News | Books+Publishing

HarperCollins earnings, global revenue drop in first quarter

Thursday, 10 November 2022
In the US, HarperCollins' global revenue was down 11% and earnings fell 54% in the first quarter of the 2023 fiscal year compared to the same period last year, reports...

Black Inc. announces ‘Growing Up Indian in Australia’

Thursday, 10 November 2022
Black Inc. has announced the latest addition to its ‘Growing Up’ nonfiction anthology series is Growing Up Indian in Australia, to be edited by Canberra-based journalist Aarti Betigeri. 'It can...

McDuling joins PRH as rights manager

Wednesday, 9 November 2022
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has announced the appointment of Sarah McDuling as its new rights manager. McDuling replaces Nerrilee Weir, who left the company in June after 24 years....

PANZ receives funding for audiobook project

Wednesday, 9 November 2022
The Publishers Association of New Zealand Te Rau o Tākupu (PANZ) has received a NZ$495,150 (A$453,680) Te Tahua Whakamarohi i te Rāngai Ahurea Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund grant ‘to establish...

New paid Hachette traineeship

Wednesday, 9 November 2022
Hachette Australia has announced a new paid entry-level publishing traineeship intended to address the lack of diversity in publishing. The traineeship is a full-time year-long role offering exposure across Hachette’s...

Judge releases full decision blocking PRH acquisition of S&S

Wednesday, 9 November 2022
In the US, federal court judge Florence Pan’s 80-page written decision blocking Penguin Random House’s (PRH) acquisition of Simon & Schuster (S&S) has been published, reports Publishers Weekly. Pan found...

Novel ideas: 2023 fiction preview

Wednesday, 9 November 2022
A new year brings a jam-packed roster of new releases showcasing the many talents of fiction writers across the country. Acquired in a ‘hotly contested’ auction, Michael Thompson’s How to...

Laura McPhee-Browne on ‘Little Plum’

Wednesday, 9 November 2022
Little Plum (Text, February) is Laura McPhee-Browne's second novel after her 2020 debut Cherry Beach. Reviewer Danielle Bagnato describes Little Plum as a sincere character study of 29-year-old protagaonist Coral, who...

Christmas predictions 2022: The Bookshop Darwin

Tuesday, 8 November 2022
In the lead-up to Christmas, the busiest time of year on the bookselling calendar, Books+Publishing is asking booksellers across the country to predict their biggest sellers and surprise sellers. In this instalment, the team...

NewSouth acquires Pirotta book on whales

Tuesday, 8 November 2022
NewSouth Publishing has acquired world rights to a book about the past, present and future of whales by wildlife scientist and science communicator Vanessa Pirotta. According to the publisher, the...

Nielsen: 37% of audiobook consumers new to the format

Tuesday, 8 November 2022
New research by Nielsen BookData has found 37% of Australian audiobook consumers began listening to audiobooks within the past 12 months. ‘The Australian audiobook market continues to mature, with the...

Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2022 shortlists announced

Monday, 7 November 2022
The shortlists for the 2022 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted works in each category, chosen from 545 entries, are: Fiction Dark as Last Night (Tony Birch,...

Woollahra Digital Literary Awards 2022 shortlists announced

Monday, 7 November 2022
The shortlists for the Woollahra Digital Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted works in each category are: Fiction ($2500) ‘The Golden Bracelet’ (Deniz Agraz, Meniscus Literary Journal) ‘Smoking Gym’...

Voss Literary Prize 2022 shortlist announced

Monday, 7 November 2022
The shortlist for the Voss Literary Prize has been announced. The shortlisted works, chosen from a longlist of 10, are: The Other Half of You (Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Hachette) After...

Books in the media this weekend, 5–6 November

Friday, 4 November 2022
A round-up of the books being reviewed and mentioned in key media this coming weekend. National The Saturday Paper A Guest at the Feast (Colm Tóibín, Picador) Men I Trust...

Deborah Cass Prize shortlist announced

Friday, 4 November 2022
The shortlist for the 2022 Deborah Cass Prize for emerging writers from migrant backgrounds has been announced. The prize committee also announced that this year will be the prize's last....

Ractliffe to leave PRH

Friday, 4 November 2022
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) publishing director Justin Ractliffe will leave the company following a review of its local adult publishing division. From next year PRH’s adult publishing and audio...

Walkley Book Award 2022 shortlist announced

Friday, 4 November 2022
The shortlist for this year’s Walkley Book Award has been announced. The three shortlisted titles, chosen from a longlist of nine, are: Currowan (Bronwyn Adcock, Black Inc.) The Game: A portrait...

HarperCollins acquires Parker WWII love story

Thursday, 3 November 2022
HarperCollins has acquired ANZ rights to the novel At the Foot of the Cherry Tree by scriptwriter Alli Parker, in a deal brokered by Clare Forster of Curtis Brown. Described...

Begbie wins 2022 Richell Prize

Thursday, 3 November 2022
Susannah Begbie has won the 2022 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers for her manuscript ‘When Trees Fall Without Warning’. Begbie grew up in rural New South Wales on a sheep...

BookTok, Romantasy in demand at small but ‘upbeat’ Frankfurt

Wednesday, 2 November 2022
Local publishers returning to Frankfurt for the first time since the pandemic reported an upbeat mood at the smaller-than-usual fair, where attendees were grateful to be face-to-face despite concerns over...

Court blocks PRH acquisition of S&S

Wednesday, 2 November 2022
Bertelsmann, the parent company of Penguin Random House, will appeal a ruling by a US federal court blocking its proposed acquisition of Simon & Schuster (S&S). In a two-page order,...

Banned books, controversy, WebToon: children’s and YA in the US

Wednesday, 2 November 2022
Agent Danielle Binks of Jacinta Di Mase Management recently visited New York as part of an Australia Council delegation. Previously, she shared her impressions of the US market and in-demand...

Christmas predictions 2022: The Chestnut Tree

Wednesday, 2 November 2022
In the lead-up to Christmas, the busiest time of year on the bookselling calendar, Books+Publishing is asking booksellers across the country to predict their biggest sellers and surprise sellers. In this first instalment for...