News sections | Books+Publishing

Text acquires four additional Text Prize-shortlisted books

Friday, 26 June 2020
Text Publishing has acquired world rights to four manuscripts that were shortlisted for the 2020 Text Prize, in addition to the winner, middle-grade novel Rainfish (Andrew Paterson). From the shortlist...

Wakefield acquires Haghdoosti’s debut YA novel ‘Sunburnt Veils’

Friday, 26 June 2020
Wakefield Press has acquired ANZ and UK rights to Sara Haghdoosti's debut YA novel Sunburnt Veils. Sunburnt Veils is a character-based exploration of Islamophobia through a heroine who’s the kind...

Shaw runner-up in 2020 Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction

Thursday, 25 June 2020
New Zealand writer Jenah Shaw has been named a runner-up for the Madrid-based Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction for her story 'Goodness and the Tiger', while fellow Wellington writer...

Miles Franklin shortlist, White leaves UWAP and more

Wednesday, 24 June 2020
The six titles shortlisted for this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award have been revealed, ahead of the winner’s announcement on 16 July. In other awards news from the past week,...

Data is integral to promoting the value of books

Wednesday, 24 June 2020
'Data, and reliable credible data, is critical to being able to talk to policy makers and politicians. Particularly when talking about the economic and cultural value of the book industry....

Sorrow and Bliss (Meg Mason, Fourth Estate)

Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Martha is sick. She’s been sick since she was 17 years old, and a cocktail of pills in varying doses has never made a difference to the lows that leave...

The F Team (Rawah Arja, Giramondo)

Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Tariq is a smart kid, he just lacks the motivation to achieve his full potential. At least, that’s what he has always been told, living in Punchbowl, Western Sydney, where...

Career Path: Middle Grade Mavens

Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Pamela Ueckerman and Julie Grasso are two self-described ‘author mums’ and the hosts of the podcast Middle Grade Mavens. They review children’s books, interview industry experts and discuss all things...

Howl (Kat Patrick, illus by Evie Barrow, Scribble)

Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Maggie is having one of those days: the sky too blue, the moon too bright, the spaghetti too long. It almost goes without saying that Maggie’s mother is also having...

Hardie Grant acquires Ablett autobiography

Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Hardie Grant Books has acquired world rights to AFL player Gary Ablett Jr’s autobiography. The fully illustrated book will include guest chapters from his father Gary Ablett Sr, Geelong captain...

White wins 2020 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction

Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Emily White has won the 2020 Lip magazine Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction for their short story ‘Swampy’. 'The unique and immediately engaging archival formatting of this story effortlessly, humorously...

Fremantle Press acquires ‘Unlimited Futures’ anthology

Monday, 22 June 2020
Fremantle Press will publish a new anthology, Unlimited Futures: Speculative, Visionary Blak+Black Fiction, to provide ‘the chance for established and emerging First Nations writers and Black writers to share the...

Read the latest Publishers Weekly

Monday, 22 June 2020
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.

Tan wins 2020 Kate Greenaway Medal

Thursday, 18 June 2020
In the UK, Australian artist and author Shaun Tan has won the 2020 Kate Greenaway Medal for distinguished illustration in a book for children and young people for his picture...

Juchau wins 2020 Walkley-Pascall Prize for arts criticism

Thursday, 18 June 2020
Novelist, essayist and critic Mireille Juchau has won the 2020 Pascall Prize for arts criticism for her essays ‘How Dreams Change Under Authoritarianism’ (The New Yorker), 'Twilight Knowing: Jenny Offill’s...

Hachette acquires Lau’s ‘Gunk Baby’

Thursday, 18 June 2020
Hachette Australia has acquired ANZ rights to the novel Gunk Baby by Jamie Marina Lau. Hachette head of literary Robert Watkins said he is excited to be publishing the novel,...

Miles Franklin Literary Award 2020 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 17 June 2020
The shortlist for the $60,000 Miles Franklin Literary Award 2020 has been announced. The six longlisted novels are: The White Girl (Tony Birch, UQP) Islands (Peggy Frew, A&U) No One (John Hughes, UWA...

Vale Jesse Blackadder

Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Author Jesse Blackadder has died after a short illness, aged 56. In addition to writing books for children and adults, Blackadder was a judge for a number of awards, a...

Children’s authors are caretakers—especially when it comes to trans kids

Wednesday, 17 June 2020
'Countless times I have met young trans people who thank me for writing the trans characters that I do. I recognise what’s in their eyes: it is relief. It is...

Vale Deb Brash

Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Book designer Deborah Brash has died. Brash worked with publishers including ABC Books, Allen & Unwin, Art Gallery of NSW, Murdoch Books and Simon & Schuster, and was art director...

Sunflower (Ingrid Laguna, Text)

Wednesday, 17 June 2020
When Jamila’s oldest friend is granted a visa to move from Iraq to Australia with her family, Jamila is over the moon. But Mina’s arrival is more complicated than Jamila...

Either Side of Midnight (Benjamin Stevenson, Michael Joseph)

Wednesday, 17 June 2020
When TV presenter Sam ‘Mr Midnight’ Midland shoots himself on live TV, documentarian Jack Quick is watching from the prison cell his last production got him sent into. Sam’s twin...

The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn (Kate Gordon, UQP)

Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Kate Gordon won the IBBY Ena Noël Award in 2016 and her YA novel Girl Running, Boy Falling was longlisted in the 2019 CBCA Awards for older readers. The Heartsong...

New Magabala First Nations cadetship, latest awards and more

Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Magabala Books has announced a new cadetship for First Nations publishing professionals, which includes on-the-job training, professional development and sustainable employment, with mentorship from Magabala publisher Rachel Bin Salleh. Meanwhile,...