McDuling joins PRH as rights manager
Wednesday, 9 November 2022
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has announced the appointment of Sarah McDuling as its new rights manager. McDuling replaces Nerrilee Weir, who left the company in June after 24 years....
PANZ receives funding for audiobook project
Wednesday, 9 November 2022
The Publishers Association of New Zealand Te Rau o Tākupu (PANZ) has received a NZ$495,150 (A$453,680) Te Tahua Whakamarohi i te Rāngai Ahurea Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund grant ‘to establish...
New paid Hachette traineeship
Wednesday, 9 November 2022
Hachette Australia has announced a new paid entry-level publishing traineeship intended to address the lack of diversity in publishing. The traineeship is a full-time year-long role offering exposure across Hachette’s...
BookTok, Romantasy in demand at small but ‘upbeat’ Frankfurt
Wednesday, 2 November 2022
Local publishers returning to Frankfurt for the first time since the pandemic reported an upbeat mood at the smaller-than-usual fair, where attendees were grateful to be face-to-face despite concerns over...
Erskine receives 2022 Lady Cutler Award
Wednesday, 2 November 2022
Gail Erskine is the recipient of the 2022 Lady Cutler Award, presented by the New South Wales branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) for distinguished service to...
Alcove acquires ‘The Laughter Effect’
Wednesday, 2 November 2022
Laura Apperson at Alcove Press has acquired world English-language rights (ex ANZ) to The Laughter Effect: How to build joy, resilience and positivity in your life by Ros Ben-Moshe, in a...
Hachette acquires Jones’s ‘Cool Water’
Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Hachette has acquired world rights to literary novel Cool Water by Myfanwy Jones, in a deal negotiated by Jacinta di Mase Management. Following the story of a family over three...
Hedley appointed HarperCollins NZ publishing director
Wednesday, 26 October 2022
HarperCollins New Zealand has announced the promotion of Alex Hedley to publishing director, reports the Publishers Association of New Zealand. Hedly joined the New Zealand team in 2016, publishing bestsellers...
McGaughey wins Nakata Brophy prize
Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Jasmin McGaughey has won the Nakata Brophy Short Fiction and Poetry Prize for 'Sweet Anticipation'. McGaughey receives $5000 and a three-month writing residence at Trinity College at the University of...
‘People Who Lunch’ sells to Little, Brown Spark
Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Talia Krohn at Little, Brown Spark has acquired world English language rights (ex ANZ) to People Who Lunch: Essays on work, leisure & loose living by Sally Olds (Upswell), via Black...
Walkley Book Award longlist announced
Wednesday, 19 October 2022
The longlist for this year’s Walkley Book Award has been announced. The nine longlisted titles are: Currowan (Bronwyn Adcock, Black Inc.) QAnon and On (Van Badham, Hardie Grant) Making Australian...
Ping’s ‘The Poison of Polygamy’ adapted for stage
Wednesday, 19 October 2022
Wong Shee Ping’s novel The Poison of Polygamy (translated by Ely Finch, Sydney University Press) has been adapted for stage in a joint production with La Boite Theatre and Sydney...
Bookshops in Shepparton, Echuca, Kyneton closed due to floods
Wednesday, 19 October 2022
Collins Booksellers in Shepparton and Echuca, Victoria, have announced these stores will be closed until further notice due to flooding in the region. ‘We had a bit of water that...
Marketing staff to be covered in proposed PRH EBA
Wednesday, 12 October 2022
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) union has announced that a proposed changed Enterprise Agreement at Penguin Random House (PRH) will cover marketing staff for the first time. ‘Solidarity...
Pantera Press acquires Vanstone memoir in two-book deal
Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Pantera Press has acquired ANZ rights to the memoir A Thousand Wasted Sundays by writer and podcaster Victoria Vanstone, in a two-book deal, via Sarah McKenzie at Sarah McKenzie Literary...
QBD opens Ipswich store
Wednesday, 12 October 2022
QBD Books has opened a new store in Ipswich, Queensland. The new store, located at the Ipswich Riverlink Shopping Centre, celebrated its opening on Love Your Bookshop Day, Saturday 8...
A&U acquires Scholte sequel
Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ and Oceania rights to Shadows of Truth by Astrid Scholte, the sequel to her 2022 YA fantasy League of Liars. Shadows of Truth...
‘Wellmania’ sells to UK ahead of Netflix adaptation
Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Coronet, an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) to Wellmania: Misadventures in the search for wellness by journalist Brigid Delaney (Nero), from Black...
Forthcoming debut ‘The Wakes’ to be adapted for TV
Wednesday, 5 October 2022
Television rights to forthcoming debut novel The Wakes by Sydney author Dianne Yarwood (Hachette, March) have been acquired by production company Made Up Stories and film and television studio Fifth...
Text acquires Neill memoir
Wednesday, 5 October 2022
Text Publishing has acquired world rights to the memoir Did I Ever Tell You This? by actor Sam Neill. Born in Northern Ireland in 1947, Neill emigrated to New Zealand...
Text acquires story collection, novels by Boundless mentees
Wednesday, 5 October 2022
Text has acquired two books by John Morrissey and a historical novel by Lenora Thaker, the winners of Text and Writing NSW's Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship in 2020 and 2021...
Horrocks departs Text
Wednesday, 5 October 2022
After 10 years in the book industry and over seven years at Text Publishing, senior designer Jessica Horrocks has departed the role for a position as senior visual designer at...
Historical Novel Prize 2022 shortlists announced
Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) has announced the shortlists for the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize, worth a total of $100,000. The titles shortlisted in the adult category are: Horse...
Nib Literary Award 2022 shortlist announced
Wednesday, 28 September 2022
The shortlist for the $20,000 Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award has been announced. The shortlisted titles are: Two Afternoons in the Kabul Stadium (Tim Bonyhady, Text) Signs and...
Booktopia directors resign
Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Four Booktopia directors, including chair Chris Beare, have announced their resignation from the company’s board. Fiona Pak-Poy, Judy Slatyer and Beare will resign from the board at the Booktopia AGM...
Kembrey to step down at UNSW
Wednesday, 21 September 2022
NewSouth Books sales and marketing manager Jane Kembrey has announced her retirement after 25 years at UNSW Press, having started with the organisation in 1997. 'Anyone who has worked with...
Pantera acquires Colley fiction debut in two-book deal
Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Pantera Press has acquired world rights for debut novel The Next Big Thing by writer and comedian James Colley through Creative Representation, in a two-book deal. Pantera said The Next...
City of Fremantle Hungerford Award 2022 shortlist announced
Wednesday, 21 September 2022
The shortlist for the 2022 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award has been announced. The shortlisted manuscripts are: ‘The Slow Patience of the Sea & other stories’, a collection of short...
Ryckmans steps down at CWF
Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) has announced artistic director Jeanne Ryckmans is stepping down from the role. Ryckmans, who was appointed to the role in late 2019, said it had been...
ILD 2022: An ‘infectious’ day of celebrating literacy
Wednesday, 14 September 2022
Last Wednesday, 7 September, the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) celebrated its annual Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD) with a live event at the Sydney Opera House and a national digital event....




