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Perth Writers Festival 2015 program launched

Thursday, 15 January 2015
The 2015 Perth Writers Festival program has been launched and tickets are now on sale.As previously reported by Books+Publishing, the line-up of international guests includes UK author Hilary Mantel (via...

Indie bookstore Diabolik opens in Perth 

Wednesday, 14 January 2015
A new independent bookstore opened in the Perth suburb of Mt Hawthorn in November.Diabolik Books and Records owner Scott Jones told Books+Publishing that books account for around 70% of the...

Simon & Schuster to offer online author courses 

Wednesday, 14 January 2015
In the US, Simon & Schuster is offering paid online video courses from some of its popular authors, reports the New York Times. The courses will be made available on...

International library news

Wednesday, 14 January 2015
NYC libraries to offer internet hotspotsThe New York Public Library is lending out 10,000 free high-speed internet hotspots valued at US$1000 (A$1223) to some of the city’s poorest residents, reports...

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 14 January 2015
‘Comments like “isn’t everyone buying ebooks” and “isn’t everyone buying books from the internet” are virtually non-existent’—Collins Booksellers Wagga owner Peter Halicki responds to the Books+Publishing post-Christmas survey. Booksellers can complete the...

Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 14 January 2015
SalesFiction—Literary agent Alex Adsett has sold world rights to the two-book series ‘Who’s Afraid’ (Maria Lewis) to Piatkus in the UK. Nonfiction—Black Inc. has sold Japanese rights to Gazing at...

Brisbane bookstore Black Cat Books to close 

Wednesday, 14 January 2015
Brisbane bookstore Black Cat Books has announced that it will close on 30 January.The Paddington store, which specialises in children’s books, has been the site of a bookshop for more than 30...

Dymocks exits Hong Kong 

Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Dymocks is withdrawing from the Hong Kong market, beginning with the closure of its flagship store and Hong Kong office.A further five independently owned and operated Dymocks stores will continue...

Harsent wins 2014 T S Eliot Prize

Tuesday, 13 January 2015
In the UK, David Harsent has won the 2014 T S Eliot Prize for Poetry for his collection Fire Songs (Faber) after being shortlisted for the prize five times, reports...

Man Booker Prize eligibility, availability rules changed

Tuesday, 13 January 2015
The Man Booker Prize has made changes to its rules on the availability of longlisted titles and eligibility of international titles, reports the Bookseller. Following complaints that the prize was...

The Bookworm launches publishing house and literary award

Tuesday, 13 January 2015
In China, literary organisation the Bookworm is launching the publishing house China Bookworm Press and the inaugural China Bookworm Literary Award, reports Creative Asia. China Bookworm Press will publish English-language...

Christmas sales up for UK indie booksellers

Monday, 12 January 2015
The majority of independent booksellers in the UK have reported a boost in Christmas sales this year, according to separate surveys by the Booksellers Association and the Bookseller. The Booksellers...

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 12 January 2015
While The Long Haul (Jeff Kinney, Puffin) is once again at the top of the bestsellers chart this week, healthy-eating cookbooks are also making their moves up the chart. TV presenter Pete Evans’...

Williams joins Copyright Agency board

Monday, 12 January 2015
Former News Limited CEO Kim Williams has been appointed as a director of the Copyright Agency board, replacing former media executive Brian Johns.Copyright Agency chair Sandy Grant said in a statement that...

‘Kill Your Darlings’ announces new columnists

Monday, 12 January 2015
Melbourne-based literary journal Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced its new columnists for 2015, with James Tierney to write about books and writing. Tierney is a freelance writer and reviewer...

Hazel Rowley Fellowship 2015 finalists announced

Thursday, 8 January 2015
Writers Victoria has announced the finalists for the 2015 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship, awarded annually to an Australian writer for a proposed biographical work. The shortlisted writers and their projects...

‘Westerly’ magazine editors step down 

Thursday, 8 January 2015
The editors of WA literary magazine Westerly, Delys Bird and Tony Hughes-d’Aeth, have stepped down from their positions.Bird has been editor since 1992, first with Dennis Haskell and then as...

ALIA Fellowship awarded to WA State Library CEO

Wednesday, 7 January 2015
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has awarded an ALIA Fellowship to the State Library of Western Australia CEO Margaret Allen.ALIA Fellowships are conferred by the organisation’s board of...

In brief

Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Farm catalogues sought by NLAThe National Library of Australia (NLA) is seeking old farm catalogues for its ephemera collection, reports ABC Rural. NLA’s ephemera officer Catherine Aldersey told ABC Rural...

Macmillan signs new Amazon sales deal

Wednesday, 7 January 2015
In the US, Macmillan has signed a multiyear sales agreement with Amazon, reports Publishers Weekly. The deal guarantees the publisher’s print and ebooks will be sold through the online retailer, and...

International library news

Wednesday, 7 January 2015
National Digital Library to launch in Russia The Russian government has announced plans to launch a National Digital Library in 2015 that will give library branches access to wifi and the...

RiP Lynn Bryan

Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Lynn Bryan, custom publisher for the University of Queensland Press (UQP), has died, aged 66.UQP writes:‘Lynn Bryan passed away peacefully on December 23. Despite her health challenges in recent years,...

Costa Book Award 2014 category winners announced

Wednesday, 7 January 2015
In the UK, the Costa Book Award 2014 category winners have been announced. The winners for each award are: How to be Both (Ali Smith, Hamish Hamilton) in the novel...

Staff changes at ‘Books+Publishing’

Wednesday, 7 January 2015
The editorial team that produces the Weekly Book Newsletter, Books+Publishing Daily newsletter and Books+Publishing magazine has undergone some changes.Brad Jefferies has been appointed news editor on a full-time basis. Jefferies...

Griffith and Denton top 2014 bestsellers chart

Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Andy Griffith and Terry Denton’s The 52-Storey Treehouse (Pan) was the highest selling title in Australia in 2014 with 232,900 sales, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.In a strong year for...