News | Books+Publishing

Seizure announces 2018 Viva la Novella shortlist

Monday, 12 February 2018
Volunteer-run publishing initiative Seizure has announced the shortlist for the 2018 Viva la Novella competition. This year’s shortlisted authors and their works are: Hasti Abbasi for ‘And the Raindrops Fill...

Adult sales up, kids sales down in US

Monday, 12 February 2018
In the US, estimates from the AAP’s StatShot program show that sales of adult trade books increased slightly (0.4%) in the first nine months of 2017 compared to the same...

Gleitzman announced as Australian Children’s Laureate for 2018-19

Monday, 12 February 2018
Children’s author Morris Gleitzman has been chosen as the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2018-19. The author of nearly 40 books for young people, including Two Weeks with the Queen (Pan...

ASA launches virtual ‘literary speed dating’ for regional members

Friday, 9 February 2018
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) will launch its first virtual ‘literary speed dating’ session for regional members as part of Red Dirt Writers’ Week. ASA members in remote and...

Penguin US announces imprint for diverse kids books

Friday, 9 February 2018
In the US, Penguin Young Readers will launch a new imprint focusing on diverse books for children and young adults, reports Publishers Weekly. Called Kokila, the new imprint will seek...

PRH Literary Prize winner announced

Friday, 9 February 2018
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has announced that the winner of its inaugural literary prize is Kathryn Hind for her novel Hitch. ACT-based Hind wins $20,000 (which acts as an...

Stella Prize 2018 longlist announced

Thursday, 8 February 2018
The longlist for the 2018 Stella Prize has been announced. This year’s longlisted titles are: The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree (Shokoofeh Azar, Wild Dingo Press) A Writing Life: Helen...

Xoum changes name to Brio Books; moves distribution to Hardie Grant

Thursday, 8 February 2018
Xoum Publishing is changing its name to Brio Books, effective immediately. Brio Books—originally the name of the publisher’s literary imprint founded in 2016—will continue to be led by publishers Rod...

‘Nevermoor’ makes shortlist for Waterstones children’s prize

Thursday, 8 February 2018
Jessica Townsend’s middle-grade novel Nevermoor (Lothian) has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in the younger readers category. Australian-born US-based author Emily Suvada is also shortlisted in the...

Scribd returns to unlimited access model

Thursday, 8 February 2018
In the US, online reading service Scribd is returning to its original ‘unlimited’ access reading model, although some controls will remain in place to limit ‘particularly heavy consumption’ by subscribers,...

Hardie Grant acquires Karen Martini cookbook

Thursday, 8 February 2018
Hardie Grant Books has acquired world rights to Karen Martini’s next cookbook for publication in 2019. The Melbourne chef, restaurateur, food writer and food editor of Sunday Life magazine has...

Inaugural children’s literature festival to be held in WA

Thursday, 8 February 2018
A new festival celebrating children’s literature and arts will be held in Claremont, Western Australia from 9-13 May. The inaugural Scribblers Festival is conceived by WA arts advocacy organisation FORM...

Louise Cornegé on the changing ways publishers market and promote books

Wednesday, 7 February 2018
Allen & Unwin’s head of publicity Louise Cornegé travelled to New York in April 2017 to ‘review the latest global trends, strategies and technologies in digital publicity and marketing’ as...

Welsh librarian jailed for stealing books

Wednesday, 7 February 2018
In Wales, a librarian has been jailed for stealing books from the workplace and attempting to sell them online, reports the BBC. Elizabeth Macregor, from Pontypridd Library in Rhondda Cynon...

ABC to dismantle sound libraries and send book collection to Samoa

Wednesday, 7 February 2018
The ABC will dismantle its sound and reference libraries throughout the country, and make 10 librarians redundant in order to free up floor space and cut costs, reports the Guardian....

Deeper connections: Terri-ann White on the Australia Council January delegation to India

Wednesday, 7 February 2018
In January, Australian publishers Robert Watkins (Hachette Australia), Margrete Lamond (Dirt Lane Press), Anna Moulton (Magabala Books), Sam Cooney (Brow Books) and Terri-ann White (UWA Publishing), travelled to India as...

Young made honorary fellow by NZSA

Wednesday, 7 February 2018
New Zealand writer Ashleigh Young has been made an honorary literary fellow as part of the New Zealand Society of Authors’ (NZSA) annual Waitangi Day Honours. Young said of the...

SLV announces new $15,000 fellowship for Indigenous cultural research

Wednesday, 7 February 2018
The State Library Victoria (SLV) will offer a new $15,000 specialist fellowship for Victorian Aboriginal researchers in 2018. The Indigenous Victorian Aboriginal Cultural Research Fellowship is offered to a researcher who...