Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Text acquires Kernot’s “Night Swimming”

A photo of Sharon Kernot by Gary McRae. Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Text Publishing has acquired world rights to Night Swimming, a psychological thriller in verse by Sharon Kernot, in a deal brokered by Martin Shaw at Shaw Literary. According to the publisher,...

Need senior sales & marketing support?

Wednesday, 18 February 2026
RM Marketing Services works with publishers, distributors and industry organisations in Australia and internationally seeking experienced, commercially focused marketing expertise without increasing headcount. Director Rachael McDiarmid brings 36 years in...

Change for Gallup

Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Publisher: Gallup Old distributor: NewSouth Books New distributor: Simon & Schuster ANZ Changeover date: 2 March 2026

Change for Major Street Publishing

Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Publisher: Major Street Publishing Old distributor: Hachette Australia New distributor: Simon & Schuster ANZ Changeover date: 1 July 2026 Returns cut-off: 30 September 2026

Change for Tra Publishing

Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Publisher: Tra Publishing New distributor: Simon & Schuster ANZ Changeover date: 30 March 2026

Change for The Kind Press

Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Publisher: The Kind Press New distributor: Simon & Schuster ANZ Changeover date: 30 March 2026

Change for Lantana Publishing

Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Publisher: Lantana Publishing New distributor: Simon & Schuster ANZ Changeover date: 1 April 2026

Vale Dozer … Star of the RecipeTin Eats cookbooks

Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Dozer, Nagi Maehashi’s beloved dog, died earlier this month. Dozer was the cover boy of Australia’s all-time bestselling cookbooks: RecipeTin Eats: Dinner and RecipeTin Eats: Tonight. He was the star...

Book your advertising for Think Australian 2026

Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Bookings are open for Think Australian. Promote your titles to over 55K international readers via our subscriber list and distribution partnerships with Publishers Weekly in the US and Book Brunch...

Unlock Books+Publishing

Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Unlock Books+Publishing, Australia’s number-one source of news about the book industry, keeping subscribers up to date with the latest book industry news, events, features, interviews, opinion, personnel changes, job advertisements...

Mantle (Romy Ash, Ultimo)

Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Deeply moving and utterly original, Mantle is a powerful novel that shows us our fate is intertwined with the people around us, and the fate of our world.

Vale Lionel Fogarty

A photo of Lionel Fogarty taken by Leif Ekstrom. Fogarty stands before a microphone. Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Poet and artist Lionel Fogarty has died, aged 68. Publisher Giramondo writes:  Giramondo mourns the passing of Lionel Fogarty: poet, artist, warrior. Lionel Fogarty was born on Wakka Wakka land, at...

BookPeople pivots back to ABA

Tuesday, 17 February 2026
BookPeople will revert to its previous branding as the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) for its industry-facing work. CEO Susannah Bowen said, “We are pivoting back to the name Australian Booksellers...

CBCA announces 2026 book week theme

Cover of the CBCA 2026 yearly planner. With art by Briony Stewart. Tuesday, 17 February 2026
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced the theme of “Symphony of Stories” for this year’s Children’s Book Week, running 22 to 28 August. Author and illustrator Briony...

Arasu wins inaugural travel fund

A photo of Prema Arasu. Monday, 16 February 2026
Poet Prema Arasu has been announced as the inaugural winner of the Forrest Research Foundation and Fremantle Press travel fund for Western Australian writers to promote their work outside of...

“Tori Woods” found guilty

Monday, 16 February 2026
Author Lauren Ashley Mastrosa, who writes under the pen name Tori Woods, has been found guilty of possessing, disseminating and producing child abuse material, reported the Guardian.  Mastrosa was charged over...

Hardie Grant appoints new board members

A photo of 3 Hardie Grant board members. Monday, 16 February 2026
Hardie Grant has appointed Janey Martino and Shirley Chowdhary to its board.  The publisher’s announcement noted that Martino has founded and scaled multiple companies across media, martech, and fintech in...

Hardie Grant acquires Niland’s “Saint Peter”

A photo of Josh Niland. Monday, 16 February 2026
Hardie Grant Books has acquired world rights to Josh Niland’s Saint Peter: Chapter & Verse. According to the publisher, Saint Peter is “a definitive statement from one of Australia’s most original culinary...

Book Club – this month’s reads

Friday, 13 February 2026
Looking for your next great group read? Our monthly Book Club rounds up new release titles that are perfect for sparking conversation and perhaps even some debate. From compelling fiction to...

Readings Best of the Best 2025

Thursday, 12 February 2026
Readings has shared its Best of the Best 2025, a list of books picked by staff and voted on by the public. The chosen titles are: Australian fiction Tenderfoot (Toni...

QUT to become new custodian of “Meanjin”

QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil Thursday, 12 February 2026
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) will become the new custodian of literary journal Meanjin, bringing the publication back to Brisbane 80 years after it relocated to Melbourne. In September last year,...

Vale Robert Ungar

Rob Ungar Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Publisher and bookseller Robert (Rob) Ungar has died, aged 80. Hinkler CEO Stephen Ungar, on behalf of the extended family, writes: It is with great sadness that the family announces...

Local publishers on Bologna Prize shortlist

Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Local publishers have been shortlisted for the 2026 Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year. Publishers shortlisted in the Oceania category are: Affirm Press (Australia) Hardie Grant Children's...

Hachette Australia announces “Belonging and Storytelling” event

Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Hachette Australia, Australian Publishers Association (APA), Media Diversity Australia (MDA) and Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS) have partnered to present “Belonging and Storytelling: Diversity in Publishing”. A dedicated space for First...

Oratia Books moves to Upstart Distribution and Archetype

Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Publisher: Oratia Books for Aotearoa New Zealand New distributor: Upstart Press Old representation: Bookreps NZ (formerly PDL) New representation: Archetype Book Agents Cut-off date: 31 March 2026 Changeover date: 1...