PRH Australia acquires new Tumarkin essay collection, rights to backlist
11 December 2020
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has acquired a new collection of essays from Maria Tumarkin, as well as the rights to her backlist titles Traumascapes and Axiomatic, via Clare Forster...
UWA Publishing to become ‘hybrid’ press, management to be ‘re-aligned’
11 December 2020
The University of Western Australia (UWA) has announced the university’s publishing arm will become a ‘hybrid’ publisher, and ‘internal management of UWA publishing will be re-aligned to the Library’. Of...
Black Inc. acquires Gergis book on climate change
11 December 2020
Black Inc. has acquired world rights to climate scientist Joëlle Gergis’s Witnessing the Unthinkable: Notes from the front line of the climate crisis from Jane Novak Literary Agency in a...
Australia Council, Create NSW, WA arts funding latest rounds announced
10 December 2020
Writing NSW will receive $100,000 from the Australia Council to ‘assist writers to navigate the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19 that will enable $200,000 in payments to around 300 writers’....
Centre for Stories receives funding for new journal
10 December 2020
Perth's Centre for Stories has received funding for a new online journal and two-year project to support and develop writers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The Centre received $42,465...
Ultimo acquires first novel from Bent
10 December 2020
Ultimo Press has pre-empted ANZ rights to Hannah Bent’s debut novel When Things Are Alive They Hum via Gaby Naher at Left Bank Literary. Set in Hong Kong, London and China...
Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2020 winners announced
10 December 2020
The winners of the 2020 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have been announced. The winning titles in each category are: Fiction The Yield (Tara June Winch, Hamish Hamilton) Nonfiction (joint winners) Songspirals:...
Wild, Riddle nominated for 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Awards
10 December 2020
Margaret Wild and Tohby Riddle have been nominated by IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Australia as the Australian candidates for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Awards. Wild...
Open Book publishing internship to launch in 2021
9 December 2020
A new paid internship aimed at increasing cultural diversity in the Australian publishing workforce will launch in 2021 with funding support from the Australia Council and the Copyright Agency’s Cultural...
ALIA to run digital storytime pilot in 2021
9 December 2020
Australian publishers can opt to have new or backlist titles included in an Online Storytime pilot being run by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) in 2021. The one-year...
Indie Book Awards 2021 longlists announced
9 December 2020
Leading Edge Books has announced the longlists for the 2021 Indie Book Awards. The longlisted titles in each category are: Fiction The Tolstoy Estate (Steven Conte, Fourth Estate) All Our...
‘Fireflies’ establishes book publisher
8 December 2020
Film magazine Fireflies has announced the creation of independent publishing house Fireflies Press, which aims to 'champion under-represented and stylistically diverse films and film writing'. The inaugural project for the publisher...
Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2021 shortlists announced
8 December 2020
The shortlists for the 2021 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted and highly commended works in each category are: Fiction The Living Sea of Waking Dreams (Richard...
White to launch new imprint Upswell
8 December 2020
Terri-ann White, former director and publisher at UWA Publishing (UWAP), has announced she will launch a new not-for-profit imprint, Upswell, 'to continue my adventures in publishing’. White has entered into...
Langshaw to join Pantera Press
7 December 2020
Tom Langshaw, who has held roles as both audio producer and senior editor at Penguin Random House Australia, has been appointed commissioning editor at Pantera Press. Pantera publisher Lex Hirst...
SWF announces two-day January event
7 December 2020
Sydney Writers' Festival (SWF) and Sydney Festival have announced Something to Talk About, a series of four events to take place at Carriageworks over the weekend of 16–17 January 2021....
Rannard, Burbidge named reps of the year
4 December 2020
The Australian Booksellers Association has announced the NSW and Victorian reps of the year. The reps of the year are: NSW Sales Rep of the Year: Simon Rannard (Penguin Random...
Song wins inaugural Spark Prize
4 December 2020
Youjia Song has won the inaugural Spark Prize for her book proposal, ‘The Pursuit of Impossible Dreams’. Song’s proposal was chosen from over 200 entries for the biennial developmental prize...
Booktopia completes ASX listing; closes at 17% above issue price
4 December 2020
Online bookseller Booktopia completed its initial public offer (IPO) on 3 December, with the company’s shares trading on the Australian Securities Exchange from 11am. Booktopia (BKG) shares opened at $2.86...
First writers announced for Adelaide Writers’ Week 2021
4 December 2020
The first writers have been announced for next year’s Adelaide Writers’ Week, which runs from 27 February to 4 March. Seventy-seven local and international guests have been confirmed for the...
Mukherjee wins Deborah Cass Prize 2020
4 December 2020
Anith Mukherjee has won Writers Victoria's 2020 Deborah Cass prize for his story 'I Am Full of Love'. Chosen from a shortlist of nine, Mukherjee's story was described by the...
UQP acquires new Neave novel
3 December 2020
UQP has acquired ANZ rights to a ‘stunning’ second novel from Lucy Neave, via Gaby Naher at Left Bank Literary. Set between the US and Australia, Believe In Me focuses...
Ryan resigns from PRH
3 December 2020
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) publishing manager Louise Ryan has resigned after 16 years with the company. Ryan joined Penguin/Pearson in early 2005 and has been in the role of...
Online SPN conference a ‘great success’
2 December 2020
The Small Press Network’s (SPN) ninth Independent Publishing Conference was held online on 26–27 November, with organisers hailing the event a ‘great success’. SPN general manager Tim Coronel told Books+Publishing...
Walker acquires Uhlmann picture book
2 December 2020
Walker Books Australia has acquired world rights to author and journalist Chris Uhlmann's debut picture book The Useless Tune, via Jeanne Ryckmans at the Cameron Creswell agency, Cameron’s Management. The Useless...
Red Ventures acquires Lonely Planet
2 December 2020
Red Ventures has announced it has acquired Lonely Planet from NC2 Media for an undisclosed amount. Red Ventures, a platform of digital businesses including US-based travel website The Points Guy,...
Masson appointed SPN chair, Webster steps down
1 December 2020
The Small Press Network (SPN) has appointed Christmas Press publisher Sophie Masson as president, replacing Michael Webster, who has stepped down after six years in the role. Webster, who was...
‘Honeybee’ named Dymocks Book of the Year 2020
1 December 2020
Craig Silvey's novel Honeybee (A&U) has been named Dymocks Book of the Year for 2020. Chosen from a shortlist of six, Silvey's novel was voted for by Dymocks booksellers across the country,...
Australia Council announces $2m Re:imagine: Sector Recovery Initiatives fund
1 December 2020
The Australia Council has announced $2 million in funding has been allocated to the new Re:imagine: Sector Recovery Initiatives fund. Offered in two streams—‘cultural and creative solutions’ and ‘industry collaborations'—the...
Wakefield acquires Webster’s ‘That Thing I Did’
1 December 2020
Wakefield Press has acquired world rights to YA novel That Thing I Did by Allayne Webster, via Jane Novak. ‘That Thing I Did is a rollicking road trip with a...
