BA says UK government’s digital services tax ‘a step in the right direction’
16 July 2019
The Booksellers Association (BA) has welcomed the UK government’s decision to introduce a digital services tax on big tech companies from next April, but says it does not resolve the...
Crime writers condemn Staunch Prize after organisers suggest thrillers could ‘bias jurors’
15 July 2019
In the UK, crime writers have condemned the organisers of the Staunch Prize—awarded to thrillers without violence against women—for claiming the genre could bias jurors, reports the Guardian. The Staunch...
Winners of inaugural Comedy Women in Print Prize announced
12 July 2019
In the UK, the winners of the inaugural Comedy Women in Print Prize (CWIP) have been announced. In the published author category, Laura Steven was awarded for her YA novel...
Cypriot writer Soteriou wins 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Prize
10 July 2019
Cypriot writer Constantia Soteriou has been named the overall winner of the 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for her story 'Death Customs'. It is the first time in the history...
US bookshops raise $48k for #BookstoresAgainstBorders campaign
9 July 2019
In the US, around 150 independent bookshops, small presses and other literary organisations have raised more than US$48,000 (A$68,860) for the #BookstoresAgainstBorders fundraising campaign, reports Publishers Weekly. Initiated by Wisconsin...
Frankfurt Book Fair to allow book sales during public access days
9 July 2019
For the first time, exhibitors will be allowed to sell books during the closing weekend of the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair, reports Book Brunch. The last two days of the...
UK Society of Authors launches £5000 prize for illustrated children’s books
5 July 2019
In the UK, the Society of Authors (SoA) has launched the Queen's Knickers Award, a new £5000 (A$8950) prize for children’s illustrated books aimed at readers aged 0–7. Aimed at...
Locus Awards winners announced
2 July 2019
In the US, the winners of the 2019 Locus Awards for science fiction and fantasy writing have been announced. Winners include: The Calculating Stars (Mary Robinette Kowal, Tor) in the...
UK publishing employment up 3.9% in 2018
1 July 2019
In the UK, publishing industry employment was up 3.9% in 2018, growing from 192,000 jobs in 2017 to 199,000 in 2018, reports the Bookseller. The figures from the Department for...
UK survey finds that older women feel misrepresented in fiction
28 June 2019
In the UK, a survey of more than 1000 women over 40 has found that 51% of respondents feel that older women tend to fall into stereotyped roles in fiction,...
Amazon responds to NYT feature alleging widespread sales of counterfeit books
27 June 2019
In the US, Amazon has responded to claims made in a New York Times (NYT) feature that the company takes a lax approach to policing counterfeit books, reports Publishers Weekly....
UK publishing revenue down two percent in 2018
26 June 2019
The UK Publishers Association (PA) has found the UK publishing industry’s revenues in 2018 fell two percent on the previous year, with a five percent drop in print book sales,...
Keefe, Burns win 2019 Orwell Prize
26 June 2019
In the UK, two authors writing about the conflict in Northern Ireland have been awarded £3000 each (A$5470) as part of the Orwell Prize, reports the Guardian. Patrick Radden Keefe,...
US book market contracts slightly for fifth year in a row
25 June 2019
The Association of American Publishers’ (AAP) annual StatShot report on the US book industry, published on 21 June, found the total US book market to have contracted slightly for the...
PEN America condemns death of Uighur author following detention in Chinese camp
21 June 2019
PEN America has condemned the death of prominent Uighur writer Nurmuhammad Tohti, who died after being held in one of Xinjiang’s internment camps, reports the Guardian. Tohti, aged 70, had...
Harjo becomes first Native American poet laureate
20 June 2019
Joy Harjo has been named the 23rd poet laureate of the United States, becoming the first Native American poet to hold the post, reports Publishers Weekly. Harjo is the author...
Adam wins 2019 Desmond Elliott Prize
20 June 2019
Claire Adam has won the 2019 Desmond Elliott Prize for first-time novelists for Golden Child (Faber). The winning novel, which follows the lives of a family living in rural Trinidad,...
Acevedo, Morris win 2019 Carnegie, Greenaway medals
19 June 2019
The UK Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has announced the winners of the 2019 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals. Dominican-American writer and slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo won...
Robertson wins Walter Scott Prize for ‘The Long Take’
18 June 2019
In the UK, Robin Robertson has won the 2019 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction for The Long Take (Picador). The first Scot to win the award, Robertson’s book also...
Analysis of bestselling UK picture books shows ‘concerning’ lack of diversity
14 June 2019
In the UK, an analysis of bestselling picture books has found for the second year running that the most popular illustrated children's books are dominated by male characters and feature...
Ebury restructures staff around audience hubs
13 June 2019
In the UK, Penguin nonfiction imprint Ebury is restructuring its staff around four audience hubs to bring publicity and marketing closer to editorial, reports the Bookseller. Each hub—Smart, Entertainment, Self...
Ruskovich wins 2019 International Dublin Literary Award for ‘Idaho’
13 June 2019
US writer Emily Ruskovich has won the €100,000 (A$162,930) Dublin International Literary award for her debut novel Idaho (Vintage). Idaho follows a family living in the isolated Northern Idaho mountains whose...
Barnes & Noble sold to Waterstones owner Elliott Advisors
11 June 2019
In the US, hedge fund Elliott Advisors has agreed to buy bookselling chain Barnes & Noble (B&N), reports Publishers Weekly. Under the agreement, Elliott will acquire B&N for US$6.50 per...
South African publisher awarded AAP International Freedom to Publish Award
7 June 2019
In South Africa, NB Publishers has been awarded the Association of American Publishers' (AAP) International Freedom to Publish Award for its book The President’s Keepers by investigative journalist Jacques Pauw....
Jones wins 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction for ‘An American Marriage’
6 June 2019
American author Tayari Jones has won the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction for her novel An American Marriage (Vintage). The book follows newlyweds Celestial and Roy as their lives are...
Octopus buys indie publisher Short Books
5 June 2019
Octopus Publishing Group, part of Hachette Livre, has acquired independent publisher Short Books for an undisclosed sum, reports the Bookseller. Best known for health and diet publishing, Short Books has...
Sissay wins 2019 PEN Pinter Prize
4 June 2019
In the UK, poet and playwright Lemn Sissay has been awarded the 2019 PEN Pinter Prize. Prize judge Maureen Freely said: ‘In his every work, Lemn Sissay returns to the underworld...
Turkish prosecutors put novelists under investigation
3 June 2019
Turkish prosecutors have launched investigations into the country’s fiction writers, including award-winning novelist Elif Shafak, reports the Guardian, with Shafak calling on the international community to support Turkish authors, journalists...
‘Normal People’ to be adapted for TV
31 May 2019
Sally Rooney's novel Normal People (Faber) is being adapted into a 12-part half-hour TV series, reports the Guardian. The series is being produced by Element Pictures (The Lobster, The Favourite, Room) in...
Shortlist announced for 2019 UK Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize
27 May 2019
In the UK, the shortlist for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize, recognising the best science books for children, has been announced. The shortlisted titles are: 100 Things to...
