Weekly news | Books+Publishing

AWF 2025: attendance, book sales up

Wednesday, 4 June 2025
Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki (AWF) has reported the overall attendance for the 2025 program, which ran 13–18 May, slightly exceeded last year’s record number of 85,000, as well...

Fogarty receives 2025 Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Yugambeh poet and activist Lionel Fogarty has been recognised with a Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2025 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards. Born on Wakka Wakka...

Mary Gilmore Award 2025 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
The Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Mary Gilmore Award, a prize for a poet's first book of poetry. Judges Kate...

MWF ticket sales up 47%

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) recorded a 47% year-on-year increase in revenue for this year’s festival program, running 8–11 May. Representing the highest revenue since 2019, the festival reported over 21,000...

Jacky Winter Group launches Gildlings

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
The Jacky Winter Group – a creative agency with offices in Melbourne, New York, and London – has announced the creation of new literary agency Gildlings. According to the organisation,...

SLQ rescinds Wyld ‘black&write!’ fellowship, postpones winner announcement

Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Author KA Ren Wyld’s place in the black&write! fellowship program has been rescinded by the State Library of Queensland (SLQ), the author said on X (Twitter). The 2025 black&write! writing...

Raisin wins Romantic Novel of the Year Award

Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Perth-based writer Rebecca Raisin has won the Contemporary Romance Novel Award for her book A Love Letter to Paris (Boldwood) in the 2025 Romantic Novel of the Year Awards. Chosen...

Pantera acquires Bridges’ book on perimenopause

Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Pantera Press has acquired The Perimenopause Method from Michelle Bridges, via Joseph Hanrahan at Profile Talent Management. According to the publisher, The Perimenopause Method is a ‘comprehensive and holistic guide’...

Purcell appointed The Nile head of books Australia

Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Online bookseller The Nile has appointed John Purcell as head of books – Australia, joining Stacey Collins, who was recently promoted to head of books – New Zealand. Purcell was...

digiDirect acquires James Bennett

Wednesday, 21 May 2025
The digiDirect Group, owner of Booktopia, has acquired Australian library supplier James Bennett from US library supplier Baker & Taylor. digiDirect Group chair and CEO Shant Kradjian said: ‘We are...

A&U acquires The Grade Cricketer book

Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to The Grade Cricketer: Alphas, Champs and Chop Kings, a new nonfiction title from Sam Perry and Ian Higgins. Since debuting on Twitter...

Larrikin House acquires ‘Ultra Violet’ sequel

Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Larrikin House has acquired rights to graphic novel Ultra Violet: Escape from Uranus, written by Cristy Burne and illustrated by Rebel Challenger. According to the publisher, in this 'STEM-meets-adventure graphic...

Echo Publishing acquires Ayliffe’s crime standalone

Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Echo Publishing has acquired world rights to Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe, via Jeanne Ryckmans at Key People Literary Management. According to the publisher, Dark Desert Road is Ayliffe's first...

ASA, Arts Tasmania relaunch mentorship program

Wednesday, 7 May 2025
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) and Arts Tasmania have announced the return of the Tasmanian Writers and Illustrators Mentorship Program. This program for authors and illustrators based in Tasmania...

Text acquires Lohrey’s novel ‘Capture’

Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Text Publishing has acquired world rights to Capture by Amanda Lohrey, via Lyn Tranter. Capture follows psychiatrist James Mather beginning a research project about people who claim to have been...

Bellamy denies ‘Bake with Brooki’ plagiarism claims from Maehashi

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi has claimed Bake with Brooki (Brooke Bellamy, Penguin) contains plagiarised recipes – an allegation Bellamy has denied, reports the ABC. In a post to her...

Bin Salleh wins Pixie O’Harris Award

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Rachel Bin Salleh has been named the recipient of 2025 Pixie O’Harris Hall of Fame Award, presented at the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) by the Australian Publishers Association (APA)....

Gibb wins Lloyd O’Neil Award

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Ross Gibb has been named the recipient of the 2025 Lloyd O’Neil Hall of Fame Award, presented at the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) by the Australian Publishers Association (APA)....

ABR announces new editorial cadetship

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
The Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced the Peter Rose Editorial Cadetship to honour outgoing CEO and editor Peter Rose's ‘extraordinary contribution to the training of publishing professionals’. In its...

Mrozinski wins 2025 Calibre Essay Prize

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
The Australian Book Review (ABR) has named Jeanette Mrozinski as the 2025 winner of the $5000 Calibre Essay Prize for her essay 'Eucharist'. 'Eucharist' was chosen from a shortlist of...

Transit Lounge acquires new novel from Carmel Bird

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to Crimson Velvet Heart, a new novel by Carmel Bird (Love Letter to Lola, Family Skeleton). ‘This sumptuous historical novel centres on Marie Adelaide...

Pitt to star in Winton’s ‘The Riders’ film adaptation

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Scott Free Productions will begin production of the film adaptation of Tim Winton’s novel The Riders (Penguin), with Brad Pitt set to star as protagonist Fred Scully. Edward Berger (Conclave)...

NSW Literary Awards 2025 shortlists announced

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
The shortlists for the 2025 New South Wales Literary Awards have been announced. Shortlisted titles in each category are: Christina Stead Prize for Fiction ($40,000) One Another (Gail Jones, Text) Heartsease (Kate...

Russell Prize for Humour Writing 2025 shortlists announced

Wednesday, 23 April 2025
The State Library of NSW has announced the shortlists for the 2025 Russell Prize for Humour Writing and the Humour Writing for Young People Award. The books shortlisted for the...

Australian rights managers positive, ‘cautiously optimistic’ after Bologna

Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Australian rights managers have returned from the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in a buoyant yet cautiously optimistic mood, following packed schedules filled with strong international interest, positive industry conversations, and...