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Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 21 May 2014
‘It’s our objective and I believe it’s also our duty to instil confidence in our industry and see our physical bookseller footprint maintained for many years to come’—Leading Edge Group...

International library news 

Wednesday, 21 May 2014
OverDrive to distribute Smashwords titlesIn the US, ebook provider OverDrive will distribute titles from self-publishing platform Smashwords, reports Publishers Weekly. As part of a new deal, OverDrive will distribute more...

Authors Alliance launches in the US 

Wednesday, 21 May 2014
In the US, the Authors Alliance has officially launched as an advocacy body to help authors increase public access to their works that are ‘out-of-print, un-digitized and subject to copyrights’...

Orion Book Award winners announced 

Wednesday, 21 May 2014
US environmental magazine Orion has announced the winners of the Orion Book Award, presented annually to books that ‘deepen the reader’s connection to the natural world’. The winner in the...

Maloney a ‘Saturday Paper’ pseudonymous reviewer 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Shane Maloney has ‘off-handedly outed himself’ as one of the pseudonymous reviewers on the Saturday Paper, reports the Wheeler Centre.In a blog post on his website, Maloney joked that the...

C K Stead wins 2014 Sarah Broom Poetry Prize 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
New Zealand writer C K Stead has won the inaugural Sarah Broom Poetry Prize. Stead was announced as the winner of the prize, which is worth NZ$12,000 (A$11,098), at the...

INscribe launches ebook tracking software 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
US ebook distributor INscribe Digital has launched a product called INstore that allows publishers to track the real-time availability of their ebooks at major ebook retailers, including Amazon, Apple iBooks,...

Winterson to headline 2014 Byron Bay Writers’ Festival 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
The Byron Bay Writers’ Festival has announced that Jeanette Winterson will deliver the keynote address at this year’s event.‘Winterson is travelling to Australia in August for a tour arranged in collaboration with...

Authors denounce arts budget cuts in open letter to PM 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Authors including Michelle de Kretser, Christos Tsiolkas and Anna Funder and other members of Australia’s literary community have written an open letter to the prime minister denouncing cuts to the...

MWF 2014 schools program released 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
The Melbourne Writers Festival has released its schools program for 2014. Among the guests at this year’s festival, which runs from 25 to 29 August, are Australian authors and illustrators...

Australia’s Favourite Library competition winners announced 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has announced the winners of the Australia’s Favourite Library competition.Sandringham Library in Victoria was named the overall winner, from more than 220,000 votes...

Rights round-up 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
SalesNonfiction—Black Inc. has sold Korean rights to The China Choice: Why America Should Share Power (Hugh White). Exisle Publishing has sold Lithuanian rights to Optimum Health the Paleo Way (Claire...

Collins appointed to SWF board 

Monday, 19 May 2014
The Sydney Writers’ Festival has announced the appointment of Peter Collins to the festival’s board of directors.Collins joins board directors Deena Shiff (chair), Lena Nahlous, Elizabeth Johnstone, Guy Hedley and...

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 19 May 2014
Maeve Binchy’s Chestnut Street (Hachette) is in first spot on this week’s bestsellers chart for the second week in a row, ahead of Minecraft: The Official Construction Handbook:(4) (Egmont) in...

eOne opens Australian office to manage Peppa Pig 

Monday, 19 May 2014
Entertainment One Licensing (eOne) is opening an office in Melbourne, Australia. The Bookseller reports that the consumer brand licence company is opening an Australian office to ‘capitalise on the popularity...

BBC expands books coverage 

Monday, 19 May 2014
The BBC is expanding its website to include more coverage of books in a dedicated books section called ‘Books at the BBC’, reports the Bookseller. The section, which has been launched in...

‘Good Reading’ launches ‘PK Mag’ 

Monday, 19 May 2014
Good Reading has launched a new digital-only magazine for primary school aged children. Called PK Mag, the bimonthly publication aims to ‘provide students with an authentic place to submit their...

The Book People launches international delivery 

Friday, 16 May 2014
UK retailer The Book People has launched an international delivery service, reports the Bookseller. The Book People now delivers to customers in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and Europe, with...

Gleebooks to acquire Shearer’s school business 

Friday, 16 May 2014
Tony and Barbara Horgan have agreed to sell the Shearer’s Bookshop school business and website to Gleebooks. Gleebooks co-owner David Gaunt told Books+Publishing his store already has ‘a small international...

Phoenix Media to acquire children’s division of PIL 

Friday, 16 May 2014
Chinese publisher Phoenix Media is set to acquire Publications International Ltd (PIL)’s children’s division for US$80 million (A$85.5 million), reports Publishers Weekly. The purchase, which is expected to be completed...

Bolinda to distribute BBC titles in Australia, NZ 

Friday, 16 May 2014
Bolinda has partnered with BBC Worldwide for the sales and distribution of BBC-branded audiobook CDs within Australia and New Zealand. The agreement is for the distribution of BBC Worldwide’s catalogue...