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Rights and acquisitions >

Wakefield acquires Lenoir-Jourdan’s “Saltblood”

Wednesday, 6 May 2026
Wakefield Press has acquired ANZ rights to the debut YA novel Saltblood by Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan, via Martin Shaw of Shaw Literary. Described by the publisher as “Puberty Blues meets Looking...

A&U acquires “Twelve Months to Financial Freedom”

L-R: Canna Campbell and Michael Thompson. Credit: Rob Palmer Photography Tuesday, 5 May 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Twelve Months to Financial Freedom: Take Control of Your Money One Month at a Time by Canna Campbell and Michael Thompson, via Catherine...

A&U acquires Knox’s “The Second Child”

Photograph of Malcolm Knox standing in front of the ocean Monday, 4 May 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to Malcolm Knox’s The Second Child, in a deal brokered by Jane Novak of Jane Novak Literary Agency. Following on from Knox’s...

A&U acquires Barry’s “The Big Steal”

Paul Barry Thursday, 30 April 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to nonfiction title The Big Steal by journalist Paul Barry, direct from the author. The Big Steal recounts the story of Sanjeev...

ASA/HQ Fiction Prize 2026 shortlist announced

ASA/HQ Fiction Prize logo Thursday, 30 April 2026
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) and HarperCollins publishing division HQ have announced the shortlist for the 2026 ASA/HQ Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript. The shortlisted works, chosen from...

Affirm Press acquires Byrt’s “Dying Days”

Anthony Byrt Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Simon & Schuster imprint Affirm Press has acquired world rights to spy novel Dying Days by Aotearoa New Zealand author Anthony Byrt, via Nadine Rubin Nathan at High Spot Literary. Dying...

“Pissants” to be adapted for television

Thursday, 23 April 2026
Filmmakers Jesse Laurie and Lewis Mulholland have optioned television rights to Pissants by Brandon Jack (Summit Books), via Alice Cottrell on behalf of the Jane Novak Literary Agency. Laurie, a...

Bakers Lane acquires Strauss’s “Holding Space”

Picture of Gina Strauss Wednesday, 22 April 2026
Bakers Lane Books has acquired world rights to the nonfiction title Holding Space by Gina Strauss. The publisher described Holding Space as a “hybrid memoir and professional guide offering reflections...

A&U acquires Jenkins’s “Bad Neighbours”

Joanna Jenkins Tuesday, 21 April 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to forthcoming crime novel Bad Neighbours by Joanna Jenkins via Gaby Naher of The Naher Agency. Featuring Ruth Dawson, the main character...

HGCP acquires “Sagittarius Rising”

A photo of Maxine Beneba Clarke. She stand in front of a bookshelf. Thursday, 16 April 2026
Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing (HGCP) has acquired world rights to children’s chapter book Sagittarius Rising by author Maxine Beneba Clarke and illustrator Jade Goodwin. Senior publisher Chren Byng said, “For...

A&U acquires Keane’s “Seize the Moment”

Photograph of Bernard Keane Wednesday, 8 April 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Seize the Moment, a nonfiction title by Bernard Keane. According to the publisher, the book examines “how Australia can prosper in...

A&U acquires Urquhart ultramarathon story

Photograph of Donna Urquhart wearing fur hood with snow googles on her forehead Thursday, 2 April 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to ultramarathon runner Donna Urquhart’s as yet untitled story about her Guinness World Record Antarctic run in January 2024, written with journalist...

Nigerian publisher Masobe Books acquires 5 books by Bacon

Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Othuke Ominiabohs, founder and publisher of Masobe Books, has acquired Nigerian rights for five books by African-Australian author Eugen Bacon, in a deal brokered in partnership with Bacon’s US publisher...

Upswell acquires Nowra’s “My Grandfather’s Ghost”

Louis Nowra Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Upswell Publishing has acquired world rights to My Grandfather’s Ghost, a narrative nonfiction title by Louis Nowra, via Natalie Stewart, HLA Management. Describing My Grandfather’s Ghost, Nowra said, “On 12...

S&S acquires Rogers’s “The Damned”

Photograph of Matt Rogers in front of a window, arms folded Monday, 30 March 2026
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired The Damned by Matt Rogers. Described as a “heart-pounding new thriller”, The Damned follows the author’s 2025 thriller The Forsaken and again features ex-assassin Logan...

Bakers Lane acquires Jones’s “Swimming Backwards”

Photograph of Helen Jones Thursday, 26 March 2026
Bakers Lane Books has acquired world rights to the novel Swimming Backwards by Helen Jones. Swimming Backwards, which was shortlisted for the publisher’s inaugural Fearless Prize, tells the story of grieving...

Text acquires Szubanski memoir

Photograph of Magda Szubanski Wednesday, 25 March 2026
Text Publishing has announced the acquisition of the memoir I Can’t Tell You But I Will by Magda Szubanski. Szubanski is a comedian, actor and LGBT rights advocate. Her previous memoir,...

HGCP acquires “The Everywhere Train”

Writer Deborah Frenkel and illustrator Danny Snell Wednesday, 25 March 2026
Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing (HGCP) has acquired world rights to The Everywhere Train by author Deborah Frenkel and illustrator Danny Snell. From the creators of 2025 National Simultaneous Storytime book The...

A&U acquires Jeff Apter’s “Reckless”

Photograph of Jeff Apter Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to the nonfiction title Reckless by music writer Jeff Apter. Reckless is the inside story of Australian Crawl, the band behind tracks...

Affirm acquires Williams’s “The German Ward”

Photograph of Pip Williams sitting in front of a bookcase Thursday, 19 March 2026
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to The German Ward, a “breathtaking historical love story” by Pip Williams, with US rights sold to Ballantine and UK rights to Chatto &...

Wombat acquires Dangerfield’s middle-grade novel

Photo of Lucy Dangerfield. Thursday, 19 March 2026
Wombat Books has acquired world rights to The Misspelled Sky by Lucy Dangerfield following a pitch at last year’s CYA Conference. The speculative middle-grade novel follows Megana, who “always believed she was...

S&S acquires Fanning memoir

Photo of Mick Fanning. Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to the memoir All Heart, by three-time world champion surfer Mick Fanning. All Heart follows Fanning from the western suburbs of...

A&U acquires Tasker’s debut novel

Photo of Michael Caleb Tasker. Tuesday, 17 March 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to Michael Caleb Tasker’s Just Like the Night, in a deal brokered by Ellen Levine at Trident Media Group. The novel follows...

A&U acquires Davis’s “The Modern Dad”

Photo of author Louis Davis. Monday, 16 March 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to the nonfiction title, The Modern Dad, by Aotearoa New Zealand author Louis Davis. The Modern Dad provides advice about how to...