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Winterson to headline 2014 Byron Bay Writers’ Festival 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
The Byron Bay Writers’ Festival has announced that Jeanette Winterson will deliver the keynote address at this year’s event.‘Winterson is travelling to Australia in August for a tour arranged in collaboration with...

Authors denounce arts budget cuts in open letter to PM 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Authors including Michelle de Kretser, Christos Tsiolkas and Anna Funder and other members of Australia’s literary community have written an open letter to the prime minister denouncing cuts to the...

MWF 2014 schools program released 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
The Melbourne Writers Festival has released its schools program for 2014. Among the guests at this year’s festival, which runs from 25 to 29 August, are Australian authors and illustrators...

Rights round-up 

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
SalesNonfiction—Black Inc. has sold Korean rights to The China Choice: Why America Should Share Power (Hugh White). Exisle Publishing has sold Lithuanian rights to Optimum Health the Paleo Way (Claire...

Collins appointed to SWF board 

Monday, 19 May 2014
The Sydney Writers’ Festival has announced the appointment of Peter Collins to the festival’s board of directors.Collins joins board directors Deena Shiff (chair), Lena Nahlous, Elizabeth Johnstone, Guy Hedley and...

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 19 May 2014
Maeve Binchy’s Chestnut Street (Hachette) is in first spot on this week’s bestsellers chart for the second week in a row, ahead of Minecraft: The Official Construction Handbook:(4) (Egmont) in...

eOne opens Australian office to manage Peppa Pig 

Monday, 19 May 2014
Entertainment One Licensing (eOne) is opening an office in Melbourne, Australia. The Bookseller reports that the consumer brand licence company is opening an Australian office to ‘capitalise on the popularity...

‘Good Reading’ launches ‘PK Mag’ 

Monday, 19 May 2014
Good Reading has launched a new digital-only magazine for primary school aged children. Called PK Mag, the bimonthly publication aims to ‘provide students with an authentic place to submit their...

Gleebooks to acquire Shearer’s school business 

Friday, 16 May 2014
Tony and Barbara Horgan have agreed to sell the Shearer’s Bookshop school business and website to Gleebooks. Gleebooks co-owner David Gaunt told Books+Publishing his store already has ‘a small international...

Bolinda to distribute BBC titles in Australia, NZ 

Friday, 16 May 2014
Bolinda has partnered with BBC Worldwide for the sales and distribution of BBC-branded audiobook CDs within Australia and New Zealand. The agreement is for the distribution of BBC Worldwide’s catalogue...

New literary journal open for submissions 

Thursday, 15 May 2014
New biannual literary journal Gargouille has announced it is open for submissions. Founded by Sarah Wreford and Adriane Howell, the publication seeks ‘short stories, poetry, scripts, aesthetic essays, lost and...

Sleepers signs first memoir 

Thursday, 15 May 2014
Sleepers Publishing has made its first nonfiction acquisition with a memoir from editor Paul Dalgarno. Publisher Louise Swinn told Books+Publishing that Sleepers was ‘thrilled’ to be publishing the as-yet-untitled memoir...

Miles Franklin 2014 shortlist announced

Thursday, 15 May 2014
The shortlist for this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award has been announced.The shortlisted titles are: The Narrow Road to the Deep North (Richard Flanagan, Vintage) The Night Guest (Fiona McFarlane,...

Get Reading! defunded 

Wednesday, 14 May 2014
The Federal Government has announced its decision to cease funding of the Get Reading! program in the 2014-15 Budget.  ‘The Government will achieve savings of $6.4 million over four years...

Brandl & Schlesinger celebrates 20 years 

Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Sydney publisher Brandl & Schlesinger is celebrating its 20th birthday this year.The anniversary is being celebrated with ‘a very strong and varied list’, which began in February with the release...

New appointments at Scribe

Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Scribe Publications has appointed a new editor and publicist to its team.Lesley Halm has been appointed editor, replacing Ian See, who has taken up a position as editor at the...

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 14 May 2014
‘We believe this to be a retrograde step by the government that we trust will be rethought as a matter of priority’—Australian Booksellers Association CEO Joel Becker on the defunding...

Five Mile launches unpublished illustrator prize 

Tuesday, 13 May 2014
The Five Mile Press has launched a prize for unpublished Australian illustrators with the winner to receive a publishing contract worth $4000.‘We are offering a guaranteed publishing contract to the winner...

Australia Post to deliver on Saturdays 

Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Australia Post managing director and CEO Ahmed Fahour has announced that Australia Post corporate offices will open for Saturday trading from next Christmas, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.Fahour said on...

Whitsunday Voices program announced 

Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival has announced the program for its three-day festival entitled Eat My Words, running from 16-19 July. Held annually in Mackay, Queensland, the festival features children’s...

Hachette sponsors John Marsden prize for young writers

Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Hachette is sponsoring this year’s John Marsden prize, which is now known as the John Marsden/Hachette Australia Prize for Young Australian Writers. The prize, which aims to encourage young people...

Australian Book Design Association open for membership 

Tuesday, 13 May 2014
The newly incorporated Australian Book Design Association (ABDA) is now open for individual memberships.Individual annual memberships cost $50, with the fee going to building the association’s ‘virtual home’, which will...

CBCA Victoria elects new committee 

Monday, 12 May 2014
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Victoria branch has elected a new committee at its AGM on 8 May. Mary Moore remains president. Newly elected vice presidents Meg Moores...