Over 700 sign open letter urging arts ministers to reject MPA funding framework
11 October 2019
More than 700 artists and arts workers have signed an open letter addressed to state arts ministers as they meet today in Adelaide to discuss revisions to the Major Performing...
Ardern launches te reo Māori translation trust
11 October 2019
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has launched the Kotahi Rau Pukapuka Trust, which will translate 100 popular fiction books into te reo Māori over the next 10 years. Working...
Deakin University Nonfiction Prize shortlist announced
11 October 2019
Deakin University and Express Media have announced the shortlist for the 2019 Deakin University Nonfiction Prize. The shortlisted writers and their works are: Kat Capel, for ‘work & love’ Olivia...
Collins Sunbury named National Franchise of the Year
10 October 2019
Collins Booksellers Sunbury has been named National Franchisee of the Year at the Collins National Franchisee Conference in Melbourne. Collins Booksellers Thirroul won the marketing award and Collins Booksellers Orange...
Picador acquires Spargo-Ryan memoir in ‘heated’ auction
10 October 2019
Picador has acquired ANZ rights to an as yet untitled work of nonfiction by Anna Spargo-Ryan. Picador publisher Mathilda Imlah won a 'heated' auction to acquire the rights via Tara...
OzCo launches funding initiatives for promoting Australian books overseas
10 October 2019
The Australia Council has launched three new literature initiatives aimed at engaging with overseas readers and increasing international demand for Australian literature. The opportunities, aimed at authors, translators, publishers, literary...
The Co-op loses Australian Geographic brand
10 October 2019
Textbook retailer The Co-op has lost the rights to use the Australian Geographic brand, reports the Sydney Morning Herald, with a total of 64 former Australian Geographic stores set to...
Digital Writers’ Festival 2019 program announced
9 October 2019
The program for this year’s Digital Writers’ Festival (DWF), which runs from 29 October to 2 November, has been announced. More than 90 guests will participate in the online program,...
Three Sara Foster novels sold to US in six-figure deal
9 October 2019
Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown Australia has sold North American rights to three novels by Perth-based author Sara Foster to Blackstone Publishing in a six-figure deal. Blackstone Publishing acquired rights...
Voss Literary Prize 2019 longlist announced
9 October 2019
The longlist for the 2019 Voss Literary Prize has been announced. The longlisted titles are: Flames (Robbie Arnott, Text) Book of Colours (Robyn Cadwallader, Fourth Estate) The Making of Martin...
CHASS Australia Book Prize 2019 shortlist announced
9 October 2019
The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) has announced the shortlist for the 2019 Australia Book Prize. The prize, worth $3500, is part of the CHASS Australia...
NZ Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement 2019 announced
9 October 2019
Creative New Zealand has announced the winners of the 2019 Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement, worth NZ$60,000 (A$56,160) each. Novelist, essayist and biographist Elizabeth Knox will be honoured in...
Melbourne writers, literary orgs receive council arts grants
8 October 2019
Several writers and literary organisations have received a share of more than $800,000 in funding from the City of Melbourne as part of its annual arts grants program. Recipients and...
Brow Books acquires Dao’s debut novel
8 October 2019
Brow Books has acquired world rights to André Dao’s debut novel, which has the working title Anamnesis, or A Book No Longer Discussed Today. Set in Ho Chi Minh City,...
SPN conference 2019 industry research day program announced
8 October 2019
The Small Press Network (SPN) has announced the program for its industry research day as part of the 2019 Independent Publishing Conference, which will run at the Wheeler Centre in...
APA announces new industry conference BookUp
8 October 2019
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has announced a new conference for the Australian book industry called BookUp. Aimed at ‘all book publishing people’, the one-day event will explore the future...
Richell Prize 2019 shortlist announced
7 October 2019
Hachette Australia has announced the shortlist for the 2019 Richell Prize for emerging writers. The shortlisted writers and their works are: 'The Earth Starts Talking' (Ayla Black) 'The Blind Pussy...
Masson joins MidnightSun with spec-fic YA novel
7 October 2019
MidnightSun Publishing has acquired world rights to Sophie Masson’s YA speculative fiction novel The Ghost Squad. Set in ‘an alternative yet jarringly familiar reality’, The Ghost Squad follows 16-year-old Polly...
Booktopia to launch publishing program
4 October 2019
Booktopia has announced it will commence its own publishing program through a new imprint called Booktopia Editions. The company says it will initially focus on ‘trade paperback editions of commercial...
Cobby Eckermann to headline 2019 Odyssey Literary Festival
4 October 2019
Students from RMIT University’s Professional Writing and Editing program will host the fourth annual Odyssey Literary Festival at Melbourne’s Capitol Theatre on 15 October. The event is headlined by poet...
‘Zobi and the Zoox: A story of coral bleaching’ awarded Whitley Medal 2019
4 October 2019
Royal Zoological Society of NSW has announced the winner of the 2019 Whitley Awards, presented for outstanding publications that profile the unique wildlife of the Australasian region. The Whitley Medal,...
SPN announces conference keynotes
3 October 2019
The Small Press Network has announced three keynote speakers for its 2019 Independent Publishing Conference, to be held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne from 21–23 November. Claire Squires, director...
No David Unaipon Award to be presented this year
2 October 2019
Judges for this year’s Queensland Literary Awards won’t choose a shortlist or winner for this year’s David Unaipon Award, presented to an outstanding manuscript by an unpublished Aboriginal or Torres...
HarperCollins acquires former NSW homicide detective Jubelin’s memoir
2 October 2019
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to former NSW homicide detective Gary Jubelin’s as yet untitled memoir. HarperCollins head of Australian nonfiction Helen Littleton acquired rights via Fordham Company CEO Nick...
Innes appointed PRH NZ head of marketing and publicity
2 October 2019
Penguin Random House (PRH) has appointed Becky Innes to the new role of head of marketing and publicity—New Zealand. Innes is the marketing manager at A&U NZ and has more...
Hachette acquires ‘On’ series from MUP
2 October 2019
Hachette Australia has acquired world rights to Melbourne University Publishing's (MUP) 'On' series of essays. The deal was negotiated by MUP then-acting CEO Richard Tegoni. The list of over 30...
PRH sells ‘The Yield’ to US, France
2 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold Tara June Winch’s novel The Yield to publishers in the US and France. Pamela Malpas at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency sold world English-language...
New report shows decline in arts funding over past decade
1 October 2019
An extensive report by Australia’s new arts and culture industry lobby details the decline in the country’s per capita arts funding over the past decade. The Big Picture: Public expenditure...
Queensland Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced
1 October 2019
The shortlists for the 2019 Queensland Literary Awards (QLAs) have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of state significance ($25,000) The...
PRH sells ‘Jane in Love’ to US
1 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold North American rights to Rachel Givney’s forthcoming novel Jane in Love (Michael Joseph) to HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, via Daniel Lazar at Writers...
