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Former Finch staff launch Bad Apple Press

Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Two former Finch Publishing staff have launched Bad Apple Press, a ‘boutique’ publisher of local nonfiction specialising in memoir. Bad Apple Press was founded by former Finch managing editor Samantha...

Scholastic acquires two books by Rove McManus

Monday, 24 June 2019
Scholastic Australia has acquired world rights to two children’s books by TV personality Rove McManus. Scholastic will publish the picture book Disgusting McGrossface in September and Rocky Lobstar, the first...

MWF reveals first international guests

Monday, 24 June 2019
Sonic Youth co-founder and author of the memoir Girl in a Band (Faber) Kim Gordon, Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt, and Black Lives Matter activist and author DeRay Mckesson are the...

BWF 2019 program announced

Friday, 21 June 2019
The program has been announced for the 2019 Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF), which runs from 5–8 September. Over 160 writers will appear at the festival, which in recognition of the...

Naher, Heifetz announce new literary agency

Friday, 21 June 2019
Agents Gaby Naher of The Naher Agency and Grace Heifetz of Curtis Brown Australia have partnered to form a new literary agency called Left Bank Literary. Launching on 1 July...

ANU launches Australian Common Reader database

Friday, 21 June 2019
Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) have launched a searchable database of Australian library records spanning 1861 to 1928. The Australian Common Reader website provides a snapshot of the...

Harjo becomes first Native American poet laureate

Thursday, 20 June 2019
Joy Harjo has been named the 23rd poet laureate of the United States, becoming the first Native American poet to hold the post, reports Publishers Weekly. Harjo is the author...

NT History Book Award 2019 shortlist announced

Thursday, 20 June 2019
The shortlist for the 2019 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award has been announced. The three shortlisted titles are: Found in Translation: Many meanings on a North Australian Mission...

Adam wins 2019 Desmond Elliott Prize

Thursday, 20 June 2019
Claire Adam has won the 2019 Desmond Elliott Prize for first-time novelists for Golden Child (Faber). The winning novel, which follows the lives of a family living in rural Trinidad,...

Woodhead to leave Overland

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Overland editor Jacinda Woodhead is stepping down after 10 years in editorial roles with the literary journal. Woodhead joined Overland in late 2009 as an intern, and later became deputy...

Book buyer spotlight: Peter Pal’s Stuart Dunstan 

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
How does book buying differ for the library sector? Stuart Dunstan, fiction buyer for Australian library supplier Peter Pal, spoke to Books+Publishing for our ‘book buyer spotlight’ series. How long have...

Change maker: Sally Rugg on ‘How Powerful We Are’ 

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
LGBTIQ rights activist Sally Rugg led the GetUp campaign for marriage equality for five years and is now executive director at change.org. Rugg’s first book, How Powerful We Are (Hachette,...

Meryl Halls: Creating better bookshops 

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Meryl Halls recently became managing director of the UK Booksellers Association (BA). In June she’s in Australia to give the keynote address at the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) conference. She...

Hachette to change library ebook licensing terms

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
In the US, Hachette will change its terms for library ebook licensing terms—the third Big Five publisher to do so in the past year, reports Publishers Weekly. From 1 July,...

Acevedo, Morris win 2019 Carnegie, Greenaway medals

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
The UK Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has announced the winners of the 2019 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals. Dominican-American writer and slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo won...

A&U launches new children’s imprint

Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has created a new children’s imprint, Albert Street Books. Albert Street Books will have a commercial focus and will publish books for babies to 12-year-olds. A&U...

Tim’s Bookshop Kew up for sale after 35 years 

Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Tim’s Bookshop in the Melbourne suburb of Kew is for sale, after owners Tim Warmington and Lynn Frankes decided to retire after 35 years in the book trade. Warmington told...

Scholastic acquires ‘Hunger Games’ prequel

Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Scholastic has acquired world English rights to a new novel by Suzanne Collins set in the 'Hunger Games' universe. The yet to be titled prequel, known as Untitled Panem Novel,...

Cothren wins 2019 Peter Carey Short Story Prize

Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Alex Cothren has won the 2019 Peter Carey Short Story Award for his story ‘Let’s Talk Trojan Bee’. Judge Nic Low described Cothren’s story as ‘a polyphonic piece built entirely...