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The Woman in the Spotlight (JR Lonie, HarperCollins) 

The cover of "The Woman in the Spotlight" by JR Lonie. Tuesday, 13 January 2026
In JR Lonie’s newest historical thriller, The Woman in the Spotlight, a young performer must outwit the oppressive control of the Nazi regime. Monika Varády, a Bavarian actress newly arrived...

Newcastle Short Story Award 2025 winners announced 

Tuesday, 13 January 2026
The Hunter Writers’ Centre has announced the winners for this year’s Newcastle Short Story Award. First prize ($3000)  “Solastalgia” by Liz Allan Second prize ($1500) “Migration” by Cassie Hamer Third...

Sharwood’s ‘Kosciuszko’ recognised in Polish awards 

Cover of Anthony Sharwood's 'Kosciusko'. Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Anthony Sharwood’s Kosciuszko: The Incredible Life of the Man Behind the Mountain (Hachette) has received 3rd prize in a competition launched by Poland’s foreign affairs minister to recognise history books...

A&U acquires Jackman’s “Detention”

A photo of Ralph Jackman. Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Detention, a new nonfiction title by author and teacher Ralph Jackman. According to the publisher, Detention is Jackman’s “powerful and moving memoir...

Sussex story awards shortlists released 

Photo of Roly Sussex in front of bookshelves. Tuesday, 13 January 2026
The shortlisted writers in the 2 divisions of the 2025 Roly Sussex Short Story Competition, run by the Queensland Branch of the English-Speaking Union (ESU, have been announced. The $10,500...

Contestable Fund recipients announced

Recipients of the Contestable Fund Grants. Tuesday, 13 January 2026
In New Zealand Aotearoa, the Publishers Association of New Zealand/Te Rau o Tākupu (PANZ) has announced the recipients of the Copyright Licensing New Zealand Contestable Fund Grants. Of the 59...

HarperCollins acquires Palaszczuk memoir

Photo of Annastacia Palaszczuk. Tuesday, 13 January 2026
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to the former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s memoir, Annastacia Palaszczuk: The Politics of Being Me. “In Annastacia Palaszczuk: The Politics of Being Me, Annastacia shares her...

Adler resigns as Adelaide Writers’ Week director 

Adelaide Writers' Week logo Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Louise Adler, director of Adelaide Writers’ Week (AWW) since 2023, has resigned in response to the Adelaide Festival board’s decision to withdraw Randa Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to attend this year’s festival....

Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2026 shortlist

A collection if five headshots of the poets shortlisted for the 2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize shortlist. Monday, 12 January 2026
Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize. Chosen from a longlist announced in December 2025, the shortlisted poets are: J Andros (United States)...

Ward apppointed GM of Byron Writers Festival 

Photo of Molly Ward Monday, 12 January 2026
Byron Writers Festival has named Molly Ward as its new general manager, commencing in mid-January. Ward has wide experience managing major festivals, large-scale cultural events, and placemaking initiatives. “Passionate about...

Gunaydin named Parramatta’s laureate in literature

Photo of writer Eda Gunaydin. Monday, 12 January 2026
Eda Gunaydin has been named the 2025 Parramatta Laureate in Literature. Gunaydin is a Turkish-Australian essayist and fiction writer who grew up in Western Sydney’s Blacktown. Her first essay collection, Root...

Read the latest Publishers Weekly 

Wednesday, 7 January 2026
Books+Publishing is partnering with US trade news magazine Publishers Weekly to provide our subscribers with exclusive access to the weekly digital edition of PW magazine. View the edition here.

Read the latest Publishers Weekly 

Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Books+Publishing is partnering with US trade news magazine Publishers Weekly to provide our subscribers with exclusive access to the weekly digital edition of PW magazine. View the edition here.

BookPeople invites booksellers to Midsumma Pride March

Friday, 12 December 2025
BookPeople, the Australian Booksellers Association, has invited booksellers, publishers and book industry friends to march alongside members of the association at Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne on 1 February 2026....

GenreCon 2026 announces new venue

Friday, 12 December 2025
The Queensland Writers Centre (QWC) has announced that next year’s GenreCon, the QWC’s annual conference for genre writers, will be held at Brisbane’s Thomas Dixon Centre. QWC said, “To meet...

Poetry in Translation Prize shortlist announced

An image of Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo and New Directions logos. Friday, 12 December 2025
Publishers Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo and New Directions have announced the shortlist for the inaugural Poetry in Translation Prize. Chosen from 259 submissions in more than 55 languages, the shortlisted titles...

Magabala acquires Liddle’s “gritty” poetry debut

Friday, 12 December 2025
Magabala has acquired world rights to the experimental poetry collection Damn Good Television by debut Jabirr Jabirr author and musician Loki Liddle. Described as “gritty, bloodsoaked and unsentimental”, Liddle’s debut...

Vale Madeleine Wickham (Sophie Kinsella)

Sophie Kinsella Friday, 12 December 2025
UK author Madeleine Wickham, known by her pen name Sophie Kinsella, has died, aged 55. Penguin Random House writes: Madeleine, known to everyone as Maddy, wrote her first novel under...

2026 Faber Writing Scholarships announced

Photos of seven authors, whose names are given in caption below. Thursday, 11 December 2025
The Faber Writing Academy (FWA) has named the recipients of the 2026 Faber Writing Scholarships. The recipients are: Paff Evara (to attend Writing a Creative Nonfiction), a Black lesbian writer...

Affirm acquires Lim’s new novel

Photo of Rebecca Lim. Thursday, 11 December 2025
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Rebecca Lim’s latest novel, The Graduate, via Annabel Barker Agency. The novel follows graduate Fei Fei Chou, a quiet misfit in a prestigious...

Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Sales Fiction HarperCollins Australia has sold world (ex ANZ) rights to Lonely Mouth (Jacqueline Maley), On the Edge (Kate Horan) and The Love Contract (Steph Vizard). The company has also sold...

 

 

 

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