Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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OUP reports increased turnover, increased local sales 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Oxford University Press has reported a rise in turnover to £578.7million (A$1156.8 million) for the year ended 31 March 2009 from £492.3 million (A$984.1 million) for the previous year. The...

In brief 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
HarperCollins announces new sci-fi short story competitionHarperCollins has announced a new science-fiction short story competition that will use its social network for unpublished authors, authonomy.com. Entrants will compete for the...

Rights round-up 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
In rights news this week: FictionText has acquired rights to the long-awaited new novel by Booker Prize-winning author Yann Martel (Life of Pi). The as-yet-untitled novel will be released in...

Booktopia to bring book vending machines to Australia 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Online bookseller Booktopia has announced that it will soon start rolling out the Novel Vending Idea book-vending machines, with plans to install up to 200 machines in shopping centres, hospitals...

‘Liar’ re-jacketed in US following criticism 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Bloomsbury in the US has announced that its edition of Australian author Justine Larbalestier's new novel Liar (A&U), which has a black girl as its protagonist, will be re-jacketed in...

ABA, APA, ALIA announce ‘Rebuilding With Books’ bushfire campaign 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
The Australian Booksellers' Association (ABA), Australian Publishers Association (APA) and Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) have announced a joint bushfire relief initiative, Rebuilding With Books. Bookshops, publishers and libraries...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Among the international booktrade stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:Gaiman heads Hugo winnersReading makes Americans optimisticUK booksellers hit out at OxfamNew Sony Reader is...

2009 LIANZA Children’s Book Awards announced 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
The winners of the LIANZA (Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa: Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa) Children's Book Awards were announced in Wellington on Monday 10 August. The...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
The film tie-in to My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult has cut a swathe though the Stephenie Meyer titles this week in the Bestseller charts, sitting pretty at number three....

Ned Kelly Awards shortlist announced 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
The shortlists for the 2009 Ned Kelly Awards have been announced. ‘The Neds' award crime writing in Australia. This year, a new award has been added, honouring Australia's best crime...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: The Aireys Festival of Words, Aireys Inlet, Vic, 14-16 AugustRomance Writers of Australia--national conference, Brisbane,...

Most mentioned: this week in ‘Media Extra’ 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
As reported in this week’s Media Extra Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler's Ark, has written another novel steeped in Europe's past. Based on true events, The People's Train follows the...

On Tour 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Authors on tour from August to November: AugustGareth Morgan, Scribe (Poles Apart: Beyond the Shouting, Who's Right About Climate Change?)Rupert Isaacson, Text Publishing (The Horse Boy)Eric Garcia, Scribe (The Repossession...

RiP Budd Schulberg 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
American Budd Schulberg, who wrote the award-winning screenplay for On the Waterfront and novels What Makes Sammy Run? and The Harder They Fall has died, aged 95.

RiP Tim Guest 

Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Writer Tim Guest has died, aged 34. He was the author of memoir My Life in Orange and Second Lives.

HarperCollins: 2009 ‘a challenging year’ 

Monday, 10 August 2009
HarperCollins parent company News Corporation has reported an operating income loss in its book publishing division of US$16 million (A$19 million) for the year ended 30 June, down from an...

New Zealand Digital Forum announces ebook seminar 

Monday, 10 August 2009
The New Zealand Digital Publishing Forum has announced it will hold a half-day ebook-making workshop. The workshop, entitled ‘How to Make an eBook: XML and Other Mysteries Revealed', is a...

Grimwade appointed new MWF director 

Monday, 10 August 2009
Steve Grimwade has been appointed the new director for the Melbourne Writers' Festival. Grimwade, who is currently associate director, will take on the role following the 2009 festival, which will...

Rights round-up 

Tuesday, 4 August 2009
In rights news this week: FictionHachette Australia reports that Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman has sold to Portugal and the 'Death Works' trilogy by Trent Jamieson has sold to the...

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 4 August 2009
'The ISBN standard united the industry from author royalty statement to store shelf and, while I emphasise the ISBN is far from dead, there are sufficient warning signs to suggest...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:US ebook prices fall to under US$10'The perfect bookstore': but where are the books?Is Amazon reducing choice...

Tan and Lanagan nominated for World Fantasy Award 

Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Australian authors Shaun Tan and Margo Lanagan have made the nomination list for the 2009 World Fantasy Award. Lanagan's Tender Morsels (A&U) is nominated in the Best Novel category, and...

Pilger wins Sydney Peace Prize 

Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Author, journalist and filmmaker John Pilger has been awarded the 2009 Sydney Peace Prize.Pilger was awarded the prize for ‘enabling the voices of the powerless to be heard', and for ‘commitment...

ALP working group to consider Prod Comm report 

Tuesday, 4 August 2009
As reported in a WBN special bulletin on Thursday, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) will establish a working group to 'consider the matters raised in the Productivity Commission's report' on...