Local news | Books+Publishing

Affirm acquires Hodge’s ‘Top Knocks’

Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Affirm Press has acquired ANZ rights to Australian cricketer and commentator Brad Hodge’s nonfiction book Top Knocks, via TLA. The publisher said that Top Knocks will count down 20 of...

Pan Macmillan acquires two fantasy YA titles by Melbourne author in pre-empt

Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Pan Macmillan Australia (PMA) has acquired rights to two fantasy YA titles by debut Melbourne author Mikayla Bridge in a six-figure pre-empt, alongside Macmillan Children's Books UK imprint First Ink...

Grenville shortlisted for 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Monday, 29 April 2024
In the UK, the shortlist for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced. Local author Kate Grenville has been shortlisted for Restless Dolly Maunder (Text). The shortlisted titles are: The Wren,...

Writers boycott SLV over workshop cancellations

Monday, 29 April 2024
Writers Michelle de Kretser, Tony Birch and Grace Yee are refusing to work with State Library Victoria (SLV) over its decision to cancel the library’s Teen Bootcamp workshops, reports the...

Hardie Grant moves NZ distribution to TDLC

Monday, 29 April 2024
Hardie Grant has announced that distribution in Aotearoa New Zealand will move to The Distribution and Logistics Company (TDLC), beginning on 1 July 2024. HarperCollins’s Arotahi Agency will continue as...

Wheeler Centre 2024 Hot Desk Fellows announced

Monday, 29 April 2024
The Wheeler Centre has announced the 22 emerging writers who will receive Hot Desk Fellowships in 2024. This is the 12th year of the fellowship program, which the Wheeler Centre...

Echo acquires Parker debut historical novel ‘Fulvia’ in two-book deal

Monday, 29 April 2024
Echo Publishing has acquired world rights to two historical novels from debut author Kaarina Parker (Ngāpuhi), via Vicki Marsdon at High Spot Literary. Fulvia, which is the first of the...

Bologna: Local publishers report demand for ‘fun’ amid move away from ‘issues’

Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Bologna Children’s Book Fair, held 8–11 April, was ‘the most upbeat fair for some time’, reported Scholastic senior rights manager Claire Pretyman. 'The mood was enthusiastic and joyful,' agreed Allen...

T&H celebrates 75-year anniversary

Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Thames & Hudson (T&H) is celebrating its 75-year anniversary this year with a series of trade promotions and events. Walter and Eva Neurath founded T&H in 1949 with the ambition...

Upswell acquires Spirovski debut, ‘White Hibiscus’

Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Upswell Publishing has acquired world rights for White Hibiscus: A portrait in words, the debut work of visual artist Loribelle Spirovski. Publisher Terri-ann White described the book as ‘a poetic...

Transit Lounge acquires Dombroski debut novel ‘Xenograft’

Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to Xenograft, a debut novel by Western Sydney author Ann Dombroski. In the novel, 40-year-old Alice Kaczmarek wants a baby, but her husband, Daniel, is...

Hammer, Morton on Daggers longlist

Tuesday, 23 April 2024
In the UK, the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has announced the longlists for its Dagger Awards. Chris Hammer’s Dead Man’s Creek (published locally as The Tilt, A&U) and Kate Morton’s...

Pantera acquires Rai debut novel ‘An Onslaught of Light’

Tuesday, 23 April 2024
Pantera Press has acquired world rights to An Onslaught of Light, a debut novel by Natasha Rai. In the novel, in 1990, Vijay and Indu depart India for Australia—a move...

Age Book of the Year 2024 shortlists announced

Tuesday, 23 April 2024
The shortlists for the 2024 Age Book of the Year Award have been announced. The shortlisted works in each category are: Fiction Women & Children (Tony Birch, UQP) Anniversary (Stephanie...

New publisher Vitagraph launches literary journal

Monday, 22 April 2024
New independent publishing house Vitagraph Publishing has launched Written Off, a new literary journal dedicated to Australian literature. Vitagraph said Written Off will highlight the work of writers with broad...

Ferris receives inaugural Meanjin InPlace residency

Monday, 22 April 2024
Literary journal Meanjin has announced Ella Ferris as the inaugural recipient of the Meanjin InPlace residency. Ferris is a Taribelang writer, actor, theatre maker and poet, who now lives on...

Michael Gifkins Prize 2024 longlist announced

Monday, 22 April 2024
Text Publishing and the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) have announced the longlist for the 2024 Michael Gifkins Prize for an unpublished...

Hachette acquires Coburn YA verse novel ‘The Foal in the Wire’

Thursday, 18 April 2024
Hachette Australia has acquired world rights to The Foal in the Wire, a YA verse novel from poet Robbie Coburn, via Belinda Bolliger at Key People Literary Management. Described by...

Student-run Elephant Page Publishing launches at Curtin Uni

Thursday, 18 April 2024
A new student press, Elephant Page Publishing, has been established at Curtin University in Perth (Boorloo), Western Australia. Curtin University’s professional writing and publishing senior lecturer Per Henningsgaard is serving...

Pantera acquires Sursok memoir

Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Pantera has acquired world rights to an as-yet-untitled memoir from Tammin Sursok. Among many other roles—including producing, directing, writing, music, media appearances, and entrepreneurship—Sursok is known as an actor who...