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UQP rejects Campbell Newman memoir over awards axing

Thursday, 26 February 2015
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has declined to publish former Queensland premier Campbell Newman’s memoir, citing Newman’s axing of the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards as the reason, reports the...

Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 25 February 2015
SalesFiction—Fremantle Press has sold Spanish rights to Prime Cut (Alan Carter) to Editorial Yulca. Text has sold Portuguese and Simplified Chinese rights to The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect...

Quote of the week

Wednesday, 25 February 2015
‘This is the first truly collaborative initiative that we’ve undertaken together’—Small Press Network general manager Mary Masters on the new Victorian Indigenous literature officer role, which was developed by The...

Hachette launches audiobook list 

Monday, 23 February 2015
Hachette Australia has launched its own audiobook list under the Hachette Audio imprint.  Hachette joint managing director Justin Ractliffe told Books+Publishing that the publisher will produce a selection of audiobooks using ‘Australian talent’. The titles will be available as...

Bestsellers this week

Monday, 23 February 2015
This week’s bestsellers chart has a new number one, with Richelle Mead’s The Ruby Circle (Viking) placed first in both the top 10 bestsellers and the highest new entries charts. This...

New award categories for 2015 ABIAs

Monday, 23 February 2015
Three new awards will be presented for the first time at this year’s Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs).Two of the new awards, the Small Publisher Adult Book of the Year and...

NGV to host inaugural Melbourne Art Book Fair in May

Monday, 23 February 2015
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) will host the inaugural Melbourne Art Book Fair on 1-3 May.Local and international book designers and publishers will exhibit fine art, architecture and design...

Booktopia opens new headquarters and distribution centre

Friday, 20 February 2015
Booktopia officially opened its 10,000 square metre headquarters and distribution centre in Homebush, Sydney, this week, to coincide with the company’s 11th birthday.The headquarters includes offices, an author signing room...

Australia Post increases prepaid parcel prices

Friday, 20 February 2015
Australia Post will increase the price for some parcel deliveries and prepaid parcels from 2 March, among wider changes to pricing for its services. Parcels over 500g and up to...

Scribe signs second nonfiction prize winner

Friday, 20 February 2015
Scribe has announced that it has signed another winner of its Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers.Briohny Doyle was the co-winner of the inaugural prize in 2013, along with Oliver...

Ngaio Marsh Award 2015 longlist announced

Thursday, 19 February 2015
The longlist for this year’s Ngaio Marsh Award for New Zealand crime fiction has been announced.The longlisted titles are: Drowning City (Ben Atkins, Random House) Five Minutes Alone (Paul Cleave, Penguin)...

Newcastle Writers Festival program announced

Thursday, 19 February 2015
The program for the 2015 Newcastle Writers Festival, to be held on 20-22 March, is now available online. The opening night of the festival will feature Helen Garner, Jessica Rudd...

Quote of the week

Wednesday, 18 February 2015
‘The downgrading of the Premier’s Book Awards from an annual to a biennial event could be seen as Western Australia losing its literary AAA rating in the eyes of other states’—WA...

Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 18 February 2015
SalesNonfiction—HarperCollins has sold radio broadcast rights to This Way of Life (Sumner Burstyn); and German rights to Instant Entertaining (Donnay Hay). Children’s—The Frances Plumpton Agency (NZ) has sold Korean rights...

New website to sell books on Tasmania direct from authors

Wednesday, 18 February 2015
A new online bookshop selling print books about Tasmania directly from the authors has been launched.Tasmanian Books, which was launched in January by local author Andrew Wilson, aims to ‘bring all of...

Ditmar Awards ballot announced

Tuesday, 17 February 2015
The shortlisted works for the Ditmar Awards ballot have been announced and voting has commenced.The shortlisted works include:Best Novel The Lascar’s Dagger (Glenda Larke, Orbit) Bound: Alex Caine Book One (Alan...

Penguin increases price of Black Classics range 

Tuesday, 17 February 2015
The recommended retail price (RRP) of Penguin’s Black Classics series, as well as some titles in its Drop Cap and Classics Deluxe series, are set to increase.The RRP of more than 400 titles...

HarperCollins acquires rights to Tim Cahill autobiography

Tuesday, 17 February 2015
HarperCollins has acquired the rights to the autobiography of Australian soccer player Tim Cahill.Cahill has played over 80 games for Australia and is the country’s top goal scorer, including five World Cup goals....

ILF appoints Bryce as new patron

Tuesday, 17 February 2015
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) has appointed former Australian governor-general Quentin Bryce as its 2015 patron. Bryce, who was governor-general from 2008-2014, said in a statement that she had travelled extensively...

Bestsellers this week

Monday, 16 February 2015
The titles in the top 10 bestsellers chart remain largely unchanged this week, with the film tie-in to American Sniper (Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen & Jim DeFelice, HarperCollins) in top spot for a...