Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

Rights and acquisitions >

‘The Girl on the Page’ film rights acquired

Friday, 9 August 2019
Sydney-based production company Causeway Films has acquired the film rights to John Purcell’s The Girl on the Page (HarperCollins), via Simone Camilleri of Green Ink Agency. Set in the UK in the...

HarperCollins to publish Ellyse Perry’s ‘Perspective’

Friday, 9 August 2019
HarperCollins will publish Australian cricketer and soccer player Ellyse Perry’s debut nonfiction book Perspective in November 2019. HarperCollins said Perry’s ‘inspiring’ and ‘heavily illustrated’ title will feature ‘stories and reflections from her...

A&U to publish Rodda’s new junior fiction series

Tuesday, 6 August 2019
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired a new three-book junior fiction series by Emily Rodda. The Monty’s Island series, which is illustrated by Lucinda Gifford, is aimed at children aged...

‘Too Much Lip’ optioned for screen adaptation

Thursday, 1 August 2019
Melissa Lucashenko’s Miles Franklin Literary Award-winning novel Too Much Lip (UQP) has been optioned for screen by production company Cenozoic Pictures. The deal, which was negotiated by Lucashenko’s agent Alex...

Disher’s ‘Bitter Wash Road’ optioned for screen

Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Producers Helen Leake and Gena Ashwell of Adelaide-based production company Dancing Road Productions have optioned the screen rights to Garry Disher’s Bitter Wash Road (Text), via Jenny Darling & Associates. First published in 2013,...

PRH acquires debut thriller in two-book deal

Friday, 26 July 2019
Penguin Random House Australia has acquired world rights to Tasmanian author Kyle Perry’s crime/suspense thriller debut, The Bluffs, in a two-book deal with the Nash Agency. Set in the Tasmanian...

Wakefield sells debut YA novel to US

Tuesday, 23 July 2019
Wakefield Press has sold world rights (ex ANZ) to debut novel Making Friends with Alice Dyson (Poppy Nwosu) to Walker Books US for a five-figure sum. Wakefield publisher Margot Lloyd...

Hachette acquires VPLA winner in ‘competitive’ auction

Wednesday, 17 July 2019
Hachette has acquired ANZ rights to Victorian Premier’s unpublished manuscript prize-winner Kokomo by Victoria Hannan in a two-book deal. Hachette head of literary Robert Watkins acquired rights from Pippa Masson...

‘Axiomatic’ sold to UK’s Fitzcarraldo Editions

Friday, 12 July 2019
Brow Books has sold UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) to Maria Tumarkin’s Axiomatic to independent publisher Fitzcarraldo Editions. Publisher Jacques Testard acquired the book, and Fitzcarraldo will publish Axiomatic...

A&U acquires ‘fierce’ literary debut 

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Jane Palfreyman at Allen & Unwin has acquired ANZ rights to literary fiction debut A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu, via Melanie Ostell Literary. The novel...

Brio to publish new Dessaix book on ageing 

Friday, 5 July 2019
Brio has acquired ANZ rights to a new nonfiction book by Robert Dessaix, The Time of Our Lives: Growing old well, via Lyn Tranter at Australian Literary Management. Brio said...

Hachette acquires local rights to debut thriller

Wednesday, 26 June 2019
Hachette Australia has acquired ANZ rights to Gold Coast-based author Allie Reynolds' debut novel Shiver, in partnership with Headline UK. Headline’s fiction publishing director Jennifer Doyle won a 10-way auction...

Dr Karl returns to ABC Books in three-book deal 

Wednesday, 26 June 2019
ABC Books has acquired three new books by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki in a deal negotiated by Jeanne Ryckmans of the Cameron Creswell Agency. The deal marks Kruszelnicki’s move back to...

‘A Room Called Earth’ sold to US, Canada

Tuesday, 25 June 2019
North American rights to Victoria-based writer Madeleine Ryan's forthcoming debut novel A Room Called Earth have been sold to Penguin Random House USA imprint Penguin Press. Rights were sold by...

Scholastic acquires two books by Rove McManus

Monday, 24 June 2019
Scholastic Australia has acquired world rights to two children’s books by TV personality Rove McManus. Scholastic will publish the picture book Disgusting McGrossface in September and Rocky Lobstar, the first...

Naher, Heifetz announce new literary agency

Friday, 21 June 2019
Agents Gaby Naher of The Naher Agency and Grace Heifetz of Curtis Brown Australia have partnered to form a new literary agency called Left Bank Literary. Launching on 1 July...

Scholastic acquires ‘Hunger Games’ prequel

Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Scholastic has acquired world English rights to a new novel by Suzanne Collins set in the 'Hunger Games' universe. The yet to be titled prequel, known as Untitled Panem Novel,...