Local news | Books+Publishing

Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Kirsty Wilson will leave her role as Text Publishing sales and marketing director, after 14 years with the company. Wilson was due to return from maternity leave at the end...

Pandiella to return to S&S Archive

Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Anabel Pandiella will return to the role of marketing and publicity director at Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) in 2020. Pandiella previously worked for S&S for 10 years before joining...

A&U acquires ANZ rights to Heyman’s memoir ‘Fury’; rights sold to UK Archive

Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to novelist Kathryn Heyman’s memoir Fury, ‘a deeply feminist story of becoming heroic in a culture which does not see heroism in...

New appointments to Hachette ANZ board Archive

Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Hachette Australia and New Zealand (HANZ) has made a number of new appointments to its board, effective 1 January next year. Among the appointments are Emma Rusher, who will officially...

Hachette acquires Jan Fran autobiography ‘Of Middle Eastern Appearance’ Archive

Tuesday, 26 November 2019
Hachette has acquired world rights to journalist and presenter Jan Fran’s memoir Of Middle Eastern Appearance, via Creative Representation managing director Jacinta Waters. Fran said: ‘Of Middle Eastern Appearance is...

The Co-op Bookshop, Curious Planet enter voluntary administration Archive

Tuesday, 26 November 2019
The University Co-operative Bookshop has entered voluntary administration. The company, which runs the retail network of 34 Co-op Bookshops and 63 Curious Planet (formerly Australian Geographic) stores, appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers as...

‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’ sold into multiple territories ahead of ANZ release Archive

Tuesday, 26 November 2019
International rights to Pip Williams’ debut novel The Dictionary of Lost Words (Affirm, April) have been sold in multiple territories following this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. UK and Commonwealth rights...

Clark wins Sisters in Crime Scarlet Stiletto Award 2019 Archive

Tuesday, 26 November 2019
The winners of the 2019 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, presented by Sisters in Crime, have been announced. Melbourne-based writer and former Herald Sun books editor Blanche Clark won the $1500 first...

Dr Karl awarded UNESCO Kalinga Prize Archive

Monday, 25 November 2019
The United Nations has awarded Karl Kruszelnicki, popularly known as Dr Karl, the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularisation of Science at the World Science Forum in Budapest, Hungary. He...

Matt Okine’s debut novel to be adapted for film Archive

Monday, 25 November 2019
Sydney-based production company Aquarius Films has acquired film rights to comedian Matt Okine’s debut novel Being Black 'N Chicken, & Chips (Hachette), reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Principal producer Angie...

PRH sells Aung Than graphic novel series to US in six-figure deal Archive

Monday, 25 November 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold North American rights to the first three books in Gavin Aung Than’s middle-grade graphic novel series ‘Super Sidekicks’ to Random House Children's Books...

Black Inc. sells ‘The Motivation Hoax’ to UK Archive

Friday, 22 November 2019
Black Inc. has sold UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) to James Adonis’ The Motivation Hoax: A smart person’s guide to inspirational nonsense (Nero) to The History Press. The History Press,...

Hardy to step down as MWF artistic director Archive

Friday, 22 November 2019
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) artistic director Marieke Hardy has announced she will leave her role ahead of the 2020 festival, after completing two years of a three-year contract. Hardy advised...

‘A Secret Safe to Tell’ wins Chinese children’s award Archive

Friday, 22 November 2019
In China, a translated edition of Naomi Hunter’s A Secret Safe to Tell (illus by Karen Erasmus, Empowering Resources) has won the gold award at the Children’s Choice Book Awards. Translated into...

‘Songwoman’ wins 2019 Most Underrated Book Award Archive

Friday, 22 November 2019
Ilka Tampke’s second novel Songwoman (Text) has won the Small Press Network’s (SPN) Most Underrated Book Award (MUBA) for 2019. Songwoman is a sequel to Tampke’s debut novel Skin (Text), published...

CPA report estimates $600m in private sector arts support Archive

Thursday, 21 November 2019
Creative Partnerships Australia (CPA) has published a new report called Giving Attitude, the first of its proposed biennial surveys of private sector support for the arts. Giving Attitude is based...

Recipients of $150k The Next Chapter initiative announced Archive

Thursday, 21 November 2019
The Wheeler Centre has announced the 10 recipients of the 2019 Next Chapter grants for developing writers, worth $15,000 each. The 2019 recipients are: Arthur Bolkas (nonfiction, VIC) Racheal Oak...

‘See What You Made Me Do’ to be developed as TV documentary series Archive

Thursday, 21 November 2019
Journalist Jess Hill’s nonfiction book See What You Made Me Do: Power, control and domestic abuse (Black Inc.) will be adapted into a documentary series to air on SBS TV...

Hardie Grant Reconciliation Action Plan endorsed Archive

Thursday, 21 November 2019
Reconciliation Australia has endorsed Hardie Grant’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which sets a path for the company to work towards reconciliation and constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...