Boochani’s ‘No Friend But the Mountains’ to be adapted for film
25 February 2020
Behrouz Boochani’s book No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison (trans by Omid Tofighian, Picador) will be adapted as a feature film. The feature will be primarily shot...
UQP to present gender equality award in honour of Quentin Bryce
25 February 2020
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has established a new award, named in honour of former Governor General Quentin Bryce, that celebrates women’s lives or promotes gender equality. Established in...
The Next Chapter mentors announced
25 February 2020
The recipients of the 2019 Next Chapter grants for developing writers, each worth $15,000, have been matched with their mentors, who will work with them over 12 months to help...
Wyld wins UWAP Dorothy Hewett Award for an unpublished manuscript
24 February 2020
South Australian author Karen Wyld has won the 2020 UWA Publishing (UWAP) Dorothy Hewett Award for an unpublished manuscript for her manuscript ‘Where the Fruit Falls’. Wyld was chosen from...
City of Melbourne relaunches Lord Mayor’s Creative Writing Awards
24 February 2020
Melbourne's Lord Mayor's Creative Writing Awards, last held in 2017, will be relaunched this year, reports CBD News. Prizes will be awarded in six categories: short story, poetry, narrative nonfiction,...
Brown wins 2020 MUD Literary Prize for debut fiction
24 February 2020
Sienna Brown’s Master of My Fate (Vintage) has won the 2020 MUD Literary Prize, awarded to a debut novel. Brown receives a cash prize of $3000, and will be presented...
Australian Book Design Awards 2020 longlists announced
21 February 2020
The longlists for the 2020 Australian Book Design Awards have been announced. Longlisted titles in some of the categories are: Best Designed Commercial Fiction Cover Bruny (Heather Rose, A&U), designed...
MWF to cut artist numbers for 2020 schools program
21 February 2020
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) plans to reduce the number of artists appearing in its 2020 schools program, reports the Age. While more than 60 artists participated in the 2019 schools...
Foxlee, Cai, Tan longlisted for 2020 Carnegie, Greenaway medals
21 February 2020
Australian children’s author Karen Foxlee and illustrators Shaun Tan and Rovina Cai have been longlisted for the UK’s 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals respectively. Foxlee was longlisted for the...
‘The Trespassers’ makes UN reading list on sustainability goals
20 February 2020
Meg Mundell’s novel The Trespassers (UQP) has been included on a recommended reading list inspired by the United Nations’ sustainable development goals—a set of global benchmarks that are designed to...
Patch leaves PRH
20 February 2020
Bethany Patch has left her role as senior editor of Dorling Kindersley (DK) at Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia. Patch joined the PRH adult publishing team in mid-2016 before moving...
National Library makes cuts to ‘unprofitable’ publishing imprint
20 February 2020
The National Library of Australia is cutting the number of books it publishes each year through its NLA Publishing imprint, reports the Canberra Times. The total number of books published...
Scribe acquires Woollett’s ‘The Newcomer’
19 February 2020
Scribe has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s third book, The Newcomer, via Grace Heifetz at Left Bank Literary. Inspired by a real-life murder on Norfolk Island,...
Readings Children’s Book Prize 2020 shortlist announced
18 February 2020
The shortlist for the Readings Children's Book Prize for 2020 has been announced. The shortlisted titles are: Pie in the Sky (Remy Lai, Walker Books) The Dog Runner (Bren MacDibble,...
‘The Absolute Book’ sold to US following rave review, sales spike
18 February 2020
Victoria University Press has sold North American rights to New Zealand author Elizabeth Knox’s fantasy novel The Absolute Book following a rave review. Dan Kois’ review of The Absolute Book,...
Aussie picture books to feature in Bologna nonfiction exhibition
18 February 2020
Several Australian titles have been selected for a major exhibition on nonfiction picture books, to be held during this year's Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The exhibition, called ‘Beauty and the...
Pantera acquires narrative nonfiction ‘The Psychic Test’
17 February 2020
Pantera Press has acquired ANZ rights to journalist Gary Nunn’s debut The Psychic Test: An investigation into the supernatural industry, via Benython Oldfield at Zeitgeist Agency. A work of narrative...
Magabala, OzCo to hold First Nations Writers’ Residency in Broome
17 February 2020
Magabala Books and the Australia Council have announced a new residency for mid-career Indigenous writers, to be held in Broome from 4–13 May 2020. The First Nations Writers' Residency is...
Boundless festival wins Sydney Music, Art & Culture award
17 February 2020
The 2019 Boundless festival of Indigenous and culturally diverse writers has been awarded best arts program in FBi Radio's 2019 Sydney Music, Art & Culture (SMAC) Awards. Boundless festival is...
Hardie Grant to enter EBA negotiations with staff
14 February 2020
Staff at Hardie Grant Publishing will enter negotiations for an enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) with their employer. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) says staff have a ‘clear’ majority...
More than half of authors paid below standard rates for appearances, according to ASA rates tracker
14 February 2020
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has published some of the findings from its publishing and author/illustrator appearance rates trackers, which were launched in August last year. Results from the...
2015 novella ‘Panthers and the Museum of Fire’ sold to US
14 February 2020
Martin Shaw, agent at Alex Adsett Publishing Services, has sold US and Canadian rights to Sydney author Jen Craig’s novella Panthers and the Museum of Fire (Spineless Wonders) to LA-based...
Cox to leave Dymocks after eight years as MD
13 February 2020
Steve Cox will step down from his role has Dymocks retail division managing director to take up the position of chief executive at Destination NSW, the government agency responsible for...
Tapsell, Dalton, Boochani announced for NT Writers Festival 2020
13 February 2020
The NT Writers Festival (NTWF) has announced the first authors for its 2020 festival, to be held from 14–17 May. Running under the theme ‘Gunamidirra garawa birditj/When the Tides Turn’,...
SLNSW 2020 fellowships announced
13 February 2020
The State Library of NSW (SLNSW) has announced the eight recipients of its 2020 research fellowships, including the inaugural Dr A M Hertzberg Fellowship, which examines ‘the impact of globalisation...
Copyright Agency makes $150k investment in arts criticism and reviews
12 February 2020
The Copyright Agency, in partnership with the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, has announced funding of $150,000 to support the publication of more arts reviews and criticism in...
Cadwallader wins 2019 ACT Book of the Year Award
12 February 2020
Robyn Cadwallader has won the 2019 ACT Book of the Year Award for her novel Book of Colours (HarperCollins). Cadwallader receives a cash prize of $10,000. Two books were highly...
Varuna announces new fellowships for writing on drought, bushfire crises
12 February 2020
Varuna has announced six new fellowships for regional NSW and outer-Western Sydney writers to develop new work in response to the drought and bushfire crises. Each fellowship includes a one-week...
Dubosarsky announced as Australian Children’s Laureate for 2020–21
11 February 2020
Children’s author Ursula Dubosarsky has been chosen as the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2020–21. Dubosarsky is the author of over 60 books for children and young adults, and her work...
Scribe acquires world English rights to German bestseller to publish in ANZ, UK and US
11 February 2020
Scribe has acquired world English-language rights to million-copy bestseller The Diet Compass: the 12-step guide to science-based nutrition for a healthier and longer life by German science journalist Bas Kast....
