WBN feature | Books+Publishing

Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Wednesday, 10 December 2025
As 2026 approaches, publishers highlight forthcoming poetry collections to look out for. Among the year’s poetic offerings, readers can expect anything from literal “deep dives” to nuanced explorations of identity...

New Year 2026 preview: Fiction

Wednesday, 10 December 2025
As 2026 approaches, publishers highlight forthcoming adult fiction titles to look out for – from stories of selkies to vampire romances. Books+Publishing (B+P) shares titles publishers are excited about. B+P’s...

New year 2026 preview: CYA

Wednesday, 3 December 2025
As 2026 approaches, publishers highlight forthcoming children’s and young adult titles to look out for – from teen pregnancy within prejudiced towns to the study of clouds in beautiful picture books. Books+Publishing (B+P) shares titles...

New year 2026 preview: Nonfiction

Wednesday, 26 November 2025
As we head towards 2026, publishers are preparing to send a wide array of new nonfiction titles for our bookshelves. Among the titles publishers are keen to highlight, booksellers and...

CWF: Casual in the capital

Wednesday, 12 November 2025
The 9th Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) ran from 22 to 26 October – the first under the current programming team of CEO Travis Green, artistic director Andra Putnis and artistic...

Kay Kerr on “Might Cry Later”

Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Queensland-based author Kay Kerr made her debut with Please Don’t Hug Me (Text, 2020), followed by Social Queue (Text, 2021). Her latest release, Might Cry Later (Macmillan, November), marks her...

Unique paths, different viewpoints: 2025 Open Book intern Olivia De La Mare

Wednesday, 5 November 2025
First run as a pilot program offering 2 internships in 2022, the Open Book paid internship program is a joint sector initiative that aims to foster cultural and linguistic diversity...

BWF wrap up: Generous storytelling

Wednesday, 29 October 2025
This year, the Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) ran from 9 to 12 October in its new venue, the Brisbane Powerhouse. Over 100 live events were organised with more than 200...

Public interest defence used successfully for first time

Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Australian defamation laws have weighed on the minds of Australian editors and publishers for decades. So does the new public interest/responsible reporting defence, introduced in 2021, make their work easier?...

The industry is vast and multifaceted: 2025 Open Book intern Rebecca Zhong

Wednesday, 29 October 2025
First run as a pilot program offering 2 internships in 2022, the Open Book paid internship program is a joint sector initiative that aims to foster cultural and linguistic diversity...

ASA, APA, authors take on Senate over AI

Wednesday, 22 October 2025
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) was recently joined by the Australian Publishers Association (APA) and a formidable coalition of authors to speak to a Senate committee at Parliament House...

Travel writing after the pandemic: ‘Human stories are critical’

Wednesday, 8 October 2025
The art and work of writing and publishing often shift in response to changes in the world. Travel writing, as a place-based form of literature, has had to adapt through...

Julia Busuttil Nishimura on ‘Sundays Under the Lemon Tree’

Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Melbourne-based food writer and cookbook author Julia Busuttil Nishimura made her publishing debut with Ostro (Plum, 2017). Her first picture book, Sundays Under the Lemon Tree (Scribble, November), is ‘a...

Back into BookUp (again): The inaugural research day wrapped

Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Books+Publishing recently attended industry professional development conference BookUp, with three members of staff attending both days – the industry day and this year’s brand new addition, a full day dedicated...

‘Cultural pillage’: The Australian literary community responds to Meanjin’s closure

Wednesday, 10 September 2025
In light of the news late last week that Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) withdrew funding from Meanjin, industry figures and publications across the local scene shared their dismay at the...

Back into BookUp: The 2025 publishing conference industry day wrapped

Wednesday, 3 September 2025
Books+Publishing recently attended industry professional development conference BookUp, with three members of staff attending both days – the industry day and this year's brand new addition, a full day dedicated...

IPEd 2025: Editors as changemakers

Wednesday, 20 August 2025
Books+Publishing publishing director Kate Cuthbert was an invited guest to this year’s Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) conference, held 23–25 July 2025 in Adelaide. During the conference, she was one...

Tinsel time: 2025 biography and memoir

Wednesday, 13 August 2025
From sports stars to media mavens, performers to podcasters, Books+Publishing pulls together titles about lives less-ordinary from publishers' 2025 gifting season recommendations. Well-known women Among the highlights from publishers for...