Local news | Books+Publishing

Scholastic acquires two books by Rove McManus

Monday, 24 June 2019
Scholastic Australia has acquired world rights to two children’s books by TV personality Rove McManus. Scholastic will publish the picture book Disgusting McGrossface in September and Rocky Lobstar, the first...

MWF reveals first international guests

Monday, 24 June 2019
Sonic Youth co-founder and author of the memoir Girl in a Band (Faber) Kim Gordon, Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt, and Black Lives Matter activist and author DeRay Mckesson are the...

‘Boy Swallows Universe’ wins ABA book of the year; booksellers of the year announced

Monday, 24 June 2019
Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe (Fourth Estate) has won the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) Booksellers Choice Award at the 2019 ABA conference awards night, held in Melbourne on 23 June. Boy...

BWF 2019 program announced

Friday, 21 June 2019
The program has been announced for the 2019 Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF), which runs from 5–8 September. Over 160 writers will appear at the festival, which in recognition of the...

A&U acquires rights to International Man Booker winner ‘Celestial Bodies’

Friday, 21 June 2019
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to Jokha Alharthi’s Celestial Bodies, winner of the 2019 International Man Booker Prize, from Claire Roberts at Claire Roberts Global Literary Mangement,...

Naher, Heifetz announce new literary agency

Friday, 21 June 2019
Agents Gaby Naher of The Naher Agency and Grace Heifetz of Curtis Brown Australia have partnered to form a new literary agency called Left Bank Literary. Launching on 1 July...

Hardie Grant defamation policy not renewed; insurer cites Turnbull memoir

Thursday, 20 June 2019
Hardie Grant’s insurer, Chubb, cited Malcolm Turnbull's forthcoming memoir as a factor that influenced its decision not to renew the publisher’s existing defamation cover, reports the Age. Hardie Grant CEO Sandy...

NT History Book Award 2019 shortlist announced

Thursday, 20 June 2019
The shortlist for the 2019 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award has been announced. The three shortlisted titles are: Found in Translation: Many meanings on a North Australian Mission...

Paramount acquires film rights to McKinty’s ‘The Chain’

Thursday, 20 June 2019
Paramount Pictures has acquired the film rights to Adrian McKinty’s forthcoming novel The Chain (Hachette, July), reports Deadline. Paramount executive Alex Jackson acquired the rights via Shane Salerno from The...

Woodhead to leave Overland

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Overland editor Jacinda Woodhead is stepping down after 10 years in editorial roles with the literary journal. Woodhead joined Overland in late 2009 as an intern, and later became deputy...

A&U launches new children’s imprint

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has created a new children’s imprint, Albert Street Books. Albert Street Books will have a commercial focus and will publish books for babies to 12-year-olds. A&U...

Hachette acquires 2017 Richell Prize winner ‘State Highway One’

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Hachette Australia has acquired ANZ rights to Sam Coley’s State Highway One, via Grace Heifetz at Curtis Brown. Coley’s entry of the same name won the 2017 Richell Prize for...

Tim’s Bookshop Kew up for sale after 35 years

Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Tim’s Bookshop in the Melbourne suburb of Kew is for sale, after owners Tim Warmington and Lynn Frankes decided to retire after 35 years in the book trade. Warmington told...

Scholastic acquires ‘Hunger Games’ prequel

Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Scholastic has acquired world English rights to a new novel by Suzanne Collins set in the 'Hunger Games' universe. The yet to be titled prequel, known as Untitled Panem Novel,...

Cothren wins 2019 Peter Carey Short Story Prize

Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Alex Cothren has won the 2019 Peter Carey Short Story Award for his story ‘Let’s Talk Trojan Bee’. Judge Nic Low described Cothren’s story as ‘a polyphonic piece built entirely...

A&U UK to publish Hardcastle’s ‘Below Deck’ in UK

Monday, 17 June 2019
Allen & Unwin’s UK arm (A&U UK) has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding ANZ and Canada) to Below Deck, the third book by 25-year-old author Sophie Hardcastle, reports the...

Tim Flannery children’s book sells to US, Canada

Monday, 17 June 2019
Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management has sold US and Canadian rights to writer and environmentalist Tim Flannery's forthcoming children's book Explore Your World: Weird, wild, amazing! (illus by Sam Caldwell)....

Daddo, Phommavanh, Bancks among participants in Littlescribe co-author program

Friday, 14 June 2019
Online literacy platform Littlescribe has announced its co-author program and participating authors. Authors Andrew Daddo, Oliver Phommavanh, Katrina McKelvey, Tristan Bancks, Deborah Abela and Andreea Kindryd have signed up to...