Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

Rights and acquisitions >

PRH acquires special edition of ‘Bluey: The Sign’

Bluey: The Sign cover. Thursday, 8 May 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has announced the forthcoming publication of special edition children's book Bluey: The Sign. According to the publisher, The Sign will be based on the television episode of...

Text acquires Lohrey’s novel ‘Capture’

Amanda Lohrey portrait. Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Text Publishing has acquired world rights to Capture by Amanda Lohrey, via Lyn Tranter. Capture follows psychiatrist James Mather beginning a research project about people who claim to have been...

WestWords acquires Burnham debut novel

Tuesday, 6 May 2025
WestWords Books has acquired world rights to Swallow by Alexandria Burnham. The first in a trilogy, Swallow is described by the publisher as 'the true story of William Swallow – Australian convict and the...

WestWords acquires Curic debut novel

Monday, 5 May 2025
WestWords Books has acquired world rights to debut novel Sing to Me by Jelena Curic. ‘Sing to Me tells the story of Pero, a Croatian immigrant, father, husband, musician, and philanderer...

Melbourne Books acquires women’s cricket nonfiction title

a photo of Craig Horne Thursday, 1 May 2025
Melbourne Books has acquired world rights to Full Corset and Stockings: A History of Women’s Cricket by historian and musician Craig Horne. 'Full Corset and Stockings details the history of women’s cricket...

Transit Lounge acquires new novel from Carmel Bird

Carmel Bird author photo. Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to Crimson Velvet Heart, a new novel by Carmel Bird (Love Letter to Lola, Family Skeleton). ‘This sumptuous historical novel centres on Marie Adelaide...

Affirm acquires Croydon debut

a portrait of Nick Croydon Thursday, 24 April 2025
Affirm Press has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to The Turing Protocol by Nick Croydon in a two-book deal, via The Story Factory’s founder, Shane Salerno. 'In the midst of...

HarperCollins acquires ‘Frosty’

'Frosty' by Mark Winterbottom with James Phelps cover page. Wednesday, 23 April 2025
HarperCollins Australia has acquired world rights to Frosty, a memoir by motor-sport athlete Mark Winterbottom. The memoir will be co-written with James Phelps. 'From his emergence from the suburbs of...

A&U acquires The Australian Wars

Henry Reynolds, Mina Murray, Rachel Perkins and Stephen Gapps portraits. Tuesday, 22 April 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to The Australian Wars, edited by Rachel Perkins, Stephen Gapps, Mina Murray and Henry Reynolds. The book will be drawn from Blackfella...

Echo Publishing announces new Heather Morris novel

a portrait of Heather Morris Thursday, 17 April 2025
Echo Publishing has acquired ANZ rights to The Wish, a contemporary novel by Heather Morris. The Wish is Morris's first contemporary novel, and introduces Jesse, a young teenager who, despite...

Hardie Grant acquires Wankernomics

a portrait of Charles Firth and James Schloefel Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Hardie Grant has acquired world rights to Wankernomics by comedians James Schloeffel and Charles Firth. Wankernomics is ‘the hilarious must-have handbook for anyone who has ever had to endure the buzzwords,...

PRH acquires Carter middle-grade series

Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has acquired ANZ rights for Reece Carter's new middle-grade series The Nightmare League, in a six-publisher auction brokered by Gemma Cooper from Gemma Cooper Literary....

Atria Books acquires debut Peppernell novel

Image of Courtney Peppernell leaning againt wall. Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Atria Books Australia has acquired world rights (ex North America) to poet Courtney Peppernell's debut novel, The Last Poem.  'Bestselling author and poet Wren Paisley is a mess after the...

Fremantle acquires Winton picture book

cover for Ningaloo Wednesday, 9 April 2025
Fremantle Press has acquired world rights to Ningaloo: Australia’s Wild Wonder by Tim Winton, with illustrations by Cindy Lane, in a deal brokered by Jenny Darling of Jenny Darling &...

A&U acquires new Mackay nonfiction

a portrait of Hugh MacKay Tuesday, 8 April 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to a new nonfiction title, Just Saying, from author and social psychologist Hugh Mackay. Just Saying follows on from Mackay's 2024 release, The...

UQP acquires Caddy historical YA

a portrait of Meg Caddy Wednesday, 2 April 2025
University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired world rights to Meg Caddy’s historical YA novel A Flash in the Dust, in a deal brokered by Abigail Nathan at Alex Adsett Literary....

A&U acquires Payne memoir 

a portrait of Michelle Payne Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Ride On by Michelle Payne with Angus Fontaine, in a deal brokered by Michael Rivette and Nanette Moulton at Rivette Moulton Broadbent. In...

Affirm acquires new Mupotsa-Russell fiction 

a portrait of Mark Mupotsa-Russell Monday, 31 March 2025
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Mark Mupotsa-Russell’s upcoming novel, The Wolf Who Cried Boy, via literary agent Sarah McKenzie. 'The Wolf Who Cried Boy is a breathless chase...

S&S acquires Holmes debut 

a portrait of Tracey Holmes Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired global rights for Australian journalist Tracey Holmes’s debut book, Not A Female Sports Reporter.  The first woman to present ABC sports program Grandstand,...

HarperCollins acquires four Peter Cheong graphic novels 

a portrait of Peter Cheong Wednesday, 26 March 2025
HarperCollins Children’s Publishing has acquired world rights via auction to four graphic novels by author and illustrator Peter Cheong in a deal brokered by Paige Terlip at Andrea Brown Literary...

A&U acquires new Delaney nonfiction 

a portrait of Brigid Delaney Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to The Seeker and the Sage by Brigid Delaney in a deal brokered by Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown. ‘Whereas Reasons Not...

Melbourne Books acquires Harris nonfiction 

Under the influence of salmon book cover Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Melbourne Books has acquired world rights to Under the Influence of Salmon: How a Man and a Fish Turned Our World Upside Down by Steve Harris. Of the book, the publisher...

Melbourne Books acquires Cochrane art book 

Living Art papua new guinea cover Monday, 24 March 2025
Melbourne Books has acquired world rights to Living Art: Papua New Guinea by Susan Cochrane. According to the publisher, the book will feature over 400 full-colour images of Papua New Guinean artists...

Two Carter crime series optioned for television 

a portrait of Alan Carter Monday, 24 March 2025
Tasmania-based crime author Alan Carter's Cato Kwong series and Nick Chester series (both Fremantle Press) have been optioned for television by Magnetic Stories. Production company Magnetic Stories launched last week...