Local news | Books+Publishing

Most Underrated Book Award 2018 shortlist announced

Friday, 19 October 2018
The Small Press Network (SPN) has announced the shortlist for the 2018 Most Underrated Book Award. The shortlisted titles are: Gwen (Goldie Goldbloom, Fremantle Press) Living in Hope (Frank Byrne with Gerard...

Walkley Book Award 2018 longlist announced

Friday, 19 October 2018
The Walkley Book Award longlist for 2018 has been announced. The longlisted titles are: Trace: Who Killed Maria James? (Rachael Brown, Scribe) A Long Way from No Go (Tjanara Goreng...

Affirm acquires middle-grade debut at auction; opens unsolicited submissions for kids list

Thursday, 18 October 2018
Affirm Press has acquired middle-grade novel Hattie Maxwell and the Library of Lost Words by debut Melbourne author Julianne Negri at auction via Jacinta di Mase Management. The story follows...

Hachette offers booksellers direct download of digital assets

Thursday, 18 October 2018
Hachette Australia has launched a new digital asset sharing system via its website. The new system allows booksellers to login and download digital marketing assets that can be used across...

Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2018 shortlists announced

Wednesday, 17 October 2018
The shortlists for the 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Fiction A Long Way from Home (Peter Carey, Hamish Hamilton) Border...

Māori, Pasifika writers to travel to London for Oceania exhibition

Wednesday, 17 October 2018
Five New Zealand writers will travel to the UK in November to showcase Māori and Pasifika literature alongside the Oceania art exhibition at the Royal Academy London, reports Booksellers NZ. Creative...

‘Dinner Detectives’ creators win global pitching competition

Wednesday, 17 October 2018
Australian children’s book creators Yves Stening and Nigel Buchanan have won a pitching competition at the world’s biggest children’s entertainment industry event, MIPJunior, reports the Herald Sun. Stening and Buchanan’s...

APA announces publisher hosts for 2018 Publishing Industry Internship program

Wednesday, 17 October 2018
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) will run its Publishing Industry Internship Program (PIIP) again in 2019, following last year's program. The program offers higher education graduates the opportunity to take...

Opening Scene initiative introduces writers to screen producers

Tuesday, 16 October 2018
The Wheeler Centre and the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) have launched a three-year program to introduce writers to screen producers. The Opening Scene program will connect The Next Chapter...

Hachette to launch ‘Fortnite’ publishing program

Tuesday, 16 October 2018
Hachette Australia, in association with Hachette divisions in the UK, USA, France and Spain, has announced a publishing program based on the popular game Fortnite. In a deal brokered by International...

OzCo appoints Adrian Collette as CEO

Tuesday, 16 October 2018
The Australia Council for the Arts has appointed Adrian Collette as its incoming chief executive officer. Collette worked in publishing for a decade, including as managing director at Reed Books,...

ANZ authors nominated for 2019 Astrid Lindgren Award

Monday, 15 October 2018
Ten authors and illustrators from Australia and New Zealand and one Australian organisation have been nominated for the 2019 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. The Australian nominees are: Randa Abdel-Fattah Ursula...

‘KYD’ to publish annual print collection of short fiction

Monday, 15 October 2018
Kill Your Darlings magazine (KYD) will publish an annual print collection of short fiction, with the inaugural collection to be released in October 2019. New Australian Fiction will include 15...

Allen, Blackadder awarded 2018 Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship

Monday, 15 October 2018
Screenwriter Jane Allen and author Jesse Blackadder have been jointly awarded the 2018 Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship. Allen and Blackadder will travel to Antarctica in late October, staying at the...

‘The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart’ to be adapted for TV

Friday, 12 October 2018
Australian producer Bruna Papandrea’s company Made Up Stories has acquired screen rights to Holly Ringland’s debut novel The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Fourth Estate), and will develop the project...

Aussie children’s book creators chosen to pitch at global kids entertainment event

Friday, 12 October 2018
Australian children’s book creators Yves Stening and Nigel Buchanan are one of five intellectual property owners selected to pitch at the world's biggest children's entertainment industry event, MIPJunior. Held on...

ASA to wind up print magazine after 50 years

Friday, 12 October 2018
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced it will no longer produce its biannual print magazine, Australian Author, and will transition to digital publishing. ‘The financial argument is now...

HarperCollins signs Blackwood in two-book deal

Thursday, 11 October 2018
HarperCollins has signed a two-book deal with children's book illustrator Freya Blackwood. The first book in the deal is a yet-to-be-titled picture book about a girl and her pig, due...

Spencer wins 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award for ‘The Age of Fibs’

Thursday, 11 October 2018
Sydney-based writer Beth Spencer has won the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award for her short-story collection The Age of Fibs. Author and prize judge Carmel Bird described The Age...

Winton’s ‘The Riders’ to be adapted for film

Wednesday, 10 October 2018
Tim Winton’s The Riders (Penguin) will be adapted into a feature film produced by director Ridley Scott’s production company Scott Free, reports Deadline Hollywood. A director for the film is...

NZ picture book on Trump sold to UK

Wednesday, 10 October 2018
New Zealand publisher Millwood Press has sold UK, Irish and Australian rights to picture book Dear Donald Trump (Sophie Siers, illus by Anne Villeneuve) to Bonnier Books UK imprint Templar...

Giese wins 2018 Victorian Premier’s History Award for ‘The Maddest Place on Earth’

Wednesday, 10 October 2018
Clinical psychologist Jill Giese has won the 2018 Victorian Premier’s History Award, worth $5000, for her book The Maddest Place on Earth (Australian Scholarly Publishing), announced as part of the...

‘Alice-Miranda’ animated telemovie in production

Wednesday, 10 October 2018
SLR Productions has commenced production on an animated telemovie based on Jacqueline Harvey's Alice-Miranda (Random House Children's) series of children's books, reports Mediaweek. Originally announced as a TV series comprising...

Sweatshop to partner with DARTS on first nationwide anthology

Wednesday, 10 October 2018
Western Sydney-based literacy collective Sweatshop will partner with Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS) to deliver a series of literary initiatives, including its first nationwide project. Sweatshop and DARTS will produce an...