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A&U acquires Rielly’s ‘Fridays with Blanche’ 

Blanche d'Alpuget and Derek Rielly Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Allen & Unwin has acquired world rights to Fridays with Blanche by Derek Rielly, via Jeanne Ryckmans at Key People Literary Management. Fridays with Blanche is based on Rielly’s weekly...

Inaugural ABR Inglis Fellowship announced

ABR logo Tuesday, 28 May 2024
The Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced a new fellowship program—the $5000 ABR Inglis Fellowship. The inaugural year-long program will give one fellow the opportunity to write three review essays...

Text Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Tuesday, 28 May 2024
The shortlist for the 2024 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, worth $10,000, has been announced. Shortlisted manuscripts are: ‘The Feathers of Farwood’ by Jayne McIntyre (middle grade),...

Bacon awarded 2024 Hedberg Writer-in-Residence

Photograph of Eugen Bacon Monday, 27 May 2024
African Australian speculative fiction author Eugen Bacon has been named the 2024 University of Tasmania Hedberg Writer-in-Residence, worth $30,000. Eugen will use the Hobart residency, which consists of three months writing, working...

Affirm to distribute Gemini Books

Thursday, 23 May 2024
Affirm Press will distribute titles from new UK-based publishing house Gemini Books in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand from July. Gemini Books was founded by Marcus Leaver, co-founder of Welbeck...

Text acquires Stanley’s ‘Consider Yourself Kissed’ 

Photograph of Jessica Stanely Thursday, 23 May 2024
Text Publishing has acquired ANZ rights to London-based Australian novelist Jessica Stanley’s Consider Yourself Kissed, via Lizzy Kremer at David Higham Associates. Kremer also sold US rights to Sarah McGrath...

Affirm acquires Art Simone anthology 

Thursday, 23 May 2024
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Drag Queens Down Under, an anthology curated by Art Simone. The anthology is described by the publisher as ‘a glorious celebration of life...

S&S acquires Behrendt novel 

Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) imprint Bundyi has acquired world rights to a new commercial novel by Larissa Behrendt. Friends for nearly four decades, Behrendt and Bundyi publisher-at-large Anita Heiss...

BookUp 2024 first guests announced

BookUp logo Wednesday, 22 May 2024
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has announced this year’s BookUp conference will take place on 7 August at State Library Victoria in Melbourne, with tickets now on sale. Thames &...

Phommavanh charged for alleged grooming 

Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Sydney children’s author Oliver Phommavanh has been charged for allegedly grooming a minor online, reports the ABC. According to ABC News, it is alleged that Phommavanh ‘sent inappropriate photos and...

Aurealis Awards 2023 winners announced

Tuesday, 21 May 2024
The winners of the 2023 Aurealis Awards, presented for science fiction, fantasy and horror writing published last year in Australia, have been announced. Among longer-form winners, chosen from shortlists announced...

S&S acquires Murphy memoir ‘Madam’

Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Antonia Murphy’s forthcoming memoir, Madam, at auction, via Alice Tasman and Cole Hildebrand at Jean V Naggar Literary...

Levens resigns as Booktopia CFO

Booktopia logo Monday, 20 May 2024
Booktopia chief financial officer (CFO) Fiona Levens has resigned from the company, effective 15 May. In a statement, Booktopia CEO David Nenke acknowledged Levens’ ‘strong leadership during her time with...

Big W opens in Stanhope Gardens 

Photograph of the bookshelves in Big W Stanhope Gardens store Monday, 20 May 2024
Big W has opened its first new large-format store since 2019 at Stanhope Gardens in north-western Sydney. In a statement, Big W said that the new store will have ‘an...

Michael Gifkins Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Monday, 20 May 2024
Text Publishing and the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) have announced the shortlist for the 2024 Michael Gifkins Prize for an unpublished...

New $5000 award for Aotearoa NZ writers

Monday, 20 May 2024
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) has announced a new NZ$5000 award for Aotearoa NZ writers. The NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award, established by...

Walker acquires Marr, Speechley picture book

Monday, 20 May 2024
Walker Books Australia has acquired world rights to the picture book One Day, written by Shirley Marr and illustrated by Michael Speechley, in a two-book deal. One Day introduces a...

Huang wins Blake Poetry Prize

Monday, 20 May 2024
Coco X Huang has won the 68th Blake Poetry Prize, worth $5000, for her poem 'Three Lessons'. Huang is a Chinese-Australian writer, musician and scientist, who creates interdisciplinary works that...

Dorothy Hewett Award 2024 shortlist announced

Friday, 17 May 2024
UWA Publishing has announced the shortlist for the 2024 Dorothy Hewett Award for an unpublished manuscript. The shortlisted manuscripts, chosen from over 200 entries, are: ‘The Protector of Fledglings’ by...

Miles Franklin 2024 longlist announced

Thursday, 16 May 2024
The longlist for the 2024 Miles Franklin Literary Award has been announced. The longlisted titles, selected from 104 books, are: Only Sound Remains (Hossein Asgari, Puncher & Wattmann) Wall (Jen...

Ockham NZ Book Awards 2024 winners announced

Thursday, 16 May 2024
The winners of the 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. The fiction prize went to Emily Perkins for Lioness (Bloomsbury). Convenor of fiction judges Juliet Blyth said: ‘At...

Hastings wins 2024 ASA/HQ Fiction Prize

Thursday, 16 May 2024
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) and HarperCollins imprint HQ have announced that Kathleen Hastings is the winner of the 2024 ASA/HQ Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript. Selected from...

Wright wins 2024 James Tait Black fiction prize

Cover of Praiseworthy Thursday, 16 May 2024
Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright (Giramondo) has won the fiction award in the 2024 James Tait Black Prizes. Wright’s novel was chosen from a shortlist of four fiction works for the...