HarperCollins acquires Nunn novel
Thursday, 6 March 2025
HarperCollins Publishers Australia has acquired world rights to Pilbara by Judy Nunn, in a deal brokered by publishing director Brigitta Doyle and fiction and nonfiction publisher Roberta Ivers, with Karen...
Australian Book Design Awards 2025 longlists announced
Thursday, 6 March 2025
The longlists for the 2025 Australian Book Design Awards, presented by the Australian Book Designers Association (ABDA), have been announced. The longlisted titles in the first three categories, and the emerging...
Staff wins 2025 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
Feminist historian Michelle Staff has been announced as winner of the 2025 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship, worth $20,000, at a ceremony at Adelaide Writers’ Week. Staff was awarded the fellowship...
HQ acquires Rushby adult fiction in two-book deal
Tuesday, 4 March 2025
HQ, a division of HarperCollins Publishers Australia, has acquired ANZ rights to Allison Rushby’s Slashed Beauties, in a ‘significant’ two-book deal, via Verve Books UK. North American rights were sold...
Di Bello joins A&U
Tuesday, 4 March 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has appointed Cassandra Di Bello to the role of publisher. Previously with Penguin Random House (PRH) UK, where she ran the women’s fiction and saga list...
A&U acquires Toohey nonfiction
Tuesday, 4 March 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Better Things Are Possible: How Rebellious Hope Will Change the World by Jack Toohey. ‘From the housing crisis to the climate...
Robertson named recipient of 2025 PRHNZ Māori and Pacific Publishing Scholarship
Monday, 3 March 2025
Penguin Random House New Zealand (PRHNZ) has announced Liam Roberts (Kāi Tahu) as the recipient of its 2025 Māori and Pacific Publishing Scholarship. The scholarship offers funding for one Māori...
Australian Jewish Writer Awards expanded for 2025
Monday, 3 March 2025
The Shalom Collective has expanded its Australian Jewish Writer Awards (formerly Australian Jewish Book Awards). Four prizes – including the two new awards – will be presented in August for...
Pantera acquires Rusciano memoir
Monday, 3 March 2025
Pantera Press has acquired world rights to the memoir Blood, Sweat and Glitter by Em Rusciano, in a two-book deal via TGI Sport. Rusciano is a writer, singer, comedian and podcaster....
Woods wins 2025 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize
Monday, 3 March 2025
Georgina Woods has been announced the winner of the 2025 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize, for her poem ‘Augury: Sea surface temperature charts'. Two other poets were named runners-up: Julie Janson...
Manly, Sorrento 2025 festival programs announced
Monday, 3 March 2025
Two beachside writers festivals, running in March and April 2025, have announced their guests and programs. Manly Writers’ Festival In its second year, the Manly Writers’ Festival runs 28–30 March...
Canberra Writers Festival appoints Putnis as artistic director
Thursday, 27 February 2025
Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) has announced the appointment of Andra Putnis to the role of artistic director, replacing Beejay Silcox, who announced earlier this month that she would step down at...
Abbott wins 2025 IPEd Student Prize
Thursday, 27 February 2025
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has announced Portia Abbott, a student in the Master of Writing and Publishing program at RMIT University, is the winner of the 2025 IPEd...
A&U NZ changes name, appoints publisher
Thursday, 27 February 2025
Allen & Unwin New Zealand has changed its name to Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand and announced the appointment of a new publisher. Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand...
S&S acquires Sakakibara memoir
Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Simon & Schuster (S&S) Australia has acquired world rights to Olympic gold medallist and BMX champion Saya Sakakibara’s memoir, in a deal brokered by Ryan Chipperfield at Blue Chip Management....
Shand resigns as SWF chair
Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Sydney Writers' Festival (SWF) board chair Kathy Shand has tendered her resignation after 12 years on the SWF board, reports the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). In a resignation statement reported...
NZ Booklovers Awards 2025 shortlists announced
Monday, 24 February 2025
The NZ Booklovers Awards 2025 shortlists have been announced by the organisation. Shortlisted titles include: Best Adult Fiction Book Award Better Left Dead (Catherine Lea, Bateman Books) The Call (Gavin Strawhan,...
Affirm acquires new Brissenden crime novel
Monday, 24 February 2025
Affirm Press has acquired ANZ rights to Michael Brissenden’s upcoming outback noir crime thriller, Dust, via literary agent Daniel Pilkington. Set in the remote Australian town of Lake Herrod, Dust...
Readings to open Chadstone shop
Monday, 24 February 2025
Melbourne independent bookselling chain Readings has announced the business will open a new shop at Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre in late March. The store will be managed by Belle Katavatis,...
Stewart wins 2025 MUD Literary Prize
Monday, 24 February 2025
Cameron Stewart's Why Do Horses Run? (Allen & Unwin) has been announced as the 2025 winner of the $10,000 MUD Literary Prize. The prize, now in its eighth year, is...
Major wins 2025 Louie Award
Thursday, 20 February 2025
The Australian Crime Writers Association (ACWA) has named KT Major as the winner of the 2025 Louie Award, worth $500, for her story 'Bitter'. The judges also highly commended two...
Kill Your Darlings announces new flash fiction prize
Thursday, 20 February 2025
Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced an inaugural flash fiction prize. Open to KYD members for submissions of previously unpublished flash fiction stories, the prize 'challenges writers to be faster,...
A&U acquires Kirk debut fiction
Thursday, 20 February 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to Eleanor Kirk’s debut novel, Very Impressive for Your Age, in a deal brokered by Grace Heifetz at a4 Literary. ‘Twenty-six-year-old Evelyn is...
Text acquires new Winkler fiction
Thursday, 20 February 2025
Text has acquired world rights for Griefdogg by Michael Winkler. The novel introduces Jeffrey Watson-Johnson, a hydrologist living with his wife, Martine, and child, Reggie, in Mildura. After inheriting a...
Program announcements: Newcastle Writers Festival; Whitsundays Writers Festival
Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Newcastle Writers Festival (NWF) has announced its full festival program, which will run 4–6 April. Established in 2013, NWF also oversees the Fresh Ink Emerging Writers Prize for regional NSW...
Atlantic acquires Stephens debut
Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Atlantic Books Australia, a division of Allen & Unwin (A&U), has acquired ANZ rights to Clare Stephens’s debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done, in a deal brokered by...
Creative Australia announces 2025 VIPs
Monday, 17 February 2025
Creative Australia has announced the 12 international publishers, editors and agents participating in the 2025 Visiting International Publishers (VIPs) program. This year’s participants represent ‘a range of territories; genre specialties;...
Ocean Reeve Publishing declares bankruptcy
Monday, 17 February 2025
Ocean Reeve Publishing, a hybrid publisher based in Queensland and in Aotearoa New Zealand, has declared bankruptcy. In a statement, the Reeve family said, ‘websites, emails, [and] social media related...
Keeperton to publish five TL Swan books
Monday, 17 February 2025
Arndell, an imprint of Keeperton, has announced it will publish worldwide print editions of The Miles High Club series by author and Keeperton founder TL Swan. The series consists of...
Tasmanian Literary Awards 2025 shortlists announced
Monday, 17 February 2025
The shortlists for the 2025 Tasmanian Literary Awards have been announced. Shortlisted titles in each category are: Premier’s Prize for Fiction ($25,000) The Angry Women’s Choir (Meg Bignell, Penguin) Heartsease...
