News | Books+Publishing

The Next Chapter mentors announced

Thursday, 29 November 2018
The recipients of the 2018 Next Chapter grants for developing writers, each worth $15,000, have been matched with their mentors, who will work with them over 12 months to help...

Tasmania abolishes library fines statewide

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Tasmania's libraries are abolishing fines for items that are returned late to library branches statewide, reports ABC News. From December 2018, failure to return books on time will incur penalties...

ALA responds to racial profiling in libraries following two incidents

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
The American Library Association (ALA) has released a statement affirming its commitment to ‘providing library professionals with resources that support equity, diversity, and inclusion’, following two incidents involving library staff...

Nanango library to be upgraded for first time in nearly 60 years

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Queensland’s South Burnett Regional Council will soon be calling for tenders for the upgrade of the Nanango Library, reports the South Burnett Times. The building, which has not been upgraded...

Christmas closing list: Final chance to submit dates

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Publishers and distributors have one more chance to advise Books+Publishing of their Christmas closing dates by 5pm this Friday, 30 November. If your business doesn’t appear on this week’s list, please submit...

Christmas closing list 2018

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Company Last day of business in 2018 First day of business in 2019 Alliance Distribution Services Closed public holidays Allen & Unwin Friday, 21 December Wednesday, 2 January Australian Booksellers...

Pasifika dual-language resources win NZ award

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
In New Zealand, a series of books published by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to help Pasifika children with literacy has won the Pacific Service Excellence Award, as part of...

Netflix to adapt Dahl classics into animated series

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Netflix has secured the rights to adapt many of Roald Dahl's works for screen, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, Matilda and George’s Marvellous Medicine (all Puffin). It also has plans to create a...

Berbay acquires middle-grade series by Louise Park

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Berbay Publishing has acquired world rights to a three-book middle-grade fiction series by Australian children's author Louise Park. The first book in the series, titled Grace's Castle, is a fast-paced time-slip adventure...

Scribe acquires Louise Omer memoir ‘Holy Woman’

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Scribe has acquired world rights to a memoir about 'faith, feminist spirituality, and a search for meaning' by writer and critic Louise Omer, via Jane Novak of Jane Novak Literary...

Please complete our pre-Christmas survey

Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Books+Publishing is currently conducting its annual pre-Christmas survey of booksellers and publishers. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey online. Booksellers If you are a bookseller, please complete...

PEN Afrikaans criticises proposed changes to South Africa’s Copyright Act

Tuesday, 27 November 2018
In South Africa, PEN Afrikaans has joined international organisations in protesting against proposed changes to South African copyright law outlined in the Copyright Amendment Bill. According to a statement from...

Sisters in Crime Scarlet Stiletto Awards 2018 winners announced

Tuesday, 27 November 2018
The winners of the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, presented by Sisters in Crime, have been announced. Melbourne writer Philomena Horsley, a medical anthropologist who specialises in autopsies, won the $1500...

Serong wins inaugural Staunch Book Prize

Tuesday, 27 November 2018
Australian author Jock Serong has won the inaugural Staunch Book Prize for his novel On the Java Ridge (Text). The UK-based prize aims to 'make space for an alternative to...

Publishers, authors welcome NZ Copyright Act review

Tuesday, 27 November 2018
The New Zealand government’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has released an issues paper on the review of the Copyright Act, which has been welcomed by both the Publishers...

‘The Joy of Waterboiling’ wins 2018 Diagram Prize

Monday, 26 November 2018
The Joy of Waterboiling (Achse Verlag) has won the 2018 Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year presented by the Bookseller. The German cookbook is a guide to the preparation of classic,...

Horne Prize 2018 shortlist announced

Monday, 26 November 2018
The Saturday Paper and skin care company Aesop have announced the shortlist for the $15,000 Horne Prize for narrative nonfiction. The shortlisted writers are: Melanie Cheng for 'All the Other Stories', on...

Christmas predictions: James Redden from Harry Hartog in Canberra

Friday, 23 November 2018
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. In the this week's...

Collins Booksellers opens in Thirroul, NSW

Friday, 23 November 2018
Collins Booksellers has opened a store in the town of Thirroul in New South Wales. Located 70km south of Sydney, Collins Thirroul is the only bookstore in the Northern Illawarra...

Costa Book Awards 2018 shortlists announced

Friday, 23 November 2018
In the UK, the shortlists for the 2018 Costa Book Awards have been announced. Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award are: The Silence of the Girls (Pat Barker, Hamish Hamilton) The...

Pitt wins 2018 Walkley Book Award for ‘The House’

Friday, 23 November 2018
Journalist and author Helen Pitt has won the 2018 Walkley Book Award for The House (A&U). Chosen from a shortlist of three, Pitt's book explores the history of the Sydney Opera...

‘Living in Hope’ wins 2018 Most Underrated Book Award

Friday, 23 November 2018
A memoir by a member of the Stolen Generations, Living in Hope (Frank Byrne with Gerard Waterford & Francis Coughlan, Ptilotus Press), has won the Small Press Network’s (SPN) Most Underrated Book...

‘The Dead Still Cry Out’ wins Nib Literary Award

Thursday, 22 November 2018
Helen Lewis' The Dead Still Cry Out (Text) has won the Waverley Council’s Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award for 2018. The book tells the true story of Lewis’...

Amazon unblocks Oz shoppers from US store

Thursday, 22 November 2018
Australian consumers are now able to purchase and ship items from Amazon’s international website, according to a statement from Amazon. The retailer suspended shipping to Australian addresses from its international website...

Chinese author jailed for publishing gay erotic novel

Thursday, 22 November 2018
In China, an erotic novelist has been sentenced to over a decade in prison for writing and selling a gay porn novel, reports the Guardian. The book in question, Gongzhan...

Book-to-screen projects receive Screen Australian funding

Thursday, 22 November 2018
Two book-to-film adaptations feature among the projects receiving story development funding from Screen Australia. The projects, and their producers, are: A feature film adaptation of Finding Sanity: John Cade, Lithium and...