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Dymocks Literacy Foundation to hold radio-thon 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The Dymocks Literacy Foundation is calling for submissions from charities that wish to benefit from its radio-thon with Radio 2UE, designed to raise money for charities to purchase books. The...

In brief 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Masters v Akerman over 'Jonestown' Jonestown author Chris Masters has accused Piers Akerman, columnist for the Daily Telegraph newspaper, of attempting to 'nobble' his chances of wining the NSW Premier's Literary Award,...

Will Reed Publishing NZ go to Pearson? 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Following the sale of Harcourt Education to Pearson, reported in last week's WBN, the ownership of New Zealand-based Reed Publishing may also be set to change. Booksellers Brief, published by Booksellers New...

Hyland shortlisted again 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
M J Hyland's Carry me down (Text) is among the six novels shortlisted for the biennial £10,000 (A$23,000) Encore Award for a second novel.The other contenders are:Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra,...

Kibble Award for Robertson; Dobbie to Winch 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The winners of the 2007 Kibble and Dobbie Awards have been announced by prize administrator Perpetual.Deborah Robertson (pictured) is the winner of the $20,000 Kibble Award for Women Writers for...

Melb Uni prize monies ‘almost triple’ 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The University of Melbourne has announced the prize money for its Kate Challis RAKA Award and the Peter Blazey Fellowship has ‘almost tripled' in value. The Kate Challis RAKA Award...

Emerging Writers Festival branches out 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The fourth Emerging Writers' Festival will take place in Melbourne from Friday 25 May to Sunday 27 May, offering ‘panels, performances, readings and workshops featuring the best Australian writers you...

Fraser leaves CAL 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Michael Fraser, chief executive of the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) has retired from the position after 21 years to establish his own consultancy on copyright and rights management matters. Fraser...

Thomson sold to private equity 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The Thomson Corporation has announced the sale of its higher education, careers and library reference assets, which include Thomson Learning Australia, in a US$7.75 billion (A$9.32 billion) deal with private...

New Tim Winton novel to be published by Penguin 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
As announced in this classified in today's WBN, Penguin will be the Australian publisher of Tim Winton's new novel Breath, due for release in 2008. There had been speculation that Winton, currently published by Pan...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include:APA Introduction to Book Publishing seminar, in Sydney on 18 MayCAL Copyright seminar, in Brisbane on...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The Fastest Movers chart looks at the books that have enjoyed the biggest bump in sales over the past week. It's not hard to see why. Topping this week's chart...

ACCC investigates Griffin/McPherson’s joint venture 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Further to the announcement in last week's WBN that Australia's two largest book printers, PMP-owned Griffin Press and McPherson's Printing are planning to merge, subject to 'relevant approvals,' the Australian Competition...

RiP Dennis Wren 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Michael Wilding writes: ‘Dennis Wren, who died in Gosford NSW on 5 April, aged 80, was one of the great characters of Australian publishing in the 1960s and 70s. His...

‘Glass ceiling’ in publishing is real: report 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The perceived 'glass ceiling' that prevents women from reaching the highest-paid jobs in Australian publishing is quantifiably real, according to a report released this week.According to statistics from the Bloom Report (Thorpe-Bowker), a...

Quotation of the Week 

Thursday, 10 May 2007
I feel bad for people getting their books at Amazon or at Target ... They're getting it alone because they want a bargain. How sad. Don't you want to remember...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog this week:Cashier-free bookshops? RFID hits HollandBook clubs explode in ex-Soviet blocWaterstone's admits HP discounting will hurtSamuel Johnson Prize shortlistChameleon wins...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
It's no secret that Rhonda Byrne's bestselling guide to health, wealth and happiness has won plenty of admirers. But there's another guide to healthy life, albeit with a very different...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include:IPED National Conference, in Hobart on 9 to 12 MayAPA's Introduction to Book Publishing workshop, in...

ASA mentorships 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced the twenty successful applicants for its mentorship program in 2007-08.The program's judges--Georgia Blain, Tohby Riddle, Brooke Emery, Margo Lanagan and ASA executive...

CAL update 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) has announced a major new agreement with its US counterpart Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), which will allow access and payment for digital use of both Australian...

Brumby completes Bookwise acquisition 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The sale of Bookwise to Brumby Holdings was completed on 1 May. ‘We are pleased that Bookwise is now back in Australian ownership,' said Gary Cobbledick, managing director of Brumby...

Five Aussies and a Kiwi on O’Connor Award longlist 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Five Australians and one New Zealander are among the 34 writers on the longlist for this year's Frank O'Connor Short Story Award, the world's richest short-story prize, worth ?35,000 (A$54,500).The...

Book Choice: ‘Brand Power’ for books? 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The first 30-second television commercial in a new book advertising initiative, ‘Book Choice', will air on 10 June. Following the ‘advertorial' format of the ‘Brand Power' advertisements featuring household products,...

Griffin Press and McPherson’s to merge 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Griffin Press and McPherson's Printing--the two main book printers in Australia--have announced a merger plan.Griffin Press' owner PMP and McPherson's will each own 50% of the merged group, creating ‘a...

Lonely Planet not for sale, says Wheeler 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Maureen Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet Publications, has described an article by Mark Hawthorne in the Age last Thursday, which speculated  that the company could 'soon be put on the...

$9 million for Centre for Books and Ideas at SLV 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The Victorian Government made good on its pre-election promise for a new literature centre in Melbourne when it allocated $9 million to the State Library of Victoria (SLV) for a...

Pearson buys Harcourt 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
As reported in a WBN special bulletin on Monday, Pearson has acquired Harcourt Education International and Harcourt Assessment from parent company Reed Elsevier for a reported US$950 million (A$1.1 billion)....

WA Premier’s Book Awards shortlists announced 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The 2006 WA Premier's Book Awards shortlists have been announced, with local publisher Fremantle Arts Centre Press out in front with seven nominations. The awards (worth $7500 in each category,...