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Two Carter crime series optioned for television 

a portrait of Alan Carter Monday, 24 March 2025
Tasmania-based crime author Alan Carter's Cato Kwong series and Nick Chester series (both Fremantle Press) have been optioned for television by Magnetic Stories. Production company Magnetic Stories launched last week...

MWF releases full 2025 program

MWF logo Friday, 21 March 2025
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) has launched the full program for its 2025 festival, the first under new festival director Veronica Sullivan, to be held in venues across the Melbourne CBD and...

UQP acquires Kemp debut novel ‘Soft Serve’ 

a portrait of George Kemp Thursday, 20 March 2025
UQP has acquired world rights for Soft Serve, the debut novel of playwright and actor George Kemp. The novel is 'set over one day almost exclusively in a regional McDonald’s as...

Atria acquires Koay romantasy debut 

a portrait of Tzeyi Koay Thursday, 20 March 2025
Atria Books Australia has acquired world rights for romantasy novel A Curse Carved in Ink by Tzeyi Koay, in a two-book, six-figure deal with Charlotte Trumble at Simon & Schuster...

IPEd announces ‘Rosie’ shortlist

IPEd logo Thursday, 20 March 2025
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Rosanne Fitzgibbon Editorial Award. The shortlisted editors are: Kimberley Davis for Under the Weather: A Future Forecast...

Spotify launches indie author platform 

Thursday, 20 March 2025
Streaming platform Spotify has announced a new short-form genre publishing initiative 'specifically targeting self-published authors', reports Publishers Weekly. 'This is a global program, and any author with an English-language short-form...

Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2025 winners announced

Wednesday, 19 March 2025
The Wheeler Centre has announced the winners of the 2025 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards (VPLAs). Nukgal Wurra author-artist Wanda Gibson has won the overall Victorian Prize for Literature, worth $100,000,...

ABIA 2025 books shortlists announced

ABIA Celebrating 25 Years logo Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Books+Publishing, in partnership with the Australian Publishers Association, has announced the 2025 book award shortlists for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs). The shortlisted titles in each category are: Audiobook...

Laura Elvery recommends 

Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Australian Gospel by Lech Blaine – a book that is completely fascinating, heartbreaking, measured and fair. There’s a pace and a clarity in Lech’s writing that is so refreshing.

Macmillan signs Blabey in seven-book deal 

Pan Macmillan logo Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Macmillan has acquired rights to seven new titles from internationally bestselling author Aaron Blabey. The deal, worth eight figures, encompasses seven titles in two new middle-grade series, to be published...

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...