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Barnes wins inaugural Bundyi Writing Prize

An image of Shannon Barnes. Monday, 13 October 2025
Bundyi Publishing has announced Shannon Barnes as the winner of the inaugural Bundyi Writing Prize for her mixed-genre novel Strangelands. Barnes wins a $10,000 cash prize, manuscript development, and a...

Affirm acquires Lewis’s debut nonfiction

A portrait of Bron Lewis. She is a red-haired woman wearing a green sequined dress Monday, 13 October 2025
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to I’m Not Mad (Anymore), a debut piece of nonfiction from Bron Lewis, in a deal brokered by Bec Sutherland of Jubilee St Management....

Melbourne Books acquires Buckrich history

A portrait of Judith Buckrich. She is a blonde woman with pale skin and glasses Monday, 13 October 2025
Melbourne Books has acquired world rights to Fitzroy North: People, Place, Protest by Judith Buckrich. “[Beginning with] the local Aboriginal communities prior to European colonisation, Fitzroy North: People, Place and Protest reveals...

Krasznahorkai wins 2025 Nobel Prize for Literature

Friday, 10 October 2025
Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai has won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature for “his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art”....

Book Club – this month’s reads

Friday, 10 October 2025
Looking for your next great group read? Our monthly Book Club rounds up new release titles that are perfect for sparking conversation and perhaps even some debate. From compelling fiction to...

Cleary wins A&U NZ Fiction Prize

An image of Anne Cleary and text announcing her as the 2025 Fiction Prize winner. Thursday, 9 October 2025
Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand (A&U NZ) has announced Tauranga writer Anne Cleary as the winner of the 2025 Fiction Prize for her entry Apple Man. According to the...

Gillard to judge Women’s Prize for Fiction

A group picture of the 2026 judges for the Women's Prize. Thursday, 9 October 2025
In the UK, the Women’s Prize Trust has announced former prime minister of Australia Julia Gillard will chair the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction judging panel. Gillard will be joined...

Bloomsbury expands dyslexia-friendly titles 

Thursday, 9 October 2025
In the UK, Bloomsbury Publishing has launched a new range of titles in their Dyslexia-Friendly Editions, reported BookBrunch. ‘The dyslexia-friendly format includes: Clear, sans-serif fonts, increased spacing and ragged-right alignment,...

Bakers Lane Books acquires McLean’s nonfiction

A profile image of Robert McLean. Thursday, 9 October 2025
Bakers Lane Books has acquired world rights to The Town Like No Other by Robert McLean. The Town Like No Other tells the story of Broken Hill, a ‘world-class mining centre that...

Perpustakaan Jakarta Cikini: Communities need a library

Thursday, 9 October 2025
With libraries, their work, and free access to information under increasing threat around the world, B+P and the Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature Office reached out to libraries in other designated cities of...

Windeyer awarded 2025 Writing NSW Varuna Fellowship

An author portrait of Kirsty Windeyer, who stands in front of an abstract artwork Wednesday, 8 October 2025
Writing NSW has announced Kirsty Windeyer as the winner of its 2025 Varuna fellowship for her novel manuscript ‘You Fix It’. Judges praised Windeyer's work for its ‘compelling synopsis, gripping...

HarperCollins UK CEO resigns 

Wednesday, 8 October 2025
HarperCollins UK CEO Charlie Redmayne has resigned effective immediately, reported the Bookseller yesterday. Group managing director, adult commercial publishing Kate Elton has been named interim CEO. Redmayne was appointed as...

A&U acquires Bailey’s sixth novel

Wednesday, 8 October 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Click, the sixth novel from Sarah Bailey, in a deal brokered by Lyn Tranter at Australian Literary Management. ‘Click is a taut...

Nature Writing Prize shortlist revealed

island magazine logo Wednesday, 8 October 2025
Literary journal Island has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Nature Writing Prize. Shortlisted writers and their pieces are: Frankey Chung-Kok-Lun for ‘Menura Novahollandiae’ Rosalee Kiely for ‘Habitat’ Bridget Webster for ‘Like...

HarperCollins acquires new Heyman fiction

A portrait of Kathryn Heyman. She is wearing a black shirt and smiling. Wednesday, 8 October 2025
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Circle of Wonders, a novel by Kathryn Heyman. The novel follows Roni over the course of a lunar month. ‘Roni has lived with breast...

Garner shortlisted for Baillie Gifford Prize

Tuesday, 7 October 2025
How to End a Story: Collected Diaries by Australian author Helen Garner (Text) has been shortlisted for the 2025 Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction in the UK. Selected from a...

Anthropic settlement website launched 

Tuesday, 7 October 2025
In the US, Judge William Alsup has given preliminary approval to the proposed $1.5 billion ($A2.27b) settlement in the Anthropic class-action lawsuit, leading to the launch of a settlement website....

Better Reading Top 100 announced

Monday, 6 October 2025
Better Reading has announced its 2025 top 100 list, ‘a true reflection of what Australians read’. Voted on by readers, the number one spot went to Boy Swallows Universe by...

Stella Day Out announces new Sydney event

Stella Day out Monday, 6 October 2025
Literary organisation Stella has announced a second Stella Day Out event in Sydney, set to take place on 21 October at Quest Chatswood, NSW. The evening event will offer drinks...

The Bookshop Darlinghurst to close

The bookshop darlinghurst Monday, 6 October 2025
The Bookshop Darlinghurst in Sydney will close down on Christmas Eve 2025. Owner Charles Gregory said the closure was due to ‘repeated delays’ in the redevelopment of Oxford & Foley...

Pluto Press announces Albanese collection 

Monday, 6 October 2025
US publisher Pluto Press has announced the acquisition of world rights to A Moon Will Rise from the Darkness: Reports on Israel’s Genocide in Palestine by United Nations special rapporteur on...

Ventura acquires Simon debut novel

Monday, 6 October 2025
Ventura Press has acquired world rights to Susan Simon’s debut novel The Secrets of St Jude’s, a ‘private school noir and commercial thriller’. The Secrets of St Jude’s follows the story...

Junior Book Club – this month’s reads

Friday, 3 October 2025
Searching for your next great read to share with kids? Our Junior Book Club highlights 10 new titles each month that are perfect for classrooms, libraries and family reading time....

EWF 2025: ‘tending to and forging of community’

Emerging Writers Festival Logo Thursday, 2 October 2025
The Emerging Writers' Festival (EWF) had its ‘most successful’ festival since 2018, according to organisers. In 2025, the festival hosted 240 artists in 79 events over 8 days, almost doubling...

ASA announces 2025 Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship shortlist

Australian Society of Authors logo. Thursday, 2 October 2025
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced the 2025 Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship shortlist. Chosen from over 70 applicants, the shortlisted authors are: Lenny Bartulin for ‘A Calendar of Vandemonian...

S&S UK, US launch new imprint 

Thursday, 2 October 2025
Simon & Schuster (S&S) US and UK have jointly announced the launch of new imprint Scarlett Press, reported BookBrunch and Publishers Weekly. Scarlett Press is envisioned as a ‘home for romance-forward...

Magabala Books acquires Cusack new adult debut

Thursday, 2 October 2025
Magabala Books has acquired world rights to The Dangers of Just One Person, a ‘funny, queer, regional’ novel by Skye Cusack. The novel ‘follows the intertwined stories of two young,...