Local news | Books+Publishing

RWA awards 2018 winners announced Archive

Wednesday, 22 August 2018
The winners of the 2018 Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) Romantic Book of the Year awards, known as the ‘RUBYs’, were announced on 18 August at the RWA conference in...

Vogel winner ‘The Yellow House’ optioned for film Archive

Wednesday, 22 August 2018
Emily O’Grady’s debut crime novel The Yellow House (Allen & Unwin) has been optioned for film by independent producers Lucy Hayes and John Tummino. Hayes, who is currently developing the...

Scribe acquires US nonfiction titles by Stack, Villarosa Archive

Tuesday, 21 August 2018
Scribe has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to two nonfiction books by American authors Megan Stack and Linda Villarosa, reports BookBrunch. Stack's book, Women's Work: A Reckoning with Home and...

Lucas wins 2018 ‘ABR’ Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize Archive

Tuesday, 21 August 2018
US-based Australian author Madelaine Lucas has won the Australian Book Review’s (ABR) 2018 Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘Ruins’. Lucas was announced as the winner of the $7000 prize...

Harlequin launches website to promote romance titles Archive

Monday, 20 August 2018
Harlequin has launched the website romance.com.au to promote romance titles to readers. The website features 23,000 titles from Harlequin imprints including Avon, Escape, Mira, and Mills & Boon, across a range of...

Industry responds to liquidation of Dennis Jones & Associates Archive

Monday, 20 August 2018
Industry groups including the Australian Society of Authors (ASA), the Small Press Network (SPN) and the Australian Publishers Association (APA) have expressed views on how the liquidation of Melbourne-based book...

CBCA Awards 2018 winners announced Archive

Friday, 17 August 2018
The winners of this year’s Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards have been announced. The winning titles in each of the categories are: Older readers...

Dennis Jones & Associates enters liquidation Archive

Friday, 17 August 2018
Melbourne-based book distributor Dennis Jones & Associates has ceased trading and has entered voluntary liquidation. On 17 August, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) listed a notice appointing Steven...

Morton gives evidence in NSW Supreme Court; legal dispute with former agent continues Archive

Friday, 17 August 2018
Bestselling Australian author Kate Morton has given evidence before the NSW Supreme Court as part of an ongoing legal dispute with former agent Selwa Anthony, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. As previously...

Adelaide to host Jaipur Literature Festival Archive

Friday, 17 August 2018
Adelaide's OzAsia Festival has announced it has partnered with the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) to host JLF Adelaide, which will run a number of events from 9-11 November. More than...

‘The Bible in Australia’ wins 2018 Australian Christian Book of the Year Archive

Friday, 17 August 2018
The Bible in Australia: A Cultural History by historian Meredith Lake (NewSouth) has been named 2018 Australian Christian Book of the Year. Chosen from a shortlist of 10 titles, the winning book is...

ABC to close online store, ABC Centres Archive

Thursday, 16 August 2018
The ABC has proposed closing its online store and discontinuing any ABC Centres still hosted by third-party booksellers, reports Mumbrella. The move will see the broadcaster’s direct retail operations shut...

‘Overland’ Victoria University Short Story Prize 2018 shortlist announced Archive

Thursday, 16 August 2018
The shortlist for the 2018 Overland Victoria University (VU) Short Story Prize for new writers has been announced. The shortlisted stories are: 'Mr Bananafish' (Caoimhe McKeogh) 'Geraldton wax' (Beejay Silcox) 'Nothing in...

Finch Publishing to close; S&S acquires Biddulph Archive

Wednesday, 15 August 2018
Finch Publishing has announced it will cease publishing in late December this year and owner Rex Finch will retire. The publisher, which is best known for its parenting books, celebrated its...

Ubud releases 2018 festival program Archive

Wednesday, 15 August 2018
The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) has released the main program for its 2018 festival, which will run from 24-28 October in Ubud, Indonesia. Among the newly announced international...

Booktopia to offer distribution services Archive

Wednesday, 15 August 2018
Australian retailer Booktopia has announced it will be the exclusive Australian distributor for German-based Thieme Medical Publishers, under a new distribution division. The Australian retailer set up Booktopia Publisher Services...

PRH sells UK rights to McIntosh novels in two-book deal Archive

Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Penguin Random House (PRH) has sold UK rights to Fiona McIntosh's books The Pearl Thief and The Diamond Hunter to Ebury, a division of Penguin Random House UK. PRH senior rights manager Nerrilee...

Shortlist announced for inaugural Banjo Prize Archive

Tuesday, 14 August 2018
The shortlist for the 2018 Banjo Prize has been announced. Launched by HarperCollins in March this year, the prize will be awarded for an unpublished work of commercial fiction. The shortlisted...

Townsend shortlisted for 2018 Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards Archive

Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Australian author Jessica Townsend's multiple award-winning middle-grade novel Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Lothian) has been shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards in the fiction category, reports the Bookseller. Each...