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RiP Ernest Callenbach 

Monday, 30 April 2012
Ernest Callenbach, an American film scholar and environmentalist who wrote about an ecologically sustainable society in 1976 in the novel Ecotopia, has died aged 83.

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 30 April 2012
At the age of 16, Abigail Lowery witnesses a shocking mafia murder that forces her to flee her old life and identity for good. Fifteen years later, she’s still hiding...

ABA Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award shortlist announced 

Thursday, 26 April 2012
The books shortlisted for this year’s Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award have been announced. The award recognises Australian new-release titles that booksellers most enjoyed reading, marketing...

2012 SCBWI conference program released 

Thursday, 26 April 2012
The program for the 2012 Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI ) Australian & New Zealand conference has been released. The SCBWI conference will run from 29 June–1...

Quote of the week 

Thursday, 26 April 2012
‘It seemed people had, for the most part, stopped talking about the state of the industry, and started talking again about their books, their authors and the increasingly inventive and...

Pearson to move to net pricing in NZ 

Thursday, 26 April 2012
Pearson has announced that it will move to a ‘net price model’ in New Zealand next month, following a similar move in Australia last year. The publisher said in a...

MUP reports $2.1 million loss 

Thursday, 26 April 2012
Melbourne University Publishing has reported a year-end overall loss of $2.136 million, compared with a loss in 2010 of only $395,000. The publishing company, which is a subsidiary of the...

MUP moves sales and distribution to Random House 

Thursday, 26 April 2012
Melbourne University Publishing has announced it will move sales and distribution of its titles to Random House from 1 August this year. The publisher, which is currently distributed by Pan...

LBF: ‘busy’ and ‘hopeful’ 

Thursday, 26 April 2012
While official attendance figures are yet to be released, this year’s London Book Fair (LBF) has been described as ‘busy’ and ‘hopeful’ by Australian publishers, with a large delegation from...

Baillieu appointed ‘ABR’ deputy editor 

Thursday, 26 April 2012
The Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced that Amy Baillieu has been appointed as the magazine’s new deputy editor. Baillieu, who is currently ABR philanthropy manager and has previously worked...

Bestsellers this week 

Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Calico Joe (John Grisham, Hachette), a story about fathers and sons set in the world of major league baseball, is first on the highest new entries chart this week, followed by...

Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Sales Scholastic Australia has licensed French-translation and English-language rights to Some Dads and The Runaway Hug (Nick Bland, illus. Freya Blackwood) to Canada. Acquisitions Harlequin has acquired the book Sh*t...

RiP Dora Saint 

Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Dora Saint, a UK author who wrote under the pen name Miss Reed, has died aged 98. Saint wrote about life in the fictional villages of Fairacre and Thrush Green. Her...

Magabala Books celebrates 25 years 

Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Magabala Books, Australia’s oldest independent Indigenous publisher will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. The Broome-based publisher was founded in 1987 to restore, preserve and maintain Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander...

Whitcoulls to close Lambton Quay store 

Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Whitcoulls has confirmed that, after 104 years on the same site, the Whitcoulls Lambton Quay store will close at the end of May. A statement said that staff and stock...

Dempster to leave EWF

Friday, 20 April 2012
The Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF) has announced that this year’s festival will be the last for current director Lisa Dempster. The 2012 festival, which will be held between 24 May...

Clunes recognised as international booktown

Thursday, 19 April 2012
The International Organisation of Booktowns has declared the Victorian town of Clunes as an international booktown. This recognition places Clunes alongside 14 other international booktowns, including Hay-on-Wye in Wales, Wigtown...

Apple, four publishers, to settle in EU antitrust case 

Wednesday, 18 April 2012
As reported by the Bookseller, Apple and four publishers under investigation by the EU Competition Commission regarding ebook pricing have made proposals to ‘reach an early resolution of the case’,...

ARBR opens two new A&R bookstores in Queensland 

Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Angus & Robertson Book Retailing (ARBR), the sister company of former REDgroup-owned newsagency chain Supanews, has opened two new Angus & Robertson (A&R)-branded bookstores in Queensland. ARBR marketing manager Michaela...

HarperCollins announces field sales review 

Wednesday, 18 April 2012
HarperCollins Australia has announced that it is reviewing its field sales operation. CEO Michael Moynahan said in a statement this week that the publisher will 'shortly be launching a dedicated...

Bombala Writers Festival kicks off this weekend 

Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Inspired by an image posted on Facebook of the Bombala Literary Institute—a decaying building dating back to 1865—several authors have banded together to bring the arts back to the town...

Readers of Whitehorse bookshop closes 

Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Independent Melbourne bookstore Readers of Whitehorse has closed. The store, which was located in the Centro shopping centre in Box Hill, Melbourne, finished trading on Friday 13 April. Readers of...