Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Ultimo acquires ‘The Paris Cooking School’ 

Friday, 10 February 2023
Ultimo Press has acquired world English-language rights to a novel from Sophie Masson, writing as Sophie Beaumont, in a deal brokered by Margaret Connolly of Margaret Connolly & Associates. The...

UQP acquires new O’Keeffe novel 

Friday, 10 February 2023
UQP has acquired world rights to The Sitter, a new novel by Angela O’Keeffe, from Shaw Literary. Described by the publisher as ‘startlingly accomplished and multilayered’, The Sitter is about...

Reid steps down at PRH 

Thursday, 9 February 2023
Karen Reid has resigned from Penguin Random House (PRH) after 30 years at the company. 'Reid first joined the Transworld publicity department after a stint in bookselling and very quickly...

Five Mile owner Regency Media appoints administrators 

Thursday, 9 February 2023
Regency Media, the owner of Five Mile Press, has entered administration. Regency Media managing director Fiona Horman told Books+Publishing the company has entered voluntary administration and is 'continuing to operate...

The Paperback Bookshop under new ownership 

Tuesday, 7 February 2023
The Paperback Bookshop, located in Melbourne’s CBD, has been sold by Rosy and Bill Morton after 23 years of ownership. Anna MacDonald took over management on 1 January 2023, after...

NewSouth acquires Tan debut essay collection 

Tuesday, 7 February 2023
NewSouth has acquired world rights to Cher Tan’s debut essay collection Peripathetic: Notes on (un)belonging, which blends ‘cultural criticism, experimental writing, autotheory, (inter)net writing and literary memoir’, according to the...

Clunes 2023 program announced

Monday, 6 February 2023
Clunes Booktown festival has announced its ‘biggest program yet’ for the 2023 event to take place on the weekend of 25 and 26 March in Clunes, Victoria. Sessions programmed include...

Arnott longlisted for 2023 Dylan Thomas Prize

Cover of Limberlost Friday, 3 February 2023
Tasmanian writer Robbie Arnott has been longlisted for Swansea University's Dylan Thomas Prize, awarded for the best literary work published in English and written by an author aged 39 or...

ANZ authors among Dublin Literary Award longlistees

Friday, 3 February 2023
Several books by Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand authors have been longlisted for the €100,000 (A$155,000) International Dublin Literary Award, the world’s most valuable annual prize for a single work...

Au wins 2023 Victorian Prize for Literature at VPLAs

Thursday, 2 February 2023
Jessica Au has won Australia’s single richest literary prize, the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature, for her novel Cold Enough for Snow (Giramondo), at this year’s Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards...

Booktopia secures funding for new CFC 

Booktopia logo Thursday, 2 February 2023
Booktopia has announced it has secured funding for the development of its planned new customer fulfilment centre (CFC) at South Strathfield. The online retailer says it has finalised a $12...

Ockham NZ Book Awards 2023 longlists announced

Thursday, 2 February 2023
The longlists for the 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category are: Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction Better the Blood (Michael...

Echo acquires Murphy debut novel ‘That is All’ 

Thursday, 2 February 2023
Echo Publishing has acquired world rights to debut novel That is All by Liam Murphy via the NAC Literary Agency. The novel follows young Australian Mark Ward’s quest for redemption...

Richell to S&S in six-figure pre-empt 

Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Simon & Schuster (S&S) has acquired a new novel by Hannah Richell, The Search Party, and a further untitled novel in a six-figure pre-emptive deal struck with Sarah Lutyens and...

Brett, Byrski, Hocking among Australia Day honours

Friday, 27 January 2023
A number of authors and book industry figures have been recognised in the annual Australia Day honours. Judith Brett, emeritus professor of politics at La Trobe University and the author...

Runcie departs BWF, Ryan appointed artistic director

Friday, 27 January 2023
Brisbane Writers Festival has announced CEO Sarah Runcie will depart the organisation, while Jackie Ryan has been appointed artistic director. Runcie joined the festival in mid-2020, helming the 2021 event...

Online Storytime program ends; 12 most recorded books 

Tuesday, 24 January 2023
The Online Storytime program, which launched as a pilot program in 2020 and was extended a further 12 months to December 2022, has ended. The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA),...

Redundancies at Booktopia as company looks to lift profits

Booktopia logo Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Booktopia has announced an organisational restructure involving 30–40 redundancies, as the company looks to make an improvement to its earnings. The restructure is one of several initiatives that Booktopia expects...

More companies allowing the option to work January 26

Tuesday, 24 January 2023
More and more Australian publishers are offering staff the option to work on January 26, despite it officially being the Australia Day public holiday. Many Australian companies, including Woolworths, Telstra...

Ultimo acquires Smith debut novel in two-book deal 

Friday, 20 January 2023
Ultimo Press has acquired ANZ rights to Twelve Steps to a Long and Fulfilling Death, a ‘whip-smart comedy’ debut by television drama writer Sarah Smith, in a two-book deal brokered...