Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

News >

Steger among staff to leave Age/SMH

Wednesday, 21 August 2024
The books editor at the Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Jason Steger, is among dozens of journalists leaving the newspapers, reports the Guardian. The Guardian stated that up to 85...

Publishers welcome Australian owner for Booktopia 

Booktopia logo Wednesday, 21 August 2024
Publishers have welcomed the sale of Booktopia to Shant Kradjian, the owner of electronics retailer digiDirect, who has been meeting with publishers and authors to discuss the bookseller’s future and...

A&U acquires Caro novel ‘Lyrebird’ 

Photograph of Jane Caro Wednesday, 21 August 2024
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to Lyrebird, the second adult novel by Jane Caro, in a deal brokered by Jacinta di Mase Management. In the novel, no...

Transit Lounge acquires Everly-Wilson novel 

Photograph of Stuart Everly-Wilson Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to The Maskeys, a new novel from Stuart Everly-Wilson. Publisher Barry Scott described the novel as ‘brimming with wit and pathos’. ‘Set in the...

Eitel takes over Imprints Booksellers

Photograph of Amelia Eitel by Suzie Keen Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Jason Lake and Katherine Woehlert, former owners of Adelaide bookstore Imprints Booksellers, have sold the business to Amelia Eitel. Eitel told InReview that taking over the bookshop was ‘very much...

McGrathNicol confirms Booktopia sale 

Booktopia logo Monday, 19 August 2024
The administrators of online bookseller Booktopia—McGrathNicol partners Keith Crawford, Matthew Caddy and Damien Pasfield—have confirmed the sale of Booktopia’s business and related assets to the owner of Australian consumer electronics...

RWA announces 2024 Ruby winners

Monday, 19 August 2024
Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) has announced the winners of the 2024 Romantic Book of the Year Awards, known as the Ruby Awards. The winners in each category are: Romantic...

German bookselling chain, trade publication to close

Monday, 19 August 2024
In Germany, Weltbild, once one of the country’s largest bookselling operations, is closing down on 31 August, while the German book trade paper BuchMarkt will close on 31 December after...

New QBD store in Queensland 

Monday, 19 August 2024
QBD has announced it will open a new store in Orion Springfield Central in Ipswich, Queensland. Trent Dalton, Heather Morris and Lauren Jackson will feature in the store opening. This...

Oliver appointed Blak & Bright artistic director

Photograph of Bebe Oliver and Jane Harrison Monday, 19 August 2024
First Nations literature festival Blak & Bright has announced the appointment of Bebe Oliver as the new artistic director and CEO of the festival. Oliver takes over from Jane Harrison,...

CBCA Book of the Year 2024 winners announced

Friday, 16 August 2024
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced the winners of the 2024 Book of the Year Awards. This year, the CBCA shadow judging winners were announced simultaneously. Now...

Readings Young Adult Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Thursday, 15 August 2024
Readings has announced the shortlist for the 2024 Readings Young Adult Book Prize. This year’s six shortlisted books are: A Way Home (Emily Brewin, MidnightSun) Blind Spot (Robyn Dennison, Text)...

A&U acquires Grynberg personal development title 

Photograph of Sarah Grynberg Thursday, 15 August 2024
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Living a Life of Greatness by podcaster Sarah Grynberg. ‘Sarah believes greatness is fulfilment and purpose in life, and she shows it’s...

S&S acquires Amerena debut novel 

Photograph of Dominic Amerena Thursday, 15 August 2024
Simon & Schuster (S&S) has acquired ANZ rights to I Want Everything, a debut novel by Dominic Amerena, in a pre-emptive offer, via agent Grace Heifetz at Left Bank Literary....

Booksellers report dramatic sales drop during Olympic Games

Thursday, 15 August 2024
In Paris, booksellers have reported significant sales drops during the 2024 Olympic Games, reports the Bookseller. English-language Abbey Bookshop in the city’s Latin Quarter reported sales on the Monday before...

Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced

Thursday, 15 August 2024
Creative Australia has announced the titles shortlisted for the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Fiction Anam (André Dao, Hamish Hamilton) Restless Dolly Maunder...

Yin on ‘The Conscious Style Guide’ 

Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Karen Yin is an award-winning writer and editor. She created the Conscious Style Guide, a resource website for writers, editors and others interested in conscious language, as well as the...

Books pitched at MIFF 2024 

Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Books at MIFF, an event that promotes books to potential screen rights buyers at the Melbourne International Film Festival, took place again this year, on last Thursday, 8 August. The...

Affirm acquires Cleary debut historical fiction 

Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Madeleine Cleary’s debut historical novel, The Butterfly Women. Set in 1863, the novel tells a story of Australia ‘that the newspapers and history...

Rochelle Siemienowicz recommends 

Wednesday, 14 August 2024
If You Go by Alice Robinson (Affirm) is an amazing book that works as both tense, speculative fiction and as a nuanced, philosophical exploration of divorce, motherhood and the moments...

Rochelle Siemienowicz on ‘Double Happiness’ 

Tuesday, 13 August 2024
Rochelle Siemienowicz is a Melbourne-based author, journalist and film critic. Her debut fiction novel, Double Happiness (MidnightSun, October 2024), ‘explores the intricacies, challenges and taboos surrounding polyamory and ethical non-monogamy’, according...

Readings Children’s Book Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Tuesday, 13 August 2024
The shortlist for the 2024 Readings Children’s Book Prize has been announced. This year’s six shortlisted books are: The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright (Reece Carter, illus by Simon Howe, A&U...

Byron Writers Festival attendance up 18%

Tuesday, 13 August 2024
The 2024 Byron Writers Festival, which ran from 9 to 11 August, was a ‘great success’, according to organisers. The festival reported an 18% increase on the previous year’s box...

Hugo Awards 2024 winners announced

Tuesday, 13 August 2024
The winners of this year’s Hugo Awards, presented annually by the World Science Fiction Convention, have been announced. Among the winners are: Best novel  Some Desperate Glory (Emily Tesh, Orbit)...