DANZ Children’s Book Award 2025 longlists announced
Thursday, 13 February 2025
The 2025 longlists for the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) DANZ (Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) Children’s Book Award have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category...
Silcox to depart Canberra Writers Festival
Thursday, 13 February 2025
Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) has announced the departure of artistic director Beejay Silcox. Silcox joined CWF in 2023, following the departure of Jeanne Ryckmans in 2022, and oversaw the 2023...
‘Tracker’ longlisted for 2025 Women’s Prize for Nonfiction
Thursday, 13 February 2025
In the UK, Alexis Wright’s book Tracker (Giramondo) has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction. Published in the UK in January by Other Stories, the book is one...
HarperCollins acquires Parker historical novel
Thursday, 13 February 2025
HarperCollins Australia has acquired ANZ rights for Until the Red Leaves Fall by Alli Parker, via Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown. The novel, set in 1957 Melbourne, follows Emmy Darling,...
Bateman acquires Beatnik
Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Aotearoa New Zealand publisher David Bateman Ltd (Bateman Books) has acquired independent publisher Beatnik Publishing, effective from 1 February. In a statement, Bateman Books said Beatnik founder and publisher Sally...
Affirm acquires Johnson debut ‘King Tide’
Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Affirm has acquired ANZ rights to the debut crime novel King Tide by Luke Johnson, via literary agent Daniel Pilkington. Described by the publisher as a ‘beautiful, exhilarating and exquisitely...
Programs announced: Inaugural Footscray West Writers Fest, 2025 Sunshine Coast Hinterland Writers Festival
Monday, 10 February 2025
The inaugural Footscray West Writers Fest will run in the inner Melbourne suburb from 28 to 30 March this year. Supported by Maribyrnong City Council and presented by non-profit cultural...
Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize 2025 shortlist announced
Monday, 10 February 2025
The shortlist for the 2025 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize has been announced. The shortlisted poems, chosen from almost 500 entries, are: ‘Whistling Space’ by Chris Andrews ‘Finding Pan’ by Jonathan...
ASA announces new rates of pay for literary award judges
Thursday, 6 February 2025
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has launched rates of pay for literary award judges. This new information, specifically for judges of literary awards for published books, has 'been established...
S&S acquires Morgan’s fiction debut
Thursday, 6 February 2025
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to Rachael Morgan’s commercial women’s fiction debut, in a deal between S&S commercial fiction publisher Cassandra Di Bello and Anjanette Fennell...
Varuna announces 2025 Writer’s Space Fellowship recipients
Thursday, 6 February 2025
Varuna, the National Writers' House has announced the recipients of its 2025 Writer’s Space Fellowships. Six recipients were chosen from a total of 116 submissions, in the fellowship program's first...
Booktopia liquidators investigating potential claim against former directors
Thursday, 6 February 2025
In a statutory report to creditors, the liquidators of Booktopia Group – Matthew Caddy, Damien Pasfield and Keith Crawford of McGrathNicol – said the group's estimated assets were ‘substantially consistent...
UWAP announces Affirm as new sales partner
Thursday, 6 February 2025
UWA Publishing (UWAP) has announced a new partnership with Affirm Press for sales representation, after 18 years with NewSouth Books. UWAP publisher Kate Pickard said, ‘Affirm Press has earned a...
BookPeople reveals new consumer, member websites
Tuesday, 4 February 2025
BookPeople has updated the organisation’s web presence with a dedicated membership website and a new consumer-facing site. ‘Each site has been designed with a distinct audience in mind,’ BookPeople operations...
Little Book Press relaunches author, illustrator mentorships
Tuesday, 4 February 2025
Little Book Press (LBP), the publishing arm of Raising Literacy Australia, has announced the relaunch of its mentorship program, which aims ‘to provide unpublished South Australian creatives with the opportunity...
Clunes Booktown Festival 2025 program announced
Tuesday, 4 February 2025
Clunes Booktown Festival has announced its 2025 program. Festival director Suzi Cordell said this year’s program will explore the art of storytelling in all its diverse forms, with panels on...
MUD Literary Prize 2025 shortlist announced
Tuesday, 4 February 2025
The shortlist for the 2025 MUD Literary Prize, worth $10,000, has been announced. The shortlisted works, selected from 31 submissions, are: Translations (Jumaana Abdu, Vintage) The End and Everything Before...
Bundyi Publishing announces unpublished manuscript prize
Monday, 3 February 2025
Simon & Schuster imprint Bundyi Publishing has announced the Bundyi Writing Prize, which will be awarded to an outstanding unpublished manuscript of adult fiction by an emerging Aboriginal and/or Torres...
Regional, trans, genre literary festival programs announced
Monday, 3 February 2025
Some new and returning literary festivals and events have been announced. Trans Book Festival Taking place this weekend, on 8 February, at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne, the Trans Book...
Mascara announces new anthology on disability and neurodivergence
Monday, 3 February 2025
Mascara Literary Review has announced it will edit a forthcoming anthology of creative writing on disability and neurodivergence, to be published by NewSouth. The planned anthology will focus on the...
Vale Michael Webster
Friday, 31 January 2025
Publisher, editor and academic Michael Webster has died. Webster had a long and distinguished career in the Australian publishing industry, with roles as a publisher, academic, and board member. He...
Martin selected for Bologna illustrator exhibition
Thursday, 30 January 2025
Melbourne-based illustrator, artist and book maker Marc Martin has been selected for the 2025 Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF). Of 4374 total applications, 77 illustrators from...
Ockham 2025 longlists announced
Thursday, 30 January 2025
The longlists for the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category are: Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction (NZ$65,000) All That We...
IPEd announces student editor prize shortlist
Thursday, 30 January 2025
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 IPEd Student Prize. The shortlisted editors and their projects are: Portia Abbott (RMIT University), for her essay...
Literary organisations among Copyright Agency Cultural Fund recipients
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund has announced that 42 Australian literary and creative organisations will share in $754,769 in its most recent funding round. Among the literary recipients in this...
Text discontinues Michael Gifkins Prize
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Text Publishing has announced that the Michael Gifkins Prize for unpublished manuscripts in Aotearoa New Zealand has ceased. Established in 2017, the prize honoured the late literary agent, writer, critic...
Publisher, playwright, historians among Australia Day Honours
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Several authors, publishers and literary workers have been recognised in the annual Australia Day Honours. Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Margaret Elizabeth Burn, 'for significant service...
Literature represented in 2025 Asia Pacific Arts Awards shortlists
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Creative Australia has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Asia Pacific Arts Awards, presented in recognition of Australian creative workers engaging with the Asia Pacific region. The awards recognise achievement...
Sweatshop & NewSouth announce Pasifika-Australian literary initiative
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Sweatshop Literacy Movement and NewSouth Publishing have announced Fresh Off the Books: The Pasifika Australian Literary Initiative, described as Australia’s first literary program for Pasifika-Australian writers. Twelve successful applicants will...
Osborne-Crowley shortlisted for 2025 Gordon Burn Prize
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Lucia Osborne-Crowley has been shortlisted for the 2025 Gordon Burn Prize for her book The Lasting Harm: Witnessing the Trial of Ghislaine Maxwell (A&U). The other shortlisted titles for the prize...
