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ALS Gold Medal 2024 shortlist announced

Image of the ALS Gold Medal Thursday, 6 June 2024
The shortlist for the 2024 Australian Literature Society (ALS) Gold Medal has been announced. The shortlisted works, chosen from a longlist announced last month, are: Frank (Jordie Albiston, NLA Publishing) Like...

Liz Evans on ‘Catherine Wheel’ 

Wednesday, 5 June 2024
Based in Tasmania, Liz Evans is a British-born journalist, author, former psychotherapist and academic with a PhD in creative writing. Her latest novel, Catherine Wheel (Ultimo, August 2024), is ‘a...

A&U acquires London debut

Photograph of Ash London sitting in a chair Wednesday, 5 June 2024
Allen & Unwin has acquired world rights to debut novel Love on the Air by radio presenter and podcaster Ash London. Love on the Air follows radio host Alex York...

SWF and MWF bestsellers revealed 

Wednesday, 5 June 2024
Booksellers at the Sydney Writers' Festival and the Melbourne Writers Festival—both of which took place in May—have released their lists of bestselling titles from the events. Sydney Writers' Festival Gleebooks...

Full BookUp 2024 program announced

BookUp logo Wednesday, 5 June 2024
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has announced the full program for the 2024 BookUp conference, which will take place on 7 August at State Library Victoria in Melbourne. Innovation and...

Liz Evans recommends 

Cover of Body Friend Tuesday, 4 June 2024
The last Australian book I read and loved was Katherine Brabon’s Body Friend. It was so unusual and mysterious—and very elegantly crafted. It provides some beautifully profound insights into living...

Affirm acquires Fioretti outback noir ‘Skull River’ 

Photograph of Pip Fioretti Tuesday, 4 June 2024
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Pip Fioretti’s second outback noir novel, Skull River. Set in 1912, Skull River features mounted trooper Augustus (Gus) Hawkins, the protagonist of Fioretti’s first...

Jhalak prizes 2024 winners announced

Monday, 3 June 2024
In the UK, Yepoka Yeebo has won the 2024 Jhalak Prize for Anansi’s Gold: The man who swindled the world (Bloomsbury), and Hiba Noor Khan has won the Jhalak Children’s...

NewSouth acquires Wyndham’s Harrower biography 

Photograph of Susan Wyndham Thursday, 30 May 2024
NewSouth has acquired world rights to a new biography of Australian novelist Elizabeth Harrower by Susan Wyndham. Harrower received the Patrick White Award in 1996, established by White for writers...

Bloomsbury acquires RLPG’s US academic publishing business

Thursday, 30 May 2024
UK-based Bloomsbury Publishing has acquired the academic publishing business of US publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group (RLPG), reports Publishers Weekly (PW). The purchase—for US$83 million (A$125.5m)—marks the biggest acquisition...

YABBA Awards 2024 shortlists announced

Thursday, 30 May 2024
The 2024 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) shortlists have been announced. Shortlisted titles are: Picture storybooks The Black Cockatoo with One Feather Blue (Jodie McLeod, illus by Eloise Short,...

Headline launches new ‘serious’ nonfiction imprint

Wednesday, 29 May 2024
In the UK, Headline Publishing Group is launching Headline Press, a new ‘serious’ nonfiction imprint, reports the Bookseller. Headline said the new imprint, to be led by publisher Martin Redfern,...

Hardie Grant announces agency changes 

Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Hardie Grant has announced new distribution partnerships in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand with overseas publishers Princeton Architectural Press (PA Press), Gibbs Smith, UniPress and Canelo. PA Press is based...

A&U acquires Rielly’s ‘Fridays with Blanche’ 

Blanche d'Alpuget and Derek Rielly Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Allen & Unwin has acquired world rights to Fridays with Blanche by Derek Rielly, via Jeanne Ryckmans at Key People Literary Management. Fridays with Blanche is based on Rielly’s weekly...

Inaugural ABR Inglis Fellowship announced

ABR logo Tuesday, 28 May 2024
The Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced a new fellowship program—the $5000 ABR Inglis Fellowship. The inaugural year-long program will give one fellow the opportunity to write three review essays...

Text Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Tuesday, 28 May 2024
The shortlist for the 2024 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, worth $10,000, has been announced. Shortlisted manuscripts are: ‘The Feathers of Farwood’ by Jayne McIntyre (middle grade),...

‘Solenoid’ wins 2024 Dublin Literary Award

Monday, 27 May 2024
Solenoid by Romanian author Mircea Cărtărescu (Deep Vellum Publishing), translated by US translator Sean Cotter, has won the €100,000 (A$163,706) international Dublin Literary Award, the world’s most valuable annual prize...

Bacon awarded 2024 Hedberg Writer-in-Residence

Photograph of Eugen Bacon Monday, 27 May 2024
African Australian speculative fiction author Eugen Bacon has been named the 2024 University of Tasmania Hedberg Writer-in-Residence, worth $30,000. Eugen will use the Hobart residency, which consists of three months writing, working...

Affirm to distribute Gemini Books

Thursday, 23 May 2024
Affirm Press will distribute titles from new UK-based publishing house Gemini Books in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand from July. Gemini Books was founded by Marcus Leaver, co-founder of Welbeck...