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BorrowBox: ‘User experience is everything’

Wednesday, 19 March 2025
In the lead-up to the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is in conversation with the event's major sponsors about the status of the industry, what excites them about the...

Larrikin House acquires Mather picture book 

a portrait of Rory H Mather Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Larrikin House has acquired world rights to Otto's INKcredible First Day of School by Rory H Mather, with illustrations by Rebel Challenger. The story follows Otto, an octopus who sprays...

Beer’s ‘Thunderhead’ optioned for film 

Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Thunderhead (Sophie Beer, A&U) has been optioned by LateNite films, in a film and television deal negotiated by Annabel Barker Agency. Beer’s first middle-grade novel, Thunderhead draws on the author’s own...

A&U acquires Wallace debut novel ‘Ash’ 

Photograph of Louise Wallace Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world English (ex NZ) rights to debut novel Ash by Louise Wallace, in a deal brokered by Martin Shaw at Shaw Literary. North American...

Laura Elvery on ‘Nightingale’ 

Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Brisbane-based writer Laura Elvery (Ordinary Matter) makes her novel debut with Nightingale (UQP, May), a fictional reimagining of the life of Florence Nightingale. Books+Publishing reviewer Kate Dunphy describes it as...

Bundyi acquires two Morison novels 

a portrait of Judi Morison Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Simon & Schuster imprint Bundyi Publishing has acquired world rights to two novels by Judi Morison. Morison’s debut, Secrets, ‘touches on many of the issues we are still grappling with...

Text acquires ‘Snake Talk’ 

a portrait of Tyson Yunkaporta and Megan Kelleher Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Text Publishing has acquired world rights for Snake Talk: How the World’s Ancient Serpent Stories Can Guide Us by Tyson Yunkaporta and Megan Kelleher. The publisher describes Snake Talk as an...

Loveridge, Stephens launch Perentie Press 

Monday, 17 March 2025
Wombat Books founder Rochelle Stephens and teacher and author Bethany Loveridge have announced the establishment of new publishing venture Perentie Press. Loveridge and Stephens said the press will be ‘a...

Larrikin acquires McDonald picture book 

a portrait of RWR McDonald Monday, 17 March 2025
Larrikin House has acquired world English rights to Rainbow Street by RWR McDonald, illustrated by Kelly Canby. The picture book introduces Rainbow Street, ‘where every neighbour is family, every celebration is...

Wynn-Williams blocked from promoting ‘Careless People’ 

the cover of Careless People Monday, 17 March 2025
In the US, an emergency arbitrator has ‘temporarily prohibited Meta’s former director of global public policy and author of the memoir Careless People, Sarah Wynn-Williams, from promoting or further distributing...

Tasmania Reads 2025 events announced

Tasmania Reads logo Monday, 17 March 2025
Tasmania Reads will be held in libraries and partner organisations across the state 23–29 March 2025, and will include the launch of a new Writers’ Room at the State Library...

Murdoch Books acquires Fashion Critical title 

Fashion critical book cover Monday, 17 March 2025
Murdoch Books has acquired world rights to a ‘satirical red-carpet fashion bible’ from anonymous social media influencer and comedian Fashion Critical (FC). ‘Fashion Critical is the brainchild of an anonymous...

A&U acquires Gold’s ‘My Name Is Elli’ 

a portrait of Doug Gold Monday, 17 March 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) Aotearoa New Zealand has acquired world rights to the historical novel My Name Is Elli from author Doug Gold. Set in wartime Holland, My Name Is...

Auckland Writers Festival announces 2025 program

Auckland Writers Festival guests include Edward Wong, Harriet Walter, Samantha Harvey, Ian Rankin, Colm Tóibín, Monty Soutar Monday, 17 March 2025
Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi O Tāmaki has announced its 2025 program, to be held in Tāmaki Makaurau 13–18 May. Close to 50 international participants and more than 170 Aotearoa New...

BookPeople launches 100 best books reading guide 

bookpeople top 100 Monday, 17 March 2025
BookPeople has released '100 Best Australian Books of the 21st Century', a reading guide featuring titles selected by member booksellers. The guide, which covers adult fiction and nonfiction categories, is...

Fox’s ‘Fire with Fire’ to be adapted for screen 

a portrait of Candice Fox Monday, 17 March 2025
Candice Fox's 2024 thriller Fire with Fire (Penguin) is being adapted for television by US television studio NBC, reports Deadline. Television writer and producer Wendy Mericle (Arrow, Desperate Housewives) is...

Vale Jeannine Fowler 

a portrait of Jeannine Fowler Monday, 17 March 2025
Jeannine Fowler, former publicity director at Pan Macmillan Australia, has died. Pan Macmillan publicity and marketing director Tracey Cheetham writes: Pan Macmillan Australia is profoundly saddened to advise of the...

Penguin Literary Prize 2025 shortlist announced

Penguin Literary Prize logo Thursday, 13 March 2025
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Penguin Literary Prize. The shortlisted manuscripts are: ‘The Fear of Empty Spaces’ by Rachel Bowman (Brisbane, Qld) –...

Fagan wins 2025 Gordon Burn Prize

a portrait of Jenni Fagan Thursday, 13 March 2025
In the UK, Jenni Fagan has won the 2025 Gordon Burn Prize, worth £10,000 (A$20,566), for Ootlin (Hutchinson Heinemann). Selected from a shortlist of five that included Lucia Osborne-Crowley’s The Lasting...

PRH acquires new series by Johns and Mercer 

Rachael Johns, Mercedes Mercier Thursday, 13 March 2025
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has acquired world rights to The Number One Insta Detectives Agency and The Love Bomber by co-writers Rachael Johns and Mercedes Mercier. Rights were acquired...

Hussein named 2025 Kat Muscat Fellow

a portrait of Adalya Nash Hussein Thursday, 13 March 2025
Express Media and the Kat Muscat Custodial Committee have announced Adalya Nash Hussein as the 10th and final Kat Muscat Fellow. Selected from a shortlist of three, Hussein is a...