Local news | Books+Publishing

Dymocks launches Wiggles shop

Friday, 25 January 2019
Chain retailer Dymocks has become the new retail partner for children’s entertainment group the Wiggles, offering a range of books and merchandise via a dedicated online store. Dymocks negotiated a...

Book sales up marginally in 2018; five Australian titles in top 10

Friday, 25 January 2019
Book sales grew marginally in Australia in 2018, with like-for-like growth up 1.3% in volume and 1.4% in value on the previous year, according to Nielsen BookScan. This is the...

Scriven wins Margaret River Short Story Competition

Friday, 25 January 2019
Writer Kit Scriven has won the 2019 Margaret River Short Story Competition for his story ‘We’ll Stand in That Place’. Catherine Noske came in second place with her story ‘Thylacine’,...

Writer and blogger Yang detained in China

Thursday, 24 January 2019
Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been detained by Chinese authorities, reports SBS News. A critic of the Chinese government and an advocate for democracy, Yang previously worked in the Chinese...

UQP signs Kurmelovs in two-book deal

Thursday, 24 January 2019
UQP has acquired ANZ rights to two books by Royce Kurmelovs via Melanie Ostell Literary. The first book, Just Money: A Story of Debt and the Bankers and Crooks Who Created It,...

Wheeler Centre to offer new fellowships for regional, interstate writers

Wednesday, 23 January 2019
The Wheeler Centre will offer three new fellowships for regional and interstate writers as part of its Hot Desk Fellowships program in 2019. The new fellowships will be offered to...

Tumarkin’s ‘Axiomatic’ sold to US

Wednesday, 23 January 2019
Brow Books has sold North American and Spanish-language rights to Axiomatic (Maria Tumarkin). North American rights were sold to California-based nonprofit publisher Transit Books, with publisher Adam Levy describing Tumarkin’s...

ASA ‘outraged’ by unauthorised lending of scanned books

Tuesday, 22 January 2019
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has joined with international authors’ associations in condemning the activities of the Internet Archive’s Open Library in its unlicensed lending of scanned copies of...

Berbay sells board book series to US, UK

Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Berbay Publishing has sold North American and UK rights to a series of three board books by Tokyo-based illustrator Chihiro Takeuchi. Catherine Drayton from InkWell Management sold North American and...

Two Garth Nix novels to A&U; US and UK rights sold

Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Allen & Unwin has acquired ANZ rights to two new fantasy novels by Garth Nix, with US and UK rights also selling in a two-book deal. Angel Mage, a high...

Marinov moves to ABA

Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Galina Marinov will take up the newly created role of member services development manager at the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA), where she will work on creating new ABA services. Marinov...

Jon Faine to retire at the end of 2019

Monday, 21 January 2019
ABC Radio Melbourne broadcaster Jon Faine has announced he will retire at the end of 2019, reports ABC News. Faine has hosted the weekday Mornings program for 23 years, in which...

Tan wins ‘KYD’ New Critic Award 2019

Monday, 21 January 2019
Critic and narrative nonfiction writer Cher Tan has been named the winner of the 2019 Kill Your Darlings (KYD) New Critic Award. Tan receives a $1000 cash prize, plus payment for a...

Faber Writing Academy Scholarships announced

Friday, 18 January 2019
Allen & Unwin has announced the recipients of the 2019 Faber Writing Academy Scholarships. The recipients are: Chandu Bickford (True Stories Scholarship) has travelled extensively in India and Tibet, and...

Children’s authors honoured on postage stamps

Friday, 18 January 2019
Australia Post is honouring five children’s authors on its ‘Australian legends of children’s literature’ postage stamp series, as part of its 2019 Legends Awards. Authors and their books featured in...

Western Sydney Emerging Writers’ Fellowships announced

Friday, 18 January 2019
Western Sydney literature organisation WestWords has announced three recipients of the 2019 Western Sydney Emerging Writers’ Fellowships. The three writers awarded fellowships are: Fiona Murphy for hybrid memoir ‘The Shape of Sound’,...

Hazel Rowley Fellowship 2019 shortlist announced

Friday, 18 January 2019
Writers Victoria has announced the shortlist for the 2019 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship, awarded annually to an Australian writer for a proposed biographical work. The shortlisted writers and their projects...

‘Oliver’s Grumbles’ sold into China in small press’ first overseas rights sale

Thursday, 17 January 2019
Queensland-based small press Yellow Brick Books (YBB) has sold Chinese and Korean rights to Oliver’s Grumbles (Yvonne Mes, illus by Giuseppe Poli) in the emerging publisher’s first overseas rights deal. Negotiated by...

Writers, literary festivals among OzCo funding recipients

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Eighteen writers and literary festival organisations were among the recipients of the Australia Council’s latest grants round, which awarded $6.6 million to almost 200 projects, including career development, regional touring...