Hachette acquires ‘On’ series from MUP
2 October 2019
Hachette Australia has acquired world rights to Melbourne University Publishing's (MUP) 'On' series of essays. The deal was negotiated by MUP then-acting CEO Richard Tegoni. The list of over 30...
PRH sells ‘The Yield’ to US, France
2 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold Tara June Winch’s novel The Yield to publishers in the US and France. Pamela Malpas at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency sold world English-language...
New report shows decline in arts funding over past decade
1 October 2019
An extensive report by Australia’s new arts and culture industry lobby details the decline in the country’s per capita arts funding over the past decade. The Big Picture: Public expenditure...
Queensland Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced
1 October 2019
The shortlists for the 2019 Queensland Literary Awards (QLAs) have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of state significance ($25,000) The...
PRH sells ‘Jane in Love’ to US
1 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold North American rights to Rachel Givney’s forthcoming novel Jane in Love (Michael Joseph) to HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, via Daniel Lazar at Writers...
Jaipur Literature Festival returns to Adelaide
30 September 2019
The Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival will host the second Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) Adelaide on November 1–3. More than 60 guests will appear at 40 free events as part...
‘Dinner Detectives’ books to be developed for TV
26 September 2019
Melbourne-based production studio BES Animation has acquired world broadcast and digital content rights to self-published picture book series ‘Dinner Detectives’, with plans to develop the books into a multi-platform TV...
Windy Hollow makes first North American sale with ‘Ivy Bird’
26 September 2019
Independent children’s publisher Windy Hollow has sold North American rights to Ivy Bird (Tania McCartney, illus by Jess Racklyeft) to Blue Dot Books. The deal, negotiated by Natasha Solomun at...
Rogers resigns as ASA CEO
25 September 2019
Juliet Rogers has resigned as CEO of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) after four years in the role. Olivia Lanchester, the ASA’s legal services manager and company secretary, will...
IBBY Australia names Atkins, Kennedy for 2020 Honour List
25 September 2019
IBBY Australia has selected writer Clare Atkins and illustrator Lisa Kennedy for the 2020 International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honour List. Atkins was selected for the writing...
Ventura Press acquires Dalgarno’s debut novel ‘Poly’
25 September 2019
Ventura Press has acquired world rights to Paul Dalgarno’s debut novel, Poly. The rights were acquired via Martin Shaw at Alex Adsett Publishing Services. Shaw described Dalgarno’s novel as ‘a...
Magabala partners with The Rights Hive
25 September 2019
Magabala Books has appointed The Rights Hive agency to represent the publisher on international rights sales. The Rights Hive director Natasha Solomun said she has ‘long admired Magabala’s list, which...
Writers SA announces Diversifying Australian Writing plan
25 September 2019
Writers SA will run a 15-month program to support marginalised and under-represented writers in South Australia, after receiving an $82,000 grant as part of the Australia Council’s most recent grants...
CHASS Australia Book Prize 2019 longlist announced
24 September 2019
The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) has announced the longlist for the 2019 Australia Book Prize. The prize, worth $3500, is part of the CHASS Australia...
Cornegé moves to UQP
24 September 2019
UQP has appointed Louise Cornegé as marketing and publicity manager. Cornegé takes over from former marketing, sales and publicity manager Kylie Rathborne, who stepped down from the position in July....
Hoffmann’s ‘inclusive, uplifting’ picture books sold to US
23 September 2019
Hardie Grant Egmont has sold US rights to Susann Hoffmann’s Girls are Pretty ... (smart, clever, fast) and Boys Will Be ... (kind, calm, creative) to Penguin Philomel. Girls are...
S&S acquires Mildenhall’s ‘The Mother Fault’ in two-book deal
23 September 2019
Simon & Schuster (S&S) has acquired ANZ rights at auction to Kate Mildenhall’s ‘genre-busting’ sophomore novel The Mother Fault in a two-book deal, via Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown. S&S...
A&U acquires ‘Larrimah’ for six-figure sum
20 September 2019
Allen & Unwin has acquired rights to Larrimah: An outback town, a missing man and 11 people, who mostly hate each other by journalists Kylie Stevenson and Caroline Graham. ANZ...
May Gibbs trust announces 2020 fellows
20 September 2019
The May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust has announced six fellows for 2020. The recipients of the fellowship are: Mark Carthew Deb Fitzpatrick Sadami Konchi Meg McKinlay Chrissie Perry Michelle Vasiliu....
NewSouth to publish Bryant’s debut ‘Hysteria’
20 September 2019
NewSouth Publishing has acquired world rights to Hysteria, the debut nonfiction book by Adelaide writer Katerina Bryant, via Sarah McKenzie Literary Management. Hysteria is a hybrid memoir that explores chronic mental...
Industry-first EBA voted in at PRH; FWC dispute settled
19 September 2019
The first union-negotiated enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) in Australian publishing history has been voted in at Penguin Random House Australia (PRH). PRH delegates in the editorial and publicity departments have...
Stella Count 2018: ‘Sustained and significant advances in the representation of women authors’
19 September 2019
The 2018 Stella Count has found that 49% of all book reviews in Australia were of books by women authors—up from 46% in 2017, and the previous high of 48%...
Longlists for Tasmanian Premier’s Literary Prizes announced
19 September 2019
The longlists for the Tasmanian Premier’s Literary Prizes have been announced. The longlisted works and their authors are: Tasmania Book Prize for the best book with Tasmanian content in any...
Lucashenko, Wright announced for inaugural Bangkok literary festival
19 September 2019
Australian authors Melissa Lucashenko and Clare Wright will feature among 25 speakers at the inaugural Neilson Hays Bangkok Literature Festival, running from 16–17 November. Lucashenko will speak at the festival's...
Quebec City, Melbourne to host City of Literature exchange
19 September 2019
Victorian book industry professionals will have the chance to visit Quebec City in April next year as part of a new exchange program between the Melbourne and Quebec Cities of...
Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing 2019 shortlist announced
18 September 2019
The shortlist for this year’s Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing has been announced. The shortlisted pieces are: ‘Getting cliterate’ (Melissa Fyfe, Good Weekend) ‘When planetary catastrophe is your...
HarperCollins acquires rights to Hazlehurst’s memoir
18 September 2019
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to actor Noni Hazlehurst’s memoir in a 'hotly contested' auction. The publisher said Hazlehurst, an award-winning stage and screen actor and advocate for children’s welfare,...
‘Dark Emu’ chosen as inaugural Parliamentary Book Club title
18 September 2019
Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu (Magabala) has been chosen as the first book to be read by politicians for the inaugural Parliamentary Book Club, to be held in early 2020. Dark...
‘You Must be Layla’ sells to Puffin UK
18 September 2019
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has sold UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) to Yassmin Abdel-Magied's You Must Be Layla to Puffin UK, reports the Bookseller. Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese-Australian writer,...
Flann wins 2019 Banjo Prize for ‘unbearably tense’ survival thriller
18 September 2019
HarperCollins has announced Elizabeth Flann as the winner of the 2019 Banjo Prize for an unpublished manuscript for her ‘unbearably tense’ Australian thriller ‘Beware of Dogs’. Flann’s work was chosen...
