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Echo Publishing acquires Ayliffe’s crime standalone

Tim Ayliffe author photo. Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Echo Publishing has acquired world rights to Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe, via Jeanne Ryckmans at Key People Literary Management. According to the publisher, Dark Desert Road is Ayliffe's first...

Larrikin House acquires Barkla’s ‘Robo-teacher’

Charlotta Barkla headshot. Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Larrikin House has acquired Robo-teacher, a picture book written by Charlotte Barkla (All Bodies Are Good Bodies, Little Hare) and illustrated by Gabrielle Petruso. According to the publisher, Robo-teacher follows...

UQP launches writing mentorship prize 

UQP Mentorship Prize for under represented writers logo. Tuesday, 13 May 2025
University of Queensland Press (UQP) has launched a mentorship prize for under-represented writers. ‘This prize will enrich the diversity of Australian stories by supporting and mentoring under-represented writers towards book...

Hussein launches Loom Literary Journal 

Loom literary journal logo. Tuesday, 13 May 2025
2025 Kat Muscat Fellow Adalya Nash Hussein has launched Loom Literary Journal, a national interdisciplinary journal that will 'work in conversation with non-textual artistic mediums'. ‘With editors in Melbourne, Sydney...

Pantera acquires Sheppard’s ‘Yeah the Boys’

a portrait of Holden Sheppard Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Pantera Press has acquired ANZ rights for Yeah the Boys, an adult fiction title from author Holden Sheppard, via Gaby Naher at The Naher Agency. According to the publisher, Yeah...

Fourth Estate acquires Dalton’s new novel

Trent Dalton 2025 portrait. Monday, 12 May 2025
Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Australia, has acquired world rights to Gravity Let Me Go, a novel by Trent Dalton. Gravity Let Me Go follows journalist Noah Cork and...

Fogarty Literary Award 2025 shortlist announced

The Fogarty Literary Award logo. Monday, 12 May 2025
The shortlist for the 2025 Fogarty Literary Award has been announced. Shortlisted titles, chosen from 38 entries, include: ‘Boy Friends’ by Seth Malacari ‘Glimmers in the Sea Glass’ by Chuckie...

Wheeler Centre 2025 Hot Desk Fellows announced

the 2025 hot desk fellows Thursday, 8 May 2025
The Wheeler Centre has announced the 22 emerging writers who will receive Hot Desk Fellowships in 2025. This year's recipients are: Jamil Badi for 'New Ancient Folktales' (fiction, short stories)...

PRH acquires special edition of ‘Bluey: The Sign’

Bluey: The Sign cover. Thursday, 8 May 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has announced the forthcoming publication of special edition children's book Bluey: The Sign. According to the publisher, The Sign will be based on the television episode of...

‘Industry-defining’ bookseller survey launched 

Thursday, 8 May 2025
Australian bookselling association BookPeople and Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand have collaborated to launch an ‘industry-defining’ survey designed to provide data about booksellers in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and their...

Farnham wins ABIA Book of the Year

Wednesday, 7 May 2025
The winners of the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) have been announced, with The Voice Inside (John Farnham with Poppy Stockell, Hachette) taking out the overall Book of the...

ASA, Arts Tasmania relaunch mentorship program

Australian Society of Authors logo. Wednesday, 7 May 2025
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) and Arts Tasmania have announced the return of the Tasmanian Writers and Illustrators Mentorship Program. This program for authors and illustrators based in Tasmania...

Text acquires Lohrey’s novel ‘Capture’

Amanda Lohrey portrait. Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Text Publishing has acquired world rights to Capture by Amanda Lohrey, via Lyn Tranter. Capture follows psychiatrist James Mather beginning a research project about people who claim to have been...

Local author shortlisted in UK CrimeFest Awards

Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath cover. Tuesday, 6 May 2025
Aotearoa New Zealand author Tom Baragwanath has been shortlisted for the UK CrimeFest Debut Crime Novel Award for Paper Cage (Text). Originally from Masterton in Aotearoa New Zealand, Baragwanath currently...

Fresh Off the Books winners announced

Fresh of the Books winners' headshots. Tuesday, 6 May 2025
Sweatshop Literacy Movement and NewSouth Publishing have announced the recipients of Fresh Off the Books: The Pasifika Australian Literary Initiative. The 14 recipients are: Christine Afoa Sela Ahosivi Taulogomai Aii...

WestWords acquires Burnham debut novel

Tuesday, 6 May 2025
WestWords Books has acquired world rights to Swallow by Alexandria Burnham. The first in a trilogy, Swallow is described by the publisher as 'the true story of William Swallow – Australian convict and the...

Gentill among 2025 Edgar Award winners

the cover of The Mystery Writer Monday, 5 May 2025
Australian crime writer Sulari Gentill has won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for her novel The Mystery Writer (Ultimo) at the 2025 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. In 2023, Gentill was...

Aurealis Awards 2024 winners announced

Aurealis Awards winner logo. Monday, 5 May 2025
The winners of the 2024 Aurealis Awards have been announced. Winning titles in each category, chosen from shortlists announced in April, are: Best fantasy novel Thoroughly Disenchanted (Alexandra Almond, Voyager) Best science...

WestWords acquires Curic debut novel

Monday, 5 May 2025
WestWords Books has acquired world rights to debut novel Sing to Me by Jelena Curic. ‘Sing to Me tells the story of Pero, a Croatian immigrant, father, husband, musician, and philanderer...

Mother’s Day recommendations from B+P reviewers 

Friday, 2 May 2025
In the lead-up to Mother’s Day, one of the busiest book-buying times of the year, Books+Publishing reviews editor Jess Lomas looks at some reviewer favourites from April and May with...

The Age Book of the Year 2025 shortlists announced 

the age logo Thursday, 1 May 2025
The shortlists for the 2025 Age Book of the Year awards have been announced. Shortlisted works in each category are: Fiction The Burrow (Melanie Cheng, Text) This Kingdom of Dust (David...

Tonelli appointed publisher at Walker Books 

a portrait of Eve Tonelli Thursday, 1 May 2025
Walker Books has announced the appointment of Eve Tonelli to the role of publisher, Australia and New Zealand, replacing Clare Hallifax, who had worked in the role since 2021. Tonelli...

Global Book Crawl a ‘success’ in Australia 

logo for Global Book Crawl Thursday, 1 May 2025
From 21 to 27 April, bookstores in the Blue Mountains, Hobart, Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula, Newcastle, Sydney and North East Victoria took part in the Australian arm of the Global Book...

Melbourne Books acquires women’s cricket nonfiction title

a photo of Craig Horne Thursday, 1 May 2025
Melbourne Books has acquired world rights to Full Corset and Stockings: A History of Women’s Cricket by historian and musician Craig Horne. 'Full Corset and Stockings details the history of women’s cricket...