Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

News >

Melbourne libraries re-close as second lockdown begins

Wednesday, 8 July 2020
In line with the stage three restrictions announced by Victorian premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday, Melbourne libraries including State Library Victoria (SLV) and all City of Melbourne Library branches will...

Canberra Writers Festival 2020 program launched

Wednesday, 8 July 2020
The Canberra Writers Festival, which will run from 12 to 16 August, has launched its 2020 program. In a statement, the festival said artistic director Jeanne Ryckmans’ program would be...

Australian book sales down 2% for year to June 

Wednesday, 8 July 2020
Strong sales during the second quarter of 2020 have largely cushioned the overall Australian book market from the effects of Covid-19, with Australian book sales down by just 2% for...

Gardners owner makes Bertrams asset purchase 

Wednesday, 8 July 2020
The Little Group, owner of UK book wholesaler Gardners, has agreed to an asset purchase of book wholesaler the Bertram Group, which went into administration earlier this year. Books+Publishing understands...

Johnson wins 2020 PEN Pinter Prize

Wednesday, 8 July 2020
In the UK, poet and reggae artist Linton Kwesi Johnson has been awarded the 2020 PEN Pinter Prize. Prize judge Claire Armitstead said: ‘Once we had laid our nominations on...

Furphy Literary Award 2020 shortlists announced

Tuesday, 7 July 2020
The shortlists for the inaugural Furphy Literary Award has been announced. The six shortlisted stories and writers in the open category are: 'Ando Gets Plastered' by Cate Kennedy 'Awakening' by...

New Ingram Melbourne plant to open by September 

Tuesday, 7 July 2020
Ingram Content Group, parent company of Lightning Source Australia, has announced it is building a new printing plant in Melbourne which it expects to be operational in the Australian spring....

‘Taking Tom Murray Home’ optioned for screen

Tuesday, 7 July 2020
Sydney-based production company Soft Tread Enterprises has optioned Tim Slee's novel Taking Tom Murray Home (HarperCollins) for the screen. Taking Tom Murray Home was the inaugural winner of the Banjo...

UQP acquires new Chong poetry collection

Monday, 6 July 2020
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired Eileen Chong’s poetry collection A Thousand Crimson Blooms. Chong is the author of nine books, including her most recent poetry collection Rainforest, which...

Owusu wins 2020 £10,000 Desmond Elliott Prize

Friday, 3 July 2020
Derek Owusu has won the Desmond Elliott Prize for first-time novelists for his verse novel That Reminds Me (#Merky Books). Owusu’s book, the semi-autobiographical story of a British-Ghanaian boy called...

Write-ability fellowships 2020 recipients announced

Thursday, 2 July 2020
Writers Victoria has announced the recipients of its 2020 Write-ability fellowships. The organisation this year awarded two additional fellowships: a poetry fellowship supported by an anonymous donor, and a one-off...

KYD Unpublished Manuscript Award 2020 longlist announced

the logo for kill your darlings Thursday, 2 July 2020
The longlist for the 2020 Kill Your Darlings (KYD) Unpublished Manuscript Award has been announced. The longlisted authors and their works are: 'Mood' by Roz Bellamy (nonfiction) 'Abomination' by Ashley Goldberg...

Bookselling during the ‘new normal’ 

Wednesday, 1 July 2020
The financial effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Australian booksellers are varied, but the sense that bookselling is about more than simply selling books has been highlighted, with booksellers finding...

WA Premier’s Book Awards shortlists announced

Wednesday, 1 July 2020
The shortlists for this year’s Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Premier’s Prize for an emerging writer ($15,000) Fabulous Lives (Bindy Pritchard,...

Ngaio Marsh Award 2020 longlist announced

Tuesday, 30 June 2020
The longlist for this year’s Ngaio Marsh Award for New Zealand crime fiction has been announced. The longlisted titles are:  Shadow of Doubt (S L Beaumont, Paperback Writers) Trust Me,...

Colin Roderick Award 2020 longlist announced

Tuesday, 30 June 2020
The longlist for the 2020 Colin Roderick Award, administered by the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies at James Cook University, has been announced. The longlisted titles are: Turn Left at...