News | Books+Publishing

Over 2.3 million participate in ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has announced that this year’s National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) was the biggest in the event’s 23-year history, with over 2.3 million participants registered...

ILF launches Busking For Change initiative nationally

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
After a successful pilot program in 2022, the Indigenous Literacy Foundation is launching its Busking For Change fundraising initiative nationally, with primary schools across the country invited to be Busking...

UK bookshop sales down 3.5% YTD

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
In the UK, analysis from the Bookseller has found bookshop sales are down 3.5% by volume for the first 21 weeks of the year compared to the same period last...

Wilderness Society announces shortlists for Environment Award for Children’s Literature

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
The Wilderness Society has announced the shortlists for the 2023 Environment Award for Children’s Literature (EACL). The shortlisted titles in each category are: Picture fiction Say No to Plastic! (Ned...

Parliamentary Friends of Australian Children’s Storytelling host inaugural event

Monday, 5 June 2023
The Parliamentary Friends of Australian Children's Storytelling (PFACS) held its inaugural event at Parliament House on 24 May, with over 300 members of parliament (MPs), senators, staffers, and guests in...

Text Prize 2023 shortlist announced

Monday, 5 June 2023
The shortlist for the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, worth $10,000, has been announced. The shortlisted manuscripts are: 'Upswell' by Beth Amos (YA), about a 17-year-old surfer...

Aurealis Awards 2022 winners announced

Monday, 5 June 2023
The winners of the Aurealis Awards, presented for science fiction, fantasy and horror writing published in 2022 in Australia, have been announced. Among the winning categories are: Best Fantasy Novel...

Neilma Sidney Travel Fund recipients announced

Monday, 5 June 2023
Writers Victoria has announced the ninth round of recipients for the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund. The successful recipients, who share in a total of $58,675, are: Aimee Chan (NSW),...

MidnightSun acquires Brewin YA

Friday, 2 June 2023
MidnightSun Publishing has acquired world rights to a new YA novel by Melbourne author Emily Brewin. The Two Sides of Grace tells the story of 16-year-old Grace who’s living alone...

US audiobook market grows 10%

Friday, 2 June 2023
In the US, audiobook revenue grew 10% in 2022 to US$1.8 billion (A$2.7b) in total sales, according to a survey of 28 Audio Publishers Association members (APA), reports Publishers Weekly....

UQP sells US rights to two picture books by Soweol Han

Friday, 2 June 2023
UQP has sold North American rights to debut picture book Tiny Wonders forthcoming follow-up Nightsong (Sally Soweol Han) to Bloomsbury US. Sally Soweol Han is a Korean-Australia author-illustrator, currently shortlisted...

Books in the media this weekend, 3–4 June

Friday, 2 June 2023
A round-up of the books being reviewed and mentioned in key media this coming weekend. National The Saturday Paper The Dark Cloud (Guillaume Pitron, Scribe) Eleven Letters to You (Helen Elliott,...

NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults finalists announced

Thursday, 1 June 2023
The finalists for the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults have been announced. The shortlists in each category are: Picture book Duck Goes Meow (Juliette MacIver,...

Scribe acquires Darling novella

Thursday, 1 June 2023
Scribe has acquired ANZ and UK rights to Thunderhead by Miranda Darling. ANZ rights were acquired at auction from Grace Heifetz at Left Bank Literary, and UK rights were acquired from John Ash,...

Record year of sales for Bloomsbury

Thursday, 1 June 2023
In the UK, Bloomsbury has reported another record performance in the year to end of February 2023, with sales up 15% and profit up 16%, reports the Bookseller. Sales for...

ABIAs: This year’s winners on their books, and the industry that produced them

Wednesday, 31 May 2023
At this year’s ABIA awards Books+Publishing digital producer Andrew Wrathall spoke with some of the winners about their books, bookshops and the trends affecting the industry. From BookTok, to paper...

NewSouth acquires ‘Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower: The letters’

Wednesday, 31 May 2023
NewSouth Publishing has acquired world rights to Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower: The letters, edited by Brigitta Olubas and Susan Wyndham. The publisher describes the book as ‘a major contribution to the literary...

First in-person VIPs program since 2019 held alongside SWF

Wednesday, 31 May 2023
This year’s annual Visiting International Publishers (VIPs) program was held alongside the Sydney Writers’ Festival and ran from 22–26 May. The 2023 program was attended by 14 international guests and comprised an industry forum...