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No Place for an Octopus (Claire Zorn, UQP) 

Thursday, 3 October 2019
This is Claire Zorn’s first picture book and it comes as rather a surprise—she is well known as an author of novels for young adults, for which she has won...

I See, I See (R Henderson, A&U) 

Thursday, 3 October 2019
This extremely clever book will be loved by kids, who will want to turn it upside down to read it again as soon as they finish it—and it will be...

SPN announces conference keynotes

Thursday, 3 October 2019
The Small Press Network has announced three keynote speakers for its 2019 Independent Publishing Conference, to be held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne from 21–23 November. Claire Squires, director...

Goldsmiths Prize 2019 shortlist announced

Thursday, 3 October 2019
In the UK, the shortlist for the £10,000 (A$18,300) Goldsmiths Prize, which rewards fiction that ‘breaks the mould or extends the possibilities of the novel form’, has been announced. The...

The information age: Children’s reference books 

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
In a time of internet fatigue, young readers are turning back to books as authoritative sources of information. Danielle Binks investigates. George Orwell is said to have stated, ‘In a...

No David Unaipon Award to be presented this year

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Judges for this year’s Queensland Literary Awards won’t choose a shortlist or winner for this year’s David Unaipon Award, presented to an outstanding manuscript by an unpublished Aboriginal or Torres...

Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Sales Fiction Penguin Random House Australia has sold world English-language rights (ex ANZ) to The Yield (Tara June Winch) to HarperVia; and French-language rights to Actes Sud (see news); and...

Book designer spotlight: Michelle Mackintosh

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Michelle Mackintosh is a freelance book designer, as well as a writer, illustrator and Japanophile (she’s co-written four books on Japan with her husband, writer and DJ Steve Wide). She...

Hachette acquires ‘On’ series from MUP 

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Hachette Australia has acquired world rights to Melbourne University Publishing's (MUP) 'On' series of essays. The deal was negotiated by MUP then-acting CEO Richard Tegoni. The list of over 30...

PRH sells ‘The Yield’ to US, France

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold Tara June Winch’s novel The Yield to publishers in the US and France. Pamela Malpas at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency sold world English-language...

Queensland Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced

Tuesday, 1 October 2019
The shortlists for the 2019 Queensland Literary Awards (QLAs) have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of state significance ($25,000) The...

Giller Prize 2019 shortlist announced

Tuesday, 1 October 2019
In Canada, the shortlist for the C$100,000 (A$112,000) 2019 Giller Prize for the best Canadian fiction published in English has been announced. The shortlisted novels are: Immigrant City (David Bezmozgis,...

PRH sells ‘Jane in Love’ to US

Tuesday, 1 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold North American rights to Rachel Givney’s forthcoming novel Jane in Love (Michael Joseph) to HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, via Daniel Lazar at Writers...

Jaipur Literature Festival returns to Adelaide

Monday, 30 September 2019
The Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival will host the second Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) Adelaide on November 1–3. More than 60 guests will appear at 40 free events as part...

Publishers Weekly 

Monday, 30 September 2019
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 for a limited time. This edition features...

Charts this week 

Monday, 30 September 2019
Top 10 bestsellers Index Title Author Imprint 1 The Testaments Margaret Atwood Chatto & Windus 2 The Institute Stephen King Hodder & Stoughton 3 The 117-Storey Treehouse Andy Griffiths &...

True West (David Whish-Wilson, Fremantle Press) 

Thursday, 26 September 2019
Opening on a Western Australian freeway in 1988, True West immediately introduces Lee Southern, a teenager on the run from the militaristic bikie gang in which he grew up. Such...

Nothing New: A history of second-hand (Robyn Annear, Text) 

Thursday, 26 September 2019
Opportunity shops—or op shops, as they’re lovingly referred to—are a well-established and much-loved feature of the Aussie retail landscape. In this entertaining and insightful history, Robyn Annear looks at where...

The Great Divide (L J M Owen, Echo) 

Thursday, 26 September 2019
In her fourth novel, L J M Owen, author of the ‘Dr Pimms, Intermillenial Sleuth’ series, gives us Australian rural crime at its most atmospheric: mist-shrouded streets, ruined vineyards, an...

‘Dinner Detectives’ books to be developed for TV

Thursday, 26 September 2019
Melbourne-based production studio BES Animation has acquired world broadcast and digital content rights to self-published picture book series ‘Dinner Detectives’, with plans to develop the books into a multi-platform TV...

Jane Harrison on Blak & Bright 

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
This year’s Blak & Bright festival—the second after the inaugural festival in 2016—ran from 5–8 September in Melbourne. The festival had about 2500 people attend its sessions, up from the...

Book designer spotlight: Hazel Lam

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Hazel Lam began her career as a motion graphics designer before moving into publishing, and has spent the past six years working for HarperCollins. Her cover for The Lost Flowers...