Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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A picture of gender 

Friday, 12 October 2012
Publishing student Kate McKenzie has conducted a detailed analysis of gender representation in CBCA award-winning picture books of the past 18 years. The findings reveal a worrying amount of gender...

Show and tell 

Friday, 12 October 2012
One of Australia’s most popular children’s authors Mem Fox has teamed up with much-loved illustrator Judy Horacek for a second time. Lucy Stewart investigates their collaborative process. Collaborations between children’s...

Meet publisher Julia Marshall 

Friday, 12 October 2012
Julia Marshall is the founder of the small but ‘globally focussed’ children’s publisher Gecko Press, based in Wellington, New Zealand. She tells us about her ‘hotch potch’ career path. I...

Kobo to partner with NZ indies, Paper Plus

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Kobo will become the dominant ebook provider in New Zealand as a result of new partnerships with Booksellers New Zealand members and the Paper Plus Group. Kobo announced the new retail...

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
‘We were unable to obtain repayment from him of Canongate's substantial advance, which had to be written off’—Canongate chairman Christopher Bland, who said that the company’s operating loss of £368,467...

Campion Education relaunches ebookstore with ReadCloud 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Campion Education has relaunched its ebookstore on the ReadCloud platform. The store, which was previously called Read Without Paper, has also been rebranded under the Campion name. As previously reported...

A&U advertises for new Murdoch Books staff 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Allen & Unwin is advertising for four new staff members, including two publishers, to work within the Murdoch Books business, which it acquired this month. A&U is advertising for a...

International Library News 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
OverDrive releases app for Nook OverDrive has released a free app for Barnes & Noble’s Nook ereading devices in the US which will allow Nook users to borrow ebook and MP3...

In brief 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Sydney library design project attracts entries from 30 countries A competition to design the new Green Square Library and Plaza in Sydney has attracted 168 entries from architects in 30 countries....

CAL becomes Copyright Agency, reveals new logo 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
The Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) has rebranded with a new logo and name. ‘We’re no longer referring to the organisation as “CAL”,’ it said. ‘We’ve gone back to using a...

Frankfurt 2012 opens, spotlight on New Zealand 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Wilkins Farago publisher Andrew Wilkins writes: The 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair opens today, with New Zealand this year’s Guest of Honour. Forty-eight exhibitors from Australia are participating, with the Australian...

‘Griffith Review’ Novella Project winners announced 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
The Griffith Review has announced the winners of its Novella Project. When the journal announced the competition, a partnership with the Copyright Agency that sought ‘the best original novellas from citizens or residents of...

Granger, Murdoch Books settle legal battle 

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
The legal case between Australian chef Bill Granger and Murdoch Books was settled in August, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Granger initiated a lawsuit against the publisher, which is now...

Text shares worth more than $1 million to Canongate

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
The sale of Canongate’s 70% shareholding in Text Publishing was worth £662,142, or approximately A$1.04 million, to the Scottish publisher, reports the Bookseller. The value of the sale, which took...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
J K Rowling’s first adult novel The Casual Vacancy (Hachette), after an embargoed release in late September, is top of the highest new entries chart and the bestsellers chart this...

WA library launches ebook ‘buddy’ program 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
The City of Vincent Public Library in Western Australia has developed a way of helping housebound individuals in its community learn how to use ereaders. The library, which is located...

New bookstore for Perth Airport 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
LS Travel Retail, which operates a Lonely Planet retail store in Sydney airport, is among the retailers selected for Perth Airport’s new domestic terminal, Terminal 2. LS Travel Retail has...

Atwood to visit Perth, Brisbane 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Margaret Atwood will appear in Perth as part of Perth International Arts Festival on 23 February, and will also appear in Brisbane as part of a Brisbane Writers Festival ‘Bookend’...

Facebook to test ‘want’ button 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Facebook has announced it will test a special ‘want’ button on the social networking site, which will enable some users to flag images of products they wish to purchase. The...

Overland short story prize longlist announced 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
The works longlisted for the inaugural Overland Victoria University Short Story Prize for New and Emerging Writers have been announced, with the longlist of 19 heavily dominated by stories by...

‘The Slap’ series up for Emmy 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
The Australian television series The Slap, based on the novel of the same name by Christos Tsiolkas (A&U), has been nominated for an award in the drama category of the...

Wiley acquires Deltak.edu for US$220 million 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
John Wiley has reached an agreement to acquire Deltak.edu for $220 million, (approximately A$215 million) reports Publishers Weekly. US company Deltak ‘works in partnership with colleges and universities to develop...

Egmont signs publishing rights to Minecraft game 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
In the UK, Egmont has signed the book and publishing rights associated with computer game Minecraft for all territories excluding the US, reports the Bookseller. The game ‘involves players creating...

Penguin UK reviewing travel divisions 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
In the UK, Penguin is undertaking a review of its travel divisions, including its Rough Guides and Dorling Kindersley imprints, reports the Bookseller. The rise of digital publishing and a...

Wiley to partner with Kno to produce interactive textbooks 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
In the US, John Wiley & Sons’ global education division will partner with educational software developer Kno to create interactive textbooks, reports Publishers Weekly. The arrangement will involve Kno creating...

Target US drops Kindle and Kobo to focus on Nook 

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
In the US, the Target department store chain has dropped the Kindle and Kobo ereaders from its product range and the Digital Reader reports Target is now devoting more space...