Winton wins 2019 Voss Literary Prize for ‘The Shepherd’s Hut’
10 December 2019
Tim Winton has won the 2019 Voss Literary Prize, worth $5000, for his novel The Shepherd’s Hut (Hamish Hamilton). Now in its sixth year, the Voss Literary Prize is awarded...
Melbourne City of Lit announces Quebec City exchange recipients
10 December 2019
The Melbourne City of Literature has announced the six Victorian-based book-industry professionals who will spend a week in Quebec City, as part of a new exchange program between the two...
‘Bridget Crack’ wins 2019 Tasmania Book Prize
6 December 2019
The winners of the 2019 Tasmanian Premier’s Literary Prizes have been announced. The winning works and their authors are: Tasmania Book Prize for the best book with Tasmanian content in...
Arts to be merged into new government ‘super-department’
6 December 2019
From 1 February 2020, the Department of Communications and the Arts (DCA) will be incorporated into the new Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, meaning the arts will...
Booton appointed Stella Prize executive director
6 December 2019
The Stella Prize has appointed Jaclyn Booton as its new executive director, replacing previous ED Michelle Scott Tucker, who in July left the role after less than a year to...
Chen wins Deborah Cass Prize 2019
6 December 2019
Writer Janette Chen has won the 2019 Deborah Cass Prize for emerging writers from migrant backgrounds for her manuscript extract ‘Wall of Men’. Chosen from a shortlist of 10, ‘Wall of...
Aman, Brabon named joint winners of the David Harold Tribe Fiction Award
5 December 2019
Writers Claire Aman and Katherine Brabon are the joint winners of the 2019 David Harold Tribe Fiction Award, worth $12,000. The award is offered by the University of Sydney’s Department...
MidnightSun acquires Steve Heron picture book
5 December 2019
MidnightSun has acquired world rights to the picture book Ling Li’s Lantern, by Steve Heron and illustrated by Benjamin Johnston. Ling Li’s Lantern follows Ling Li on a quest that...
Big Sky sells six children’s titles to US imprint Windmill Books
5 December 2019
Big Sky Publishing has sold North American and US territories rights to six children’s titles to Windmill Books, an imprint of independent educational publishing house Rosen Publishing. The deal, which...
SPN conference 2019: ‘Extremely positive’ feedback from delegates
4 December 2019
The Small Press Network’s (SPN) eighth Independent Publishing Conference was held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on 21–23 November. SPN general manager Tim Coronel said that 180 tickets were...
Marchetta’s ‘On the Jellicoe Road’ to be adapted for drama series
4 December 2019
Melina Marchetta’s 2006 young adult novel On the Jellicoe Road (Penguin) is being adapted for a young adult drama series, reports Deadline. The project is a co-production by the US’s...
Hardie Grant Travel acquires Steffensen’s book on Indigenous fire management
4 December 2019
Hardie Grant Travel has acquired world rights to Fire Country, the memoir of Indigenous fire practitioner Victor Steffensen. Steffensen is a Tagalaka descendant from Far North Queensland who is dedicated...
‘The Book Ninja’ optioned for film
4 December 2019
Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus’ novel The Book Ninja (S&S) has been optioned for film by producers Chris Brown of Pictures in Paradise and Veronica Fury of Fury Film Co....
Beasley wins inaugural OzCo Arts and Disability Award for an emerging artist
4 December 2019
Tennant Creek-based artist and illustrator Dion Beasley was one of three winners at the Australia Council’s inaugural Arts and Disability Awards, presented at a ceremony at Canberra’s National Portrait Gallery...
Van Zweden wins 2019 KYD unpublished manuscript award
4 December 2019
Literary journal Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced Sam van Zweden as the winner of its 2019 unpublished manuscript award for her manuscript ‘Eating with my Mouth Open’. Van Zweden...
Indie Book Awards 2020 longlists announced
4 December 2019
Leading Edge Books has announced the longlists for the 2020 Indie Book Awards for books published in 2019. The longlisted titles in each category are: Fiction The White Girl (Tony...
Former Macmillan Education staff launch new educational publisher
3 December 2019
Former staff from Macmillan Education Australia’s school division have formed a new educational publishing company called Matilda Education. After Macmillan Education Australia announced in August that it would withdraw its...
Thomson receives inaugural Varuna/New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship
3 December 2019
Armidale writer Anna Thomson is the inaugural recipient of the Varuna/New England Writers’ Centre (NEWC) Fellowship. Thomson’s winning submission included an extract from her paranormal fantasy manuscript ‘Bloodwood’. The fellowship...
2020 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards shortlists announced
2 December 2019
The shortlists for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles are: Fiction The House of Youssef (Yumna Kassab, Giramondo) Act of Grace (Anna Krien, Black...
Hardie Grant staff lodge majority support determination with Fair Work
2 December 2019
On behalf of staff in several departments of the publishing division at Hardie Grant Publishing, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) has filed a majority support determination (MSD) with...
UQP acquires two new nonfiction titles by Foley, Bond
2 December 2019
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired world rights to two books by leading Indigenous scholars, visual artist Fiona Foley’s Biting the Clouds and public intellectual Chelsea Bond’s Another...
Room on our Rock wins Charlotte Huck Award in US
29 November 2019
In the US, Room on our Rock (Kate & Jol Temple, illus by Terri Rose Baynton, Scholastic) has won the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for outstanding fiction for children. Room...
Writers Victoria announces latest Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund recipients
29 November 2019
Writers Victoria has announced the fifth round of recipients for the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund. Eleven successful writers, booksellers and publishers were selected from 99 applicants to receive a...
Sales wins 2019 Walkley Book Award
29 November 2019
Journalist and author Leigh Sales has won the 2019 Walkley Book Award for Any Ordinary Day (Hamish Hamilton). Any Ordinary Day describes how tragedy and loss can affect people. Judges...
Orr, Bradley among recipients of Copyright Agency fellowships worth $240k
28 November 2019
The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has awarded a total of $240,000 for three fellowships. Adelaide writer Stephen Orr was awarded the $80,000 author fellowship for his project ‘The Journey’, a...
‘The Strays’ to be adapted into six-part drama series
28 November 2019
Emily Bitto’s Stella Prize-winning novel The Strays (Affirm) will be adapted into a six-part drama series as a co-production of See Pictures and Apogee Pictures. Beatrix Christian (Picnic at Hanging...
Readings Foundation announces 2020 grant recipients
28 November 2019
The Readings Foundation has chosen 12 Victorian organisations to share in $135,142 worth of grants in 2020. The grant recipients are: Banksia Gardens Community Service: $10,000 to continue supporting for a...
Hardie Grant Egmont acquires Alex Dyson’s debut YA novel
28 November 2019
Hardie Grant Egmont has acquired world rights to the debut young adult novel by former triple j breakfast presenter Alex Dyson. When it Drops follows social outcast and bedroom musician...
NZ Review of Books Pukapuka Aotearoa to close
28 November 2019
The New Zealand Review of Books Pukapuka Aotearoa will close next month, following Creative New Zealand’s decision to withdraw its funding to the publication. The quarterly publication was launched in...
Wilson to leave Text
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...
