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...
Adler resigns as Adelaide Writers’ Week director
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Louise Adler, director of Adelaide Writers’ Week (AWW) since 2023, has resigned in response to the Adelaide Festival board’s decision to withdraw Randa Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to attend this year’s festival....
Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2026 shortlist
Monday, 12 January 2026
Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize. Chosen from a longlist announced in December 2025, the shortlisted poets are: J Andros (United States)...
Authors withdraw from Adelaide Writers’ Week in protest
Monday, 12 January 2026
Approximately 110 authors have now withdrawn from Adelaide Writers’ Week following the Adelaide Festival Board’s removal of scheduled author and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah (Discipline) from the 2026 Adelaide Writers’ Week...
Creative Victoria funding decisions spark criticism
Monday, 12 January 2026
Creative Victoria’s latest Creative Enterprises Program grants, announced in late December, have drawn criticism from organisations including Writers Victoria, whose multi-year funding has been discontinued. Four literary organisations – Writers...
Ben Ball leaves Simon & Schuster Australia and New Zealand
Monday, 12 January 2026
Ben Ball announced his resignation as publishing director of Simon & Schuster (S&S) and Scribner at the end of 2025. After working for S&S earlier in his career, Ball rejoined...
Ward apppointed GM of Byron Writers Festival
Monday, 12 January 2026
Byron Writers Festival has named Molly Ward as its new general manager, commencing in mid-January. Ward has wide experience managing major festivals, large-scale cultural events, and placemaking initiatives. “Passionate about...
2025 Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers winners announced
Monday, 12 January 2026
Express Media and Hachette Australia have announced the winners of the 2025 Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers. The winners, selected from 15 shortlisted pieces, are: Fiction Abigail Koh (WA)...
Gunaydin named Parramatta’s laureate in literature
Monday, 12 January 2026
Eda Gunaydin has been named the 2025 Parramatta Laureate in Literature. Gunaydin is a Turkish-Australian essayist and fiction writer who grew up in Western Sydney’s Blacktown. Her first essay collection, Root...
Boys Don’t Cry?: How picture books shape what children learn about pain and gender
Friday, 12 December 2025
BookUp’s inaugural research day was held on 8 August this year. As part of this full day dedicated to book industry research, Sarah Wallwork shared some of hers and Dur-E-Nayab Mehar’s findings...
Larrikin House acquires Vee & Layton’s next picture book
Thursday, 11 December 2025
Larrikin House has acquired rights to Archie Can’t Sit Still, a picture book by Dani Vee and James Layton, illustrated by Davilyn Lynch. According to the publisher, the picture book follows...
Grants bring Fremantle Press closer to activating heritage building
Thursday, 11 December 2025
Fremantle Press took a further step towards celebrating its 50th anniversary in its new building with the announcement of additional funding. The organisation has secured a Lotterywest grant worth $722,226...
2026 Faber Writing Scholarships announced
Thursday, 11 December 2025
The Faber Writing Academy (FWA) has named the recipients of the 2026 Faber Writing Scholarships. The recipients are: Paff Evara (to attend Writing a Creative Nonfiction), a Black lesbian writer...
Harry Hartog and Berkelouw Books workers strike
Thursday, 11 December 2025
The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) has announced staff from Harry Hartog and Berkelouw Books are taking industrial action to “secure a fair new agreement” to replace an...
Affirm acquires Lim’s new novel
Thursday, 11 December 2025
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Rebecca Lim’s latest novel, The Graduate, via Annabel Barker Agency. The novel follows graduate Fei Fei Chou, a quiet misfit in a prestigious...
Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2026 shortlists announced
Wednesday, 10 December 2025
The Wheeler Centre has announced the shortlists for the 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. The shortlisted and highly commended works in each category are: Fiction ($25,000) A Piece of Red...
A&U acquires third Rose McHugh Mystery novel
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Murder at Thornwood Park, the third book in Joan Sauers’s Rose McHugh Mystery series. Murder at Thornwood Park is “for readers who...
Indie Book Awards 2026 longlists announced
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
The longlist for the 2026 Indie Book Awards has been announced. The longlisted titles in each category are: Fiction Lyrebird (Jane Caro, A&U) Gravity Let Me Go (Trent Dalton, Fourth...
Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2026 longlist announced
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced the longlist for the 2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize. The longlisted poets are: J Andros (United States) Jamil Badi (Vic.) Daragh Byrne (NSW) Elena Croitoru-Reed...
Blak & Bright board director Harrison steps down
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Literary festival Blak & Bright has announced that Jane Harrison (The Visitors, HarperCollins) has stepped down from the board. Harrison was the festival’s first artistic director and CEO. In 2024,...
Bakers Lane acquires Coomer’s “Ravensbourne”
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Bakers Lane Books has acquired world rights to Ravensbourne, a young adult novel by Amy Coomer, in a deal brokered by agent Belinda Bolliger. Ravensbourne follows 17-year-old Maisie McDevitt as...
UWAP acquires McWilliams’s “Bandoola”
Monday, 8 December 2025
UWA Publishing (UWAP) has acquired world rights to Bandoola, a middle-grade historical fiction novel by Beverley McWilliams, following an Australian Society of Authors’ Virtual Literary Speed Dating event in March...
A&U acquires Tunny’s debut novel
Monday, 8 December 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Over to You by Georgie Tunny, in a deal brokered by Cathy Baker at CMC Talent Management. According to the publisher, Over...
SLV controversy continues
Monday, 8 December 2025
State Library Victoria (SLV) has responded in more detail to media reporting of a leaked document outlining job and service cuts and redeployments. Over the past two weeks, the SLV’s...
Copyright Agency announces latest Cultural Fund grants
Thursday, 4 December 2025
Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has announced the recipients of funding in its final round for 2025, including 3 new publishing fellowships. Launched earlier this year, the revamped publishing fellowships “are...
Fremantle Press arrivals and departures
Thursday, 4 December 2025
Fremantle Press has appointed Aimee Harrison as marketing and communications assistant, and farewelled publicist Adam Matthews, who is setting up his own bookstore, Page Boys. Fremantle Press CEO Alex Allan said,...
