Skin (Text), published...

Recipients of $150k The Next Chapter initiative announced

Thursday, 21 November 2019
The Wheeler Centre has announced the 10 recipients of the 2019 Next Chapter grants for developing writers, worth $15,000 each. The 2019 recipients are: Arthur Bolkas (nonfiction, VIC) Racheal Oak...

Hardie Grant Reconciliation Action Plan endorsed

Thursday, 21 November 2019
Reconciliation Australia has endorsed Hardie Grant’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which sets a path for the company to work towards reconciliation and constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...

ABC Books acquires Tilley memoir in six-figure deal 

Wednesday, 20 November 2019
ABC Books has acquired world rights to radio broadcaster Tom Tilley’s coming-of-age memoir Speaking in Tongues, in a six-figure deal via the Fordham Company. Tilley will step down as host...

Broadside festival: Garner tops bestsellers 

Wednesday, 20 November 2019
More than 16,000 people attended the inaugural Broadside festival on 9–10 November at the Melbourne Town Hall. Run by the Wheeler Centre, the festival featured international guests including UK author...

HarperCollins launches new prize for YA, middle-grade

Tuesday, 19 November 2019
HarperCollins Children’s Books Australia has launched a new prize for middle-grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction, called the Matilda Children’s Literature Prize. The winner of the annual prize will...

Voss Literary Prize 2019 shortlist announced

Tuesday, 19 November 2019
The shortlist for the 2019 Voss Literary Prize has been announced. The shortlisted titles are: Book of Colours (Robyn Cadwallader, Fourth Estate) The Making of Martin Sparrow (Peter Cochrane, Viking)...

Pickard announced as new ASA chair 

Tuesday, 19 November 2019
Nicholas Pickard has been announced as the new chair of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA), succeeding Christopher Pash who will continue as a member of the board. Pickard is...

Horne Prize 2019 shortlist announced

Monday, 18 November 2019
The shortlist for the $15,000 Horne Prize for narrative nonfiction has been announced. The shortlisted writers are: Claire G Coleman for ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’, on the prolonged suffering of...

De Zilva wins 2019 Deakin University Nonfiction Prize

Monday, 18 November 2019
Olivia De Zilva has won the 2019 Deakin University Nonfiction Prize for ‘Let’s Eat 食飯!’. De Zilva described ‘Let’s Eat 食飯!’ as ‘an ode to my wonderful family’. ‘Let’s Eat...

Kat Muscat Fellowship increases to $5000

Kat Muscat logo Monday, 18 November 2019
The value of Express Media's annual Kat Muscat Fellowship has increased from $3000 to $5000. The fellowship, named in honour of the late writer and Voiceworks editor Kat Muscat, offers...

Albiston wins 2019 Patrick White Award

Monday, 18 November 2019
Melbourne-based poet Jordie Albiston has been named the winner of the $20,000 Patrick White Literary Award for 2019. The annual award was established by Patrick White using the proceeds of...

HarperCollins to publish new Dalton novel in June 2020

Photo of author Trent Dalton credit Lyndon Mechielsen Friday, 15 November 2019
HarperCollins Australia will publish Trent Dalton’s second novel All Our Shimmering Skies in June 2020. Set in Darwin in 1942, All Our Shimmering Skies follows ‘motherless Molly Hook, the gravedigger’s...

Text acquires new Lohrey novel 

Friday, 15 November 2019
Text Publishing has acquired world rights to Amanda Lohrey’s new novel The Labyrinth, via Lyn Tranter of Australian Literary Management. The Labyrinth returns to the setting of Lohrey’s 2008 novella...

Matthews, Luckie win 2019 ABA NSW rep of the year

Thursday, 14 November 2019
Geoff Matthews from Penguin Random House and Nicky Luckie from Hachette Australia were named joint winners of this year’s NSW rep of the year at the Australian Booksellers Association’s (ABA)...

‘Her Mother’s Daughter’ wins Nib Literary Award

Thursday, 14 November 2019
Nadia Wheatley’s Her Mother's Daughter (Text) has won the Waverley Council’s Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award for 2019. Wheatley’s ‘multi-layered’ memoir is a portrait of ‘a fraught marriage...

Pantera acquires two new Wasley novels 

Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Pantera Press has acquired ANZ rights to two new works of women’s fiction by Sasha Wasley, via Alex Adsett Publishing Services. Spring Clean for the Peach Queen follows a woman...

Queensland Literary Awards 2019 winners announced

Wednesday, 13 November 2019
The winners of the 2019 Queensland Literary Awards (QLAs) have been announced. The winning titles in each category are: Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of state significance ($25,000) Too...

Morrison joins Echo as associate publisher 

Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Echo Publishing has appointed Tegan Morrison as associate publisher, replacing Angela Meyer in the role after she left the company to pursue her writing career. Morrison has 20 years’ experience...