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Knox longlisted for 2025 Walter Scott Prize

logo walter scott prize Wednesday, 19 February 2025
In the UK, the Abbotsford Trust has announced the longlist for the 16th Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction (WSP).  Among those longlisted is local author Malcolm Knox for his...

S&S Australia launches Atria imprint 

Atria books logo Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Simon & Schuster (S&S) Australia has announced the launch of new imprint Atria Books Australia, to be led by publisher Anthea Bariamis. Atria Books is already an imprint with S&S...

Jessica Stanley recommends 

Tuesday, 18 February 2025
I’m reading a book about psychotherapy called The Talking Cure, published by Macmillan in 2019. One of the authors has a therapy podcast I’m obsessed with called Three Associating (I...

Jessica Stanley on ‘Consider Yourself Kissed’ 

Tuesday, 18 February 2025
London-based Australian writer Jessica Stanley (A Great Hope) returns with Consider Yourself Kissed (Text, April), a compelling novel about love, identity and modern motherhood. Books+Publishing reviewer Emily Westmoreland calls it...

Hachette reports ‘remarkable momentum’ in 2024 

Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Hachette parent company Lagardère reported that for 2024, Lagardère’s publishing revenue was up 2.2% compared to 2023, with like-for-like change up 1.9% (attributable chiefly to a positive currency effect) and...

Stricker wins 2025 Peter Porter Poetry Prize

a portrait of Meredith Stricker Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Meredith Stricker was awarded the 2025 Peter Porter Poetry Prize, run by the Australian Book Review (ABR) and worth $6000, at a ceremony in Melbourne last night. ABR outgoing editor Peter...

Atlantic acquires Stephens debut 

a portrait of Clare Stephens Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Atlantic Books Australia, a division of Allen & Unwin (A&U), has acquired ANZ rights to Clare Stephens’s debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done, in a deal brokered by...

Creative Australia announces 2025 VIPs 

Creative Australia logo Monday, 17 February 2025
Creative Australia has announced the 12 international publishers, editors and agents participating in the 2025 Visiting International Publishers (VIPs) program. This year’s participants represent ‘a range of territories; genre specialties;...

Ocean Reeve Publishing declares bankruptcy 

the logo for ocean reeve publishing Monday, 17 February 2025
Ocean Reeve Publishing, a hybrid publisher based in Queensland and in Aotearoa New Zealand, has declared bankruptcy. In a statement, the Reeve family said, ‘websites, emails, [and] social media related...

Keeperton to publish five TL Swan books 

a portrait of TL Swan Monday, 17 February 2025
Arndell, an imprint of Keeperton, has announced it will publish worldwide print editions of The Miles High Club series by author and Keeperton founder TL Swan. The series consists of...

Scodellaro wins 2024 Novel Prize

a portrait of Giada Scodellaro Monday, 17 February 2025
Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo and New Directions have announced Ruins, Child, a debut novel from Giada Scodellaro, as the winner of the 2024 Novel Prize. The novel was chosen from 1100...

Tasmanian Literary Awards 2025 shortlists announced

Monday, 17 February 2025
The shortlists for the 2025 Tasmanian Literary Awards have been announced. Shortlisted titles in each category are: Premier’s Prize for Fiction ($25,000) The Angry Women’s Choir (Meg Bignell, Penguin) Heartsease...

Libraries ready to feel the love 

Friday, 14 February 2025
A global day of celebration, Library Lovers' Day (LLD) is celebrated every 14 February to recognise libraries, library workers, and library users. First celebrated in Australia in 2006 by the...

Carnegie 2025 longlists announced

the logo of the carnegies, a green square with a white torch and yellow flames Thursday, 13 February 2025
In the UK, the longlists for the Carnegie Medal for Writing and the Carnegie Medal for Illustration have been announced. The 35 longlisted titles (19 for the Carnegie Medal for...

DANZ Children’s Book Award 2025 longlists announced

Thursday, 13 February 2025
The 2025 longlists for the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) DANZ (Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) Children’s Book Award have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category...

Silcox to depart Canberra Writers Festival 

Photograph of Beejay Silcox Thursday, 13 February 2025
Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) has announced the departure of artistic director Beejay Silcox. Silcox joined CWF in 2023, following the departure of Jeanne Ryckmans in 2022, and oversaw the 2023...

HarperCollins acquires Parker historical novel 

a portrait of Alli Parker Thursday, 13 February 2025
HarperCollins Australia has acquired ANZ rights for Until the Red Leaves Fall by Alli Parker, via Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown. The novel, set in 1957 Melbourne, follows Emmy Darling,...

Christmas 2024: Sales up for most booksellers 

Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Christmas sales in 2024 were up on the previous year for the majority of booksellers surveyed by Books+Publishing in its annual Christmas survey, which this year received responses from representatives...

Arrest of booksellers sparks international condemnation

Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Mahmoud Muna and Ahmad Muna, the Palestinian uncle and nephew co-owners of the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem, were released by police on Tuesday, 11 February, but remain under a...

A&U acquires new historical fiction from Rose 

a portrait of Heather Rose Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to A Great Act of Love by Heather Rose, via Gaby Naher of the Naher Agency. US rights have sold to Judy Clain...

Bateman acquires Beatnik 

Beatnik logo Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Aotearoa New Zealand publisher David Bateman Ltd (Bateman Books) has acquired independent publisher Beatnik Publishing, effective from 1 February. In a statement, Bateman Books said Beatnik founder and publisher Sally...

Affirm acquires Johnson debut ‘King Tide’ 

Photograph of Luke Johnson Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Affirm has acquired ANZ rights to the debut crime novel King Tide by Luke Johnson, via literary agent Daniel Pilkington. Described by the publisher as a ‘beautiful, exhilarating and exquisitely...

US literary orgs decry anti-trans executive order

Monday, 10 February 2025
In the US, more than 50 book-industry organisations and businesses, including booksellers, publishers and libraries, have released a statement denouncing an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that recognises...

Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize 2025 shortlist announced

a sepia portrait of Gwen Harwood Monday, 10 February 2025
The shortlist for the 2025 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize has been announced. The shortlisted poems, chosen from almost 500 entries, are: ‘Whistling Space’ by Chris Andrews ‘Finding Pan’ by Jonathan...