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Drawn to writing: Rove McManus on ‘Disgusting McGrossface’

Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Aussie television personality Rove McManus makes his foray into children’s books with picture book Disgusting McGrossface (Scholastic, September) and younger readers novel Rocky Lobstar (Scholastic, October). Kelsey Oldham spoke to...

Book designer spotlight: Hannah Janzen

Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Hannah Janzen began designing books at Sydney design studio Xou Creative, before turning to freelance, specialising in children’s books. She was recently elected president of the Australian Book Designers Association...

HarperCollins acquires rights to Hazlehurst’s memoir 

Wednesday, 18 September 2019
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to actor Noni Hazlehurst’s memoir in a 'hotly contested' auction. The publisher said Hazlehurst, an award-winning stage and screen actor and advocate for children’s welfare,...

‘You Must be Layla’ sells to Puffin UK

Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has sold UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) to Yassmin Abdel-Magied's You Must Be Layla to Puffin UK, reports the Bookseller. Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese-Australian writer,...

Dalcher wins Goldsboro Glass Bell for ‘Vox’

Wednesday, 18 September 2019
In the UK, debut novelist Christina Dalcher has won the £2000 (A$3650) Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award for Vox (HQ). Set in an America where women are restricted to speaking no...

Parrett’s ‘There Was Still Love’ sold to UK

Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Martin Shaw of Alex Adsett Publishing Services has sold UK and Commonwealth rights to Favel Parrett’s third novel, There Was Still Love (Hachette), to Francine Toon at Sceptre, Hodder &...

Ngaio Marsh Award 2019 winners announced

Monday, 16 September 2019
New Zealand writer Fiona Kidman has won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel for This Mortal Boy (RHNZ Vintage). The story recreates the life of young Belfast immigrant...

A&U, Wavesound to partner on audiobooks

Monday, 16 September 2019
The majority of new Allen & Unwin titles will be produced as audiobooks under a new partnership between the publisher and Wavesound. The co-publishing program will initially see A&U and...

Walker acquires Neridah McMullin picture book 

Monday, 16 September 2019
Walker Books Australia has acquired world rights to a new picture book by Neridah McMullin called The Drover. Based a true story, the book follows a young female drover as...

Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced

Friday, 13 September 2019
The shortlists for the 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Fiction A Stolen Season (Rodney Hall, Picador) Beautiful Revolutionary (Laura Elizabeth...

BWF: YA, women authors top bestsellers

Friday, 13 September 2019
The State Library of Queensland (SLQ) bookshop recorded a 5.9 percent growth in sales at the Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) bookstore from the previous year, thanks to ‘the strong six-day...

Dechian wins 2019 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

Thursday, 12 September 2019
Victoria-based writer Sonja Dechian has won the Australian Book Review’s (ABR) 2019 Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘The Point-Blank Murder’. The judges said of the winning story: 'At...

Love wins 2019 Klaus Flugge Prize

Thursday, 12 September 2019
In the UK, Jessica Love has won the £5000 (A$8990) Klaus Flugge Prize for most promising newcomer to children’s picture book illustration for Julian is a Mermaid (Walker Books), reports...

The Children’s Bookshop to close in November

Wednesday, 11 September 2019
The Children’s Bookshop in the Sydney suburb of Beecroft will close at the end of November. The shop opened in 1971 and has been owned by Paul Macdonald for the...

Digital loans spike at Mackay libraries

Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Mackay Regional Council libraries has reported a spike in its digital loans over the past year, reports the Daily Mercury. In 2018–19, the number of electronic loans of magazines more...

Gippsland library trials 24-hour access

Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Foster library in Gippsland, Victoria, is running a trial to give its members 24-hour a day access, reports the Age. Members will use a swipe card to enter the library...