Writing Australia announces new funding programs, partnerships
Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Writing Australia has announced 3 new investment programs, 4 new partnerships and 2 new publishing industry strategic grants. Opening soon, the new investment opportunities fall into 3 categories: The Australian...
Authors recognised in Australian of the Year awards
Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Ultramarathon runner Nedd Brockmann and tour guide Sita Sargeant, both published authors, have been named in this year’s Australian of the Year awards. Brockmann is the recipient of the Young...
RMIT surveys book industry professionals
Tuesday, 27 January 2026
RMIT academics in the Master of Writing and Publishing program are researching the impact of postgraduate writing and publishing programs on the contemporary book industry and industry futures. As part...
Publishers, writers among Australia Day Honours
Tuesday, 27 January 2026
A number of authors, publishers and literary workers have been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours. Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division...
Hazel Rowley Fellowship shortlist announced
Thursday, 22 January 2026
Nine Australian writers have been shortlisted for this year’s $20,000 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship. Della Rowley, sister of the late biographer Hazel Rowley, said, “We had a record number of...
Local authors feature in UK and US shortlists
Thursday, 22 January 2026
Clark recognised on Duff Cooper shortlist In the UK, Oxford-based Australian historian Christopher Clark is among the finalists in the 2025 Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize. The prize recognises the...
Writing Australia announces 2026 VIPs
Thursday, 22 January 2026
Writing Australia has announced the 12 international publishing professionals participating in the 2026 Visiting International Publishers (VIPs) program. They will attend business meetings, networking events, industry forums, festival events and panel...
Survey of creative industries’ working conditions launched
Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Creative Workplaces has launched the Creative Workplaces Survey, a national research project to build the first comprehensive picture of working conditions across Australia’s creative industries. Created by the Australian Government...
A&U acquires book based on “The Inventors” series
Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Allen & Unwin has acquired world rights to a book based on the television documentary series The First Inventors, which was written and directed by Larissa Behrendt. The First Inventors...
Jones retires from Abbey’s
Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Bookseller Lindy Jones retired from her role at Abbey’s Bookshop on Friday, announced the Sydney-based bookstore. Abbey’s noted on Instagram that Jones’s retirement comes “after two and a half decades...
Claims of hypocrisy levelled over AWW as Abdel-Fattah invitation reissued
Monday, 19 January 2026
The new Adelaide Festival Board has invited Randa Abdel-Fattah to speak at the 2027 Adelaide Writers’ Week (AWW) and apologised “unreservedly for the harm the Adelaide Festival Corporation has caused...
Writing Australia announces North America Publishers’ Program delegates
Monday, 19 January 2026
Writing Australia, the literary arm of Creative Australia, has announced the participants of the North America Publishers’ Program. The delegates and their publishing houses are: Chren Byng, Hardie Grant Emma Dorph,...
Mildura Writers Festival director, board changes
Monday, 19 January 2026
The Mildura Writers Festival has announced the appointment of Finley Japp as the new festival director, replacing co-founder Donata Carazza who has been director for the past 5 years. Born...
Wiley acquires Judd’s debut
Monday, 19 January 2026
Wiley has acquired world rights to Caitlin Judd’s nonfiction title Good Girl, Goodbye: Rewrite Your Story, Reclaim Your Power, Build a Life You Love. According to the publisher, Good Girl,...
Creative Australia announces latest funding round
Monday, 19 January 2026
Literature organisations and individuals have received $10.6 million for 212 projects across dance, music, theatre, literature, First Nations, experimental and community arts in Creative Australia’s latest funding round. The literature...
Petition seeks to restore Writers Victoria funding
Thursday, 15 January 2026
Writers Victoria has launched a petition to restore its funding after it was refused multi-year support in the latest Creative Victoria funding round. The Creative Enterprises Program had funded Writers...
APA releases ABIA guide
Thursday, 15 January 2026
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has released a guide for publishers entering the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA). Drawing on judging comments from last year’s awards, Judges Insights: A...
Besliev and Blake promoted at Simon & Schuster
Thursday, 15 January 2026
Simon & Schuster (S&S) Australia and New Zealand has promoted Tash Besliev and Cate Blake into newly created positions. Besliev has been appointed executive publisher, children’s publishing, having previously served...
Adelaide Writers’ Week cancelled
Wednesday, 14 January 2026
The outgoing Adelaide Festival board announced yesterday that Adelaide Writers’ Week (AWW) will not be held this year. The decision follows the withdrawal of more than 100 writers from the...
HarperCollins acquires Mason’s next novel
Wednesday, 14 January 2026
HarperCollins has acquired ANZ rights to Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason, via a deal brokered by Felicity Blunt at Curtis Brown. Sophie, Standing There is a novel about “love, loneliness...
Silvey charged over child exploitation material
Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Author Craig Silvey has appeared in court on charges of possessing and distributing child exploitation material, reported the ABC yesterday. Silvey was charged by police after a search of his...
Indie Book Awards 2026 shortlists announced
Wednesday, 14 January 2026
The shortlists for the 2026 Indie Book Awards have been announced. Chosen from the longlist announced in December, the shortlisted titles in each category are: Fiction Mad Mabel (Sally Hepworth, Macmillan)...
Canelo acquires Puckboys MM romance series
Wednesday, 14 January 2026
UK publisher Canelo has acquired world English print rights to the Puckboys series by Eden Finley and Saxon James, in a 10-book deal between Canelo editorial director Emily Bedford and...
Newcastle Short Story Award 2025 winners announced
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
The Hunter Writers’ Centre has announced the winners for this year’s Newcastle Short Story Award. First prize ($3000) “Solastalgia” by Liz Allan Second prize ($1500) “Migration” by Cassie Hamer Third...
Sharwood’s ‘Kosciuszko’ recognised in Polish awards
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Anthony Sharwood’s Kosciuszko: The Incredible Life of the Man Behind the Mountain (Hachette) has received 3rd prize in a competition launched by Poland’s foreign affairs minister to recognise history books...
A&U acquires Jackman’s “Detention”
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Detention, a new nonfiction title by author and teacher Ralph Jackman. According to the publisher, Detention is Jackman’s “powerful and moving memoir...
Australian book market up 3.2% in 2025
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
The book market in Australia in 2025 was up by 3.2% in value and 1.4% in volume, according to figures from NielsenIQ BookData. Nielsen’s snapshot of the year from 29...
Sussex story awards shortlists released
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
The shortlisted writers in the 2 divisions of the 2025 Roly Sussex Short Story Competition, run by the Queensland Branch of the English-Speaking Union (ESU, have been announced. The $10,500...
Contestable Fund recipients announced
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
In New Zealand Aotearoa, the Publishers Association of New Zealand/Te Rau o Tākupu (PANZ) has announced the recipients of the Copyright Licensing New Zealand Contestable Fund Grants. Of the 59...
HarperCollins acquires Palaszczuk memoir
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to the former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s memoir, Annastacia Palaszczuk: The Politics of Being Me. “In Annastacia Palaszczuk: The Politics of Being Me, Annastacia shares her...
