News | Books+Publishing

Amazon revenue up 20% in 2015

Monday, 1 February 2016
Amazon’s fourth-quarter financial results show net sales increased to US$107bn (A$151.3bn) in 2015, a 20% increase on 2014, although net income remained marginal at just US$596m (A$842.52m) for the year....

New ‘Books+Publishing’ reviews out now

Monday, 1 February 2016
Books+Publishing’s first Reviews newsletter for 2016 contains 16 reviews of books publishing in February and March 2016. Two books received 4.5 stars from our reviewers: short-story writer Josephine Rowe’s novel...

Australian publisher of ‘Fifty Shades’ ordered to pay $18.6m

Monday, 1 February 2016
A Texas judge has ordered Australian Amanda Hayward pay US$11.5m (A$16.2m) in unpaid royalties and US$1.7m (A$2.4m) in attorney’s fees to American Jennifer Lynn Pedroza, her former partner in The Writer’s Coffee Shop...

Carmody voted ‘Australia’s Favourite Author’ in Booktopia poll

Monday, 1 February 2016
Fantasy and YA author Isobelle Carmody has been voted ‘Australia’s Favourite Author’ in Booktopia’s annual poll. Booktopia announced the top 10 finalists on its website on 29 January. They were (from one to...

WAYRBA 2016 shortlists announced

Friday, 29 January 2016
The shortlists for the 2016 West Australian Young Readers’ Book Awards (WAYRBA) have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Picture books Pig the Fibber (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic)...

CWA Diamond Dagger awarded to Peter James

Friday, 29 January 2016
In the UK, the Crime Writer’s Association (CWA) has awarded its Diamond Dagger award to Peter James, best known for his series about the detective superintendent Roy Grace. The Diamond...

NZ Writers Week 2016 program announced

Friday, 29 January 2016
The full program for the 2016 New Zealand Writers Week has been announced. Running from 8 to 13 March in Wellington, the biennial event will feature sessions with international guests...

New YA festival to fund author visits to schools, libraries

Friday, 29 January 2016
UK author Alexia Casale has established a YA festival and author touring program that aims to connect libraries and schools, reports the Guardian. The first YA Shot festival will be...

Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2016 winners announced

Friday, 29 January 2016
Darwin-based playwright Mary Anne Butler has won the Victorian Prize for Literature, worth $100,000, for her play Broken at this year’s Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. The play, which also won the...

New book scanner on display at SLQ

Thursday, 28 January 2016
The State Library of Queensland’s (SLQ) newly acquired digital book scanner has been put on display. The Kirtas APT Bookscan 2400 RA machine, which scans and turns the pages of...

Keynote speakers announced for 2016 ALIA National Conference

Thursday, 28 January 2016
The Australian Library and Information Association has announced the keynote speakers for its 2016 National Conference. Keynotes will be delivered by Kate Torney, the new CEO of the State Library...

WA librarian on 2016 Australia Day honours list

Thursday, 28 January 2016
Retired Curtin University lecturer and librarian Kerry Smith has been made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia for ‘significant service to library and information sectors...

New YA festival to fund author visits to schools, libraries

Thursday, 28 January 2016
UK author Alexia Casale has established a YA festival and author touring program that aims to connect libraries and schools, reports the Guardian. The first YA Shot festival will be...

Bray joins S&S

Thursday, 28 January 2016
Simon & Schuster Australia has appointed Liz Bray as its new deputy sales director, beginning on 4 February. Bray, a former children’s book director at Allen & Unwin, most recently...

Adelaide Writers’ Week 2016 program launched

Thursday, 28 January 2016
The 2016 Adelaide Writers’ Week program has been launched. The event will run from Saturday 27 February to Thursday 3 March at the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden in Adelaide. As...

Hazel Rowley Fellowship 2016 finalists announced

Thursday, 28 January 2016
Writers Victoria has announced the finalists for the 2016 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship, awarded annually to an Australian writer for a proposed biographical work. The shortlisted writers and their projects...

Barker appointed Hardie Grant Egmont MD

Thursday, 28 January 2016
Hardie Grant Egmont (HGE) has appointed Annabel Barker as its MD from 1 February. Barker is currently HGE’s rights manager, and has previously worked at Pan Macmillan Australia and at...

US survey finds publishing industry workforce 79% white, 78% female

Thursday, 28 January 2016
In the US, the results from publisher Lee & Low’s ‘Diversity Baseline’ survey of the workforce at 34 book publishers and eight review journals have been released. The survey found...

Publishers, industry groups outline objections to PIR repeal

Thursday, 28 January 2016
Publishers and other book industry groups have detailed their objections to a proposed repeal of parallel importation restrictions (PIRs) in their submissions to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into Australia’s intellectual...