Weekly news | Books+Publishing

ASA ‘outraged’ by unauthorised lending of scanned books

Tuesday, 22 January 2019
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has joined with international authors’ associations in condemning the activities of the Internet Archive’s Open Library in its unlicensed lending of scanned copies of...

Berbay sells board book series to US, UK

Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Berbay Publishing has sold North American and UK rights to a series of three board books by Tokyo-based illustrator Chihiro Takeuchi. Catherine Drayton from InkWell Management sold North American and...

Two Garth Nix novels to A&U; US and UK rights sold

Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Allen & Unwin has acquired ANZ rights to two new fantasy novels by Garth Nix, with US and UK rights also selling in a two-book deal. Angel Mage, a high...

Marinov moves to ABA

Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Galina Marinov will take up the newly created role of member services development manager at the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA), where she will work on creating new ABA services. Marinov...

Jon Faine to retire at the end of 2019

Monday, 21 January 2019
ABC Radio Melbourne broadcaster Jon Faine has announced he will retire at the end of 2019, reports ABC News. Faine has hosted the weekday Mornings program for 23 years, in which...

Tan wins ‘KYD’ New Critic Award 2019

Monday, 21 January 2019
Critic and narrative nonfiction writer Cher Tan has been named the winner of the 2019 Kill Your Darlings (KYD) New Critic Award. Tan receives a $1000 cash prize, plus payment for a...

Faber Writing Academy Scholarships announced

Friday, 18 January 2019
Allen & Unwin has announced the recipients of the 2019 Faber Writing Academy Scholarships. The recipients are: Chandu Bickford (True Stories Scholarship) has travelled extensively in India and Tibet, and...

Children’s authors honoured on postage stamps

Friday, 18 January 2019
Australia Post is honouring five children’s authors on its ‘Australian legends of children’s literature’ postage stamp series, as part of its 2019 Legends Awards. Authors and their books featured in...

Western Sydney Emerging Writers’ Fellowships announced

Friday, 18 January 2019
Western Sydney literature organisation WestWords has announced three recipients of the 2019 Western Sydney Emerging Writers’ Fellowships. The three writers awarded fellowships are: Fiona Murphy for hybrid memoir ‘The Shape of Sound’,...

Hazel Rowley Fellowship 2019 shortlist announced

Friday, 18 January 2019
Writers Victoria has announced the shortlist for the 2019 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship, awarded annually to an Australian writer for a proposed biographical work. The shortlisted writers and their projects...

‘Oliver’s Grumbles’ sold into China in small press’ first overseas rights sale

Thursday, 17 January 2019
Queensland-based small press Yellow Brick Books (YBB) has sold Chinese and Korean rights to Oliver’s Grumbles (Yvonne Mes, illus by Giuseppe Poli) in the emerging publisher’s first overseas rights deal. Negotiated by...

Writers, literary festivals among OzCo funding recipients

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Eighteen writers and literary festival organisations were among the recipients of the Australia Council’s latest grants round, which awarded $6.6 million to almost 200 projects, including career development, regional touring...

Alex Adsett agency lands multi-territory book deal for debut picture book

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Alex Adsett Literary Agency has sold rights in multiple territories to the debut picture book by Brisbane-based graphic designer Robert Hendersen. I See, I See is described as an immersive, hands-on...

Berbay sells three Canty picture books in China

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Berbay Publishing has sold simplified Chinese rights to three picture books in John Canty’s ‘Heads and Tails’ series to Dook. The series—comprising Heads and Tails, Heads and Tails Insects and...

Self-published Aussie novel longlisted for Republic of Consciousness Prize

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Brisbane author Nicholas John Turner’s debut self-published novel Hang Him When He Is Not There has been longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, reports the Bookseller. Turner’s novel, which was sold...

Indie Book Awards 2019 shortlists announced

Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Leading Edge Books has announced the 2019 Indie Book Awards shortlists, for the best Australian books published in 2018. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Fiction The Lost Man (Jane...

Full program announced for 2019 Perth Writers Week

Tuesday, 15 January 2019
The full program has been announced for the 2019 Perth Festival Writers Week, which runs from 18-24 February. International guests attending the festival include Man Booker Prize-winning Nigerian novelist and...

Echo sells Meg Keneally’s solo debut to US

Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Echo Publishing has sold North American rights to Meg Keneally’s debut historical novel Fled to Arcade Publishing. The novel, which is based on the life of convict Mary Bryant, is...

Liminal magazine establishes short fiction prize, partners with Brow Books

Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Liminal magazine has established a short fiction prize for Australian writers of colour. The Liminal Fiction Prize seeks to ‘promote fiction by writers whose voices are often ignored or elided’. It...

Presser wins at US National Jewish Book Awards

Monday, 14 January 2019
In the US, Melbourne-based author Bram Presser has won the debut fiction award at the 2018 National Jewish Book Awards for his novel The Book of Dirt (Text). Established in 1950 by the...

Updated format revealed for WA Prem’s awards

Monday, 14 January 2019
The Western Australian state government has revealed the new format for the WA Premier’s Book Awards, which has been reinstated as an annual event. The awards will feature three separate...

Copyright Agency announces recipients of $1.049m funding grants

Monday, 14 January 2019
Thirty-seven arts organisations have received a total of $1.049 million in the latest round of funding from the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Literary organisations and projects that received funding in...

Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced

Wednesday, 12 December 2018
The shortlists for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles are: Fiction Flames (Robbie Arnott, Text) Ironbark (Jay Carmichael, Scribe) The Fireflies of Autumn: And...

Saleh, Abdel-Fattah to edit anthology about growing up Arab in Australia

Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Picador has announced it will publish a new anthology in 2019 about growing up Arab in Australia, to be co-edited by activist and poet Sara Saleh, and author and academic...

Book industry figures among OzCo’s arts leaders

Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Several literary arts workers have been selected for the 2019 Australia Council leadership programs. Participants in the 2019 Future Leaders program include former Black Inc. marketing and publicity coordinator Christina...

IPEd announces keynotes for 2019 conference

Wednesday, 12 December 2018
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has announced four keynote presentations for its ninth National Editors Conference, held in Melbourne on 8-10 May 2019. Keynotes include: Macquarie Dictionary former editor Susan Butler will...

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