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‘WBN’ published Thursday next week

Wednesday, 28 October 2020
Please note that due to the Melbourne Cup holiday in Victoria on Tuesday, 3 November, the next Weekly Book Newsletter will be published on Thursday, 5 November.

‘Hello Friend We Missed You’ wins 2020 Not the Booker

Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Welsh writer Richard Owain Roberts has won the Guardian’s 2020 Not the Booker Prize for his debut novel Hello Friend We Missed You (Parthian Books). Roberts’ novel won the public vote...

Arts South Australia announces latest grant recipients

Monday, 26 October 2020
Arts South Australia has announced the successful recipients in its latest round of Arts and Culture Grants. Among the 25 successful applicants of the August 2020 round are the following...

Danger Prize 2020 shortlist announced

Monday, 26 October 2020
The Bad: Sydney Crime Writers Festival has announced the shortlist for this year’s Danger Prize, awarded for the best book, film, podcast or TV drama about Sydney and crime. The...

Bird’s ‘The Air Year’ wins Forward Poetry Prize

Monday, 26 October 2020
In the UK, Caroline Bird’s poetry collection The Air Year (Carcanet) has won the £10,000 (A$18,320) Forward Prize for best poetry collection, reports the Bookseller. Judging panel chair Alexandra Harris described...

‘Mophead’ takes PANZ Book Design Awards hat-trick

Monday, 26 October 2020
The winners of the 2020 Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) Book Design Awards have been announced. Mophead by Selina Tusitala Marsh (Auckland University Press) took a hat-trick at the...

Robotham wins Gold Dagger

Monday, 26 October 2020
Michael Robotham has won the 2020 UK Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Gold Dagger for Good Girl Bad Girl (Hachette). Good Girl Bad Girl was one of six titles shortlisted for...

Papas wins 2020 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award

Monday, 26 October 2020
Perth writer Maria Papas has won the 2020 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award for an unpublished manuscript for 'I Belong to the Lake', a work of literary fiction about a family's...

McGuire wins 2020 Ray Koppe Residency

Thursday, 22 October 2020
Melbourne writer Tim McGuire has won the Australian Society of Authors (ASA)’s 2020 Ray Koppe Young Writers Residency for his manuscript ‘Game Farm’. McGuire's literary suspense novel is a creative...

‘Flames’ to be adapted for screen

Thursday, 22 October 2020
Flames, the debut novel by Robbie Arnott (Text), will be developed into a six-part television series with Tasmanian government funding of $20,000. The project, which will be produced by Jungle...

Two in three UK authors, illustrators report loss of income

Thursday, 22 October 2020
In the UK, a Society of Authors (SoA) survey of the financial impact of Covid-19 has found 65% of authors, illustrators and literary translators have reported a loss of income—up...

No ‘Daily’ on Friday

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Please note that due to Victoria's AFL Grand Final public holiday on Friday, 23 October, the next 'Daily' newsletter will be published on Monday, 26 October.

Ampersand Prize 2020 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Hardie Grant Children's Publishing (HGCP) has announced the shortlist for its 2020 Ampersand Prize for unpublished young adult and middle-grade fiction. The five shortlisted authors and their works are: Conan...

The arts as a social justice project

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
‘There’s no possible diverse, thriving, funded art sector without a materially just society that acts on issues like decommodifying housing and issuing a universal basic income. Diversity in the arts...

CBCA Book of the Year winners; Watkins appointed Ultimo publishing director

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
The winners of the CBCA Book of the Year awards were announced last week, while a new study found CBCA early childhood category shortlisted books to be overwhelmingly white. In...

Valder promoted to S&S

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Caroline Valder has been promoted to the newly created position of operations director at Simon & Schuster Australia in Sydney. Valder began the position on 1 October 2020.

Swainson promoted to S&S

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Michelle Swainson has been promoted to the newly created position of managing editor at Simon & Schuster Australia in Sydney. Swainson began the position on 1 October 2020.

Bariamis promoted to S&S

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Anthea Bariamis has been promoted to the newly created position of commissioning editor audiobooks at Simon & Schuster Australia in Sydney. Bariamis began the position on 1 October 2020.

Ring promoted to S&S

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Katherine Ring has been promoted to the newly created position of junior editor at Simon & Schuster Australia in Sydney. Ring began the position on 1 October 2020.

The Second Son by Loraine Peck (Text Publishing)

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
The Second Son, a thrilling debut from Loraine Peck, will be released in February 2021. Supported by a high-profile promotional campaign, it’s set to be one of the biggest crime...

ASA launches Covid-19 impact surveys

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) is surveying ASA members and non-members on the impact of Covid-19 on the creative community. To access the surveys, which are now open and...

Butler joins Black Inc.

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Sallie Butler has joined Black Inc. as a publicist. Butler is currently publicist at the Wheeler Centre, and will join Black Inc. on 2 November.

Clews joins ABDA

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Simon Clews has joined the Australian Book Designers Association (ABDA) as manager.

New ABDA committee

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
The new committee for the Australian Book Designers Association (ABDA) is Hannah Janzen (president), Nina Heryanto (vice president), Philip Campbell (treasurer), Pooja Desai (secretary), Nada Backovic, Akiko Chan, Trisha Garner,...