Local news | Books+Publishing

Copyright Agency announces recipients of $455k in funding grants Archive

Tuesday, 10 December 2019
Twenty-one projects and six new initiatives have received a total of $455,691 in the latest round of funding from the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Literary organisations and projects that received...

Winton wins 2019 Voss Literary Prize for ‘The Shepherd’s Hut’ Archive

Tuesday, 10 December 2019
Tim Winton has won the 2019 Voss Literary Prize, worth $5000, for his novel The Shepherd’s Hut (Hamish Hamilton). Now in its sixth year, the Voss Literary Prize is awarded...

Melbourne City of Lit announces Quebec City exchange recipients Archive

Tuesday, 10 December 2019
The Melbourne City of Literature has announced the six Victorian-based book-industry professionals who will spend a week in Quebec City, as part of a new exchange program between the two...

‘Bridget Crack’ wins 2019 Tasmania Book Prize Archive

Friday, 6 December 2019
The winners of the 2019 Tasmanian Premier’s Literary Prizes have been announced. The winning works and their authors are: Tasmania Book Prize for the best book with Tasmanian content in...

Arts to be merged into new government ‘super-department’ Archive

Friday, 6 December 2019
From 1 February 2020, the Department of Communications and the Arts (DCA) will be incorporated into the new Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, meaning the arts will...

Booton appointed Stella Prize executive director Archive

Friday, 6 December 2019
The Stella Prize has appointed Jaclyn Booton as its new executive director, replacing previous ED Michelle Scott Tucker, who in July left the role after less than a year to...

Chen wins Deborah Cass Prize 2019 Archive

Friday, 6 December 2019
Writer Janette Chen has won the 2019 Deborah Cass Prize for emerging writers from migrant backgrounds for her manuscript extract ‘Wall of Men’. Chosen from a shortlist of 10, ‘Wall of...

Aman, Brabon named joint winners of the David Harold Tribe Fiction Award Archive

Thursday, 5 December 2019
Writers Claire Aman and Katherine Brabon are the joint winners of the 2019 David Harold Tribe Fiction Award, worth $12,000. The award is offered by the University of Sydney’s Department...

MidnightSun acquires Steve Heron picture book Archive

Thursday, 5 December 2019
MidnightSun has acquired world rights to the picture book Ling Li’s Lantern, by Steve Heron and illustrated by Benjamin Johnston. Ling Li’s Lantern follows Ling Li on a quest that...

Big Sky sells six children’s titles to US imprint Windmill Books Archive

Thursday, 5 December 2019
Big Sky Publishing has sold North American and US territories rights to six children’s titles to Windmill Books, an imprint of independent educational publishing house Rosen Publishing. The deal, which...

SPN conference 2019: ‘Extremely positive’ feedback from delegates Archive

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
The Small Press Network’s (SPN) eighth Independent Publishing Conference was held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on 21–23 November. SPN general manager Tim Coronel said that 180 tickets were...

Marchetta’s ‘On the Jellicoe Road’ to be adapted for drama series Archive

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Melina Marchetta’s 2006 young adult novel On the Jellicoe Road (Penguin) is being adapted for a young adult drama series, reports Deadline. The project is a co-production by the US’s...

Hardie Grant Travel acquires Steffensen’s book on Indigenous fire management Archive

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Hardie Grant Travel has acquired world rights to Fire Country, the memoir of Indigenous fire practitioner Victor Steffensen. Steffensen is a Tagalaka descendant from Far North Queensland who is dedicated...

‘The Book Ninja’ optioned for film Archive

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus’ novel The Book Ninja (S&S) has been optioned for film by producers Chris Brown of Pictures in Paradise and Veronica Fury of Fury Film Co....

Beasley wins inaugural OzCo Arts and Disability Award for an emerging artist Archive

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Tennant Creek-based artist and illustrator Dion Beasley was one of three winners at the Australia Council’s inaugural Arts and Disability Awards, presented at a ceremony at Canberra’s National Portrait Gallery...

Van Zweden wins 2019 KYD unpublished manuscript award Archive

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Literary journal Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced Sam van Zweden as the winner of its 2019 unpublished manuscript award for her manuscript ‘Eating with my Mouth Open’. Van Zweden...

Indie Book Awards 2020 longlists announced Archive

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Leading Edge Books has announced the longlists for the 2020 Indie Book Awards for books published in 2019. The longlisted titles in each category are: Fiction The White Girl (Tony...

Former Macmillan Education staff launch new educational publisher Archive

Tuesday, 3 December 2019
Former staff from Macmillan Education Australia’s school division have formed a new educational publishing company called Matilda Education. After Macmillan Education Australia announced in August that it would withdraw its...

Thomson receives inaugural Varuna/New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship Archive

Tuesday, 3 December 2019
Armidale writer Anna Thomson is the inaugural recipient of the Varuna/New England Writers’ Centre (NEWC) Fellowship. Thomson’s winning submission included an extract from her paranormal fantasy manuscript ‘Bloodwood’. The fellowship...