Henderson wins 2025 Australian Fiction Prize
Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Troy Henderson has won the Australian Fiction Prize for his unpublished crime thriller River City. The novel follows the violent struggle of “warring factions, loose-cannon allies and a city on the brink”...
Publishers reaching across borders at Sharjah
Monday, 17 November 2025
Now in its 4th decade, the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is the world’s third largest book fair, attracting hundreds of thousands of people. Earlier this month Upswell publisher Terri-ann...
Cunningham announced as 2026 Dahl fellow
Monday, 17 November 2025
The Board of Eucalypt Australia has announced Sophie Cunningham as a 2026 Dahl fellow for her manuscript “Eucalyptus: A story in twenty trees”. According to organisers, Cunningham’s work will investigate...
Wiley acquires Lishman’s next nonfiction title
Monday, 17 November 2025
Wiley has acquired world rights to self-help title Only You by Marny Lishman, via Simone Landes of TLS Talent. According to the publisher, Only You is designed for readers experiencing...
Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival: “a sense of community, intimate spaces, and engaging panel discussions”
Monday, 17 November 2025
The Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival, which ran from 31 October to 2 November, reports that it sold 502 weekend passes, 241 single-day passes, 295 workshop tickets and 2135 single-session tickets...
Readings Prize 2025 winners announced
Friday, 14 November 2025
Readings has announced the winners of the 2025 Readings Prize in each category and the winner of the Gab Williams Prize. The winning titles are: New Australian Fiction Prize I...
PRH Write It fellowship recipients announced
Thursday, 13 November 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) has announced the recipients of the 2025 Write It Fellowship. Chosen from a shortlist announced in July, the winners are: Dayle Fogarty for “After Dark” Naomi...
Saunders awarded 2026 Peter Blazey Fellowship
Thursday, 13 November 2025
Author and academic Mykaela Saunders has won the $20,000 Peter Blazey Fellowship for her work in progress, “Dear Uncle”. “Dear Uncle” is about Koori artist Kev Saunders (1956–2012), a Dharug...
UQP mentorship prize winners announced
Thursday, 13 November 2025
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has announced the winners of the inaugural UQP Mentorship Prize for under-represented writers. Chosen from a shortlist of 5, the winners are: SD Munawara...
Wombat acquires Page’s interactive novel
Thursday, 13 November 2025
Wombat Books has acquired world rights to Gabriella Page’s The Nardi Puzzle, an interactive middle-grade story that allows readers to solve puzzles alongside the characters. The novel follows Sebastian Walker’s...
WestWords acquires Lee’s debut novel
Thursday, 13 November 2025
WestWords Books has acquired adult novel Bound by Samantha WL Lee. Set in four countries – China, Malaysia, Britain and Australia – and extending over more than a century, Bound...
A&U acquires Flynn biography
Thursday, 13 November 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Errol Flynn, Patricia A O’Brien’s biography of Australian-born Hollywood actor Errol Flynn, known for his swashbuckling roles and controversial off-screen life....
Szalay wins the Booker Prize; Thomas wins Nib; Ruffino steps down
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Local news In local news this week, Canberra Writers Festival recorded more than 10,000 audience attendees at its 2025 program, an increase of 55% on the 2024 festival. This year’s...
SLQ fellowship, medal recipients announced
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
State Library of Queensland (SLQ) has announced the 2026 recipients of 6 fellowships, worth $105,000, along with 2 John Oxley Library Medals. The recipients in each category are: John Oxley...
Rights round-up
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Sales Fiction Allen & Unwin (A&U) has sold Dutch rights for Click (Sarah Bailey) to Uitgeverij Marmer; and Turkish rights for Click (Sarah Bailey) to The Kitap. Pantera has sold Turkish...
Wiley acquires O’Connell’s “Unscript”
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Wiley has acquired world rights to broadcaster Christian O’Connell’s personal development book Unscript. Unscript strips away “the ghost scripts that keep us disconnected, through a mix of vibrant storytelling, authentic...
Riveted acquires Gordon’s latest children’s book
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Riveted Press has acquired world rights to The Midlands by Kate Gordon, in a deal brokered by Alex Adsett Literary. The Midlands takes place during the First World War as 11-year-old Lorna Whittle and her 4...
Affirm acquires Keegan’s second novel
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Lauren Keegan’s second novel, The Woman in the Seal Skin. Set on a Scottish island, the novel follows Malie, who grew up hearing...
NewSouth acquires Kale’s debut
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
NewSouth Publishing has acquired world rights to Foreign Return: On Art and Inhabitation, the debut literary nonfiction work by writer and cultural critic Neha Kale. Kale migrated from India to...
Read the latest Publishers Weekly
Wednesday, 12 November 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.
How to Get Home (Deborah Frenkel, illus Karen Blair, Affirm)
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
How to Get Home is a charming collaboration between author Deborah Frenkel (The Truck Cat) and illustrator Karen Blair (When I’m BIG, Train Party) that revels in the everyday words surrounding...
Might Cry Later (Kay Kerr, Macmillan)
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
In Kay Kerr’s adult fiction debut, Might Cry Later, Nora Byrne is burnt out and struggling to reclaim herself after blowing up her life in Melbourne. By Christmas, she’s back...
Dark Desert Road (Tim Ayliffe, Echo)
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Tim Ayliffe’s Dark Desert Road follows identical twins Kit and Billie, who grew up under the violent rule of their father – a man scarred by trauma from serving in...
Pantera acquires Bassingthwaighte memoir
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Pantera Press has acquired world rights to the memoir Love Like This by actor and singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte. The publisher described Love Like This as an “unflinchingly honest and intimate memoir...
Szalay wins 2025 Booker Prize for “Flesh”
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker Prize, worth £50,000 (A$100,800), for Flesh (Jonathan Cape). “Written in spare prose, and spanning decades – from a Hungarian housing estate to the mansions...
Affirm Press acquires Moloney’s “Why We Garden”
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Why We Garden, a new title by ABC Gardening Australia presenter Hannah Moloney. According to the publisher, Why We Garden investigates why Australians...
KYD announces 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Prize shortlist
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 KYD Creative Nonfiction Essay Prize. The 6 shortlisted essays are: “Where My Body Hides Water" by Madison Godfrey “Playing God” by Tallulah...
HGCP announces Zac Power film adaptation
Monday, 10 November 2025
Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing (HGCP) has announced the film adaptation of the Zac Power series (HI Larry) is slated for release in early 2027. “The film follows Zac as he...
Ansons wins 2025 Fresh Ink Prize
Monday, 10 November 2025
Newcastle Writers Festival (NWF) has announced Jessie Ansons as the winner of the 2025 Fresh Ink Prize, an award for emerging writers in regional NSW, for “Forever Yours”, an extract...
CWF records 55% increase in attendance
Monday, 10 November 2025
Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) has recorded more than 10,000 audience attendees at its 2025 program, an increase of 55% on the 2024 festival. This year’s 5-day program included 114 events,...
