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Jacky Winter Group launches Gildlings 

Gildings logo Wednesday, 28 May 2025
The Jacky Winter Group – a creative agency with offices in Melbourne, New York, and London – has announced the creation of new literary agency Gildlings. According to the organisation,...

Explainer: State Library Victoria duty of care review timeline

Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Following the release of documentation from the State Library Victoria (SLV) regarding ways of working with stakeholders including contractors, Books+Publishing has compiled a timeline of relevant events. Bootcamp postponement In February...

SLV publishes ‘Ways of Working Commitment’

Tuesday, 27 May 2025
The State Library Victoria (SLV) has published a 'Ways of Working Commitment', following last year’s duty of care review. In its May newsletter, the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) noted...

King wins EWF Speculate Prize

Melissa Kind photo Tuesday, 27 May 2025
The Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF), in partnership with RMIT University, has announced Melissa King as the winner of the inaugural Speculate Prize for Emerging Writers for her short work 'The...

ABDA 2025 winners announced

ABDA winners Monday, 26 May 2025
The winners of the 2025 Australian Book Design Awards, presented by the Australian Book Designers Association (ABDA), have been announced. The winners in each category are: Designer's Choice Award Eat...

Atria acquires BookToker Bateman debut

Luke Bateman portrait. Monday, 26 May 2025
Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia, has acquired world rights to Luke Bateman’s debut fantasy series in a two-book deal, via Sean Anderson and Tim Wall at...

The Luna Foundation launches new NZ residency 

The Luna Foundation residency Monday, 26 May 2025
The Luna Foundation has launched an inaugural writers residency for Aotearoa New Zealand women writers. Running 3–7 November 2025, the Luna Foundation Writers Residency will be awarded to a woman writer...

PRH acquires two McInerney titles

Monica McInerney headshot. Monday, 26 May 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has acquired ANZ rights for a new novel, When Sullivan Met Lola, and a new work of collected nonfiction from Monica McInerney, via Fiona Inglis...

Alarm over Russian publisher arrests 

Thursday, 22 May 2025
The International Publishers Association (IPA) has expressed alarm at reports of more than 10 publishing professionals arrested in Russia ‘in connection to criminal charges of distributing books containing “LGBT propaganda”’....

Transit Lounge acquires Ouston’s Mine

Adam Ouston headshot. Thursday, 22 May 2025
Transit Lounge has acquired ANZ rights to author Adam Ouston’s second novel, Mine, via Martin Shaw at Shaw Literary. According to Shaw, Mine has been composed in one complete sentence. The...

Big Day of Books Perth program announced

Perth Big Day of Books. Thursday, 22 May 2025
ABC Radio, Fremantle Press, UWA Publishing, Magabala Books and Boffins Books have announced the program for the Big Day of Books Perth. 'When the Perth Writers Festival was postponed, Fremantle...

Raisin wins Romantic Novel of the Year Award 

a portrait of Rebecca Raisin Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Perth-based writer Rebecca Raisin has won the Contemporary Romance Novel Award for her book A Love Letter to Paris (Boldwood) in the 2025 Romantic Novel of the Year Awards. Chosen...

Pantera acquires Bridges’ book on perimenopause 

a portrait of Michelle Bridges Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Pantera Press has acquired The Perimenopause Method from Michelle Bridges, via Joseph Hanrahan at Profile Talent Management. According to the publisher, The Perimenopause Method is a ‘comprehensive and holistic guide’...

Purcell appointed The Nile head of books Australia 

a portrait of John Purcell Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Online bookseller The Nile has appointed John Purcell as head of books – Australia, joining Stacey Collins, who was recently promoted to head of books – New Zealand. Purcell was...

digiDirect acquires James Bennett 

James Bennett Logo Wednesday, 21 May 2025
The digiDirect Group, owner of Booktopia, has acquired Australian library supplier James Bennett from US library supplier Baker & Taylor. digiDirect Group chair and CEO Shant Kradjian said: ‘We are...

A&U acquires The Grade Cricketer book 

a portrait of Sam Perry and Ian Higgins Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to The Grade Cricketer: Alphas, Champs and Chop Kings, a new nonfiction title from Sam Perry and Ian Higgins. Since debuting on Twitter...

Emma Pei Yin on ‘When Sleeping Women Wake’ 

Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Canberra-based, British-born Hong Kong-Chinese writer and editor Emma Pei Yin’s debut novel, When Sleeping Women Wake (Hachette, July), is set in 1940s Hong Kong and follows three women whose lives...

Emma Pei Yin recommends 

Tuesday, 20 May 2025
I have been so deep in research for When Sleeping Women Wake that I haven’t read much Australian fiction over the past few years. The most memorable Australian fiction I...