Local news | Books+Publishing

Writers, literary festivals among OzCo funding recipients Archive

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...

Alex Adsett agency lands multi-territory book deal for debut picture book Archive

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Alex Adsett Literary Agency has sold rights in multiple territories to the debut picture book by Brisbane-based graphic designer Robert Hendersen. I See, I See is described as an immersive, hands-on...

Berbay sells three Canty picture books in China Archive

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Berbay Publishing has sold simplified Chinese rights to three picture books in John Canty’s ‘Heads and Tails’ series to Dook. The series—comprising Heads and Tails, Heads and Tails Insects and...

Self-published Aussie novel longlisted for Republic of Consciousness Prize Archive

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Brisbane author Nicholas John Turner’s debut self-published novel Hang Him When He Is Not There has been longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, reports the Bookseller. Turner’s novel, which was sold...

Indie Book Awards 2019 shortlists announced Archive

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Leading Edge Books has announced the 2019 Indie Book Awards shortlists, for the best Australian books published in 2018. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Fiction The Lost Man (Jane...

Full program announced for 2019 Perth Writers Week Archive

Tuesday, 15 January 2019
The full program has been announced for the 2019 Perth Festival Writers Week, which runs from 18-24 February. International guests attending the festival include Man Booker Prize-winning Nigerian novelist and...

Echo sells Meg Keneally’s solo debut to US Archive

Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Echo Publishing has sold North American rights to Meg Keneally’s debut historical novel Fled to Arcade Publishing. The novel, which is based on the life of convict Mary Bryant, is...

Liminal magazine establishes short fiction prize, partners with Brow Books Archive

Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Liminal magazine has established a short fiction prize for Australian writers of colour. The Liminal Fiction Prize seeks to ‘promote fiction by writers whose voices are often ignored or elided’. It...

Presser wins at US National Jewish Book Awards Archive

Monday, 14 January 2019
In the US, Melbourne-based author Bram Presser has won the debut fiction award at the 2018 National Jewish Book Awards for his novel The Book of Dirt (Text). Established in 1950 by the...

Updated format revealed for WA Prem’s awards Archive

Monday, 14 January 2019
The Western Australian state government has revealed the new format for the WA Premier’s Book Awards, which has been reinstated as an annual event. The awards will feature three separate...

Copyright Agency announces recipients of $1.049m funding grants Archive

Monday, 14 January 2019
Thirty-seven arts organisations have received a total of $1.049 million in the latest round of funding from the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Literary organisations and projects that received funding in...

Booksellers optimistic Archive

Tuesday, 18 December 2018
Twenty-four percent of booksellers are expecting sales to be 'excellent' this Christmas, double the number who had high expectations for the same time last year (12%). Most respondents, however, are...

The books: Strong offering led by standout fiction Archive

Tuesday, 18 December 2018
Most booksellers are pleased with the books on offer this Christmas, with 75% considering the titles available ‘strong’, and just one percent considering them ‘disappointing’. The remaining 24% consider the...

Nielsen BookScan: Aus fiction popular; ‘similar’ overall sales shape Archive

Tuesday, 18 December 2018
Australian fiction titles are popular with book buyers this Christmas period, with statistics from Nielsen BookScan showing Australian fiction titles high on the bestsellers chart and an increased market share...

Supply, stock, sales and staffing: HEDS delays felt Australia-wide Archive

Tuesday, 18 December 2018
'A Christmas HEDS will want to forget' The vast majority of booksellers surveyed reported the delays from Harper Entertainment and Distribution Services (HEDS) as the only major issue with the...

Publishers’ perspectives: Sales up on last year Archive

Tuesday, 18 December 2018
Australian publishers are reporting that so far Christmas sales are up compared to this time last year, and most are expecting overall Christmas period sales to be excellent. Bracing for...

Marsden awarded 2018 Dromkeen Medal Archive

Friday, 14 December 2018
The State Library Victoria (SLV) has awarded the 2018 Dromkeen Medal to author John Marsden. Marsden is the author of more than 40 books, including the ‘Tomorrow’ series, which is...

Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced Archive

Wednesday, 12 December 2018
The shortlists for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles are: Fiction Flames (Robbie Arnott, Text) Ironbark (Jay Carmichael, Scribe) The Fireflies of Autumn: And...

Saleh, Abdel-Fattah to edit anthology about growing up Arab in Australia Archive

Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Picador has announced it will publish a new anthology in 2019 about growing up Arab in Australia, to be co-edited by activist and poet Sara Saleh, and author and academic...

Book industry figures among OzCo’s arts leaders Archive

Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Several literary arts workers have been selected for the 2019 Australia Council leadership programs. Participants in the 2019 Future Leaders program include former Black Inc. marketing and publicity coordinator Christina...

IPEd announces keynotes for 2019 conference Archive

Wednesday, 12 December 2018
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has announced four keynote presentations for its ninth National Editors Conference, held in Melbourne on 8-10 May 2019. Keynotes include: Macquarie Dictionary former editor Susan Butler will...