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Canberra bookstore Gaslight Books to close 

Friday, 13 June 2014
Canberra bookstore Gaslight Books will close on 2 August after 25 years of operation. The Fyshwick store, which specialises in crime and detective fiction, science fiction, fantasy and horror, was...

PANZ Book Design Awards 2014 shortlists announced

Friday, 13 June 2014
The shortlists for the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) Book Design Awards, including the PANZ Young Designer of the Year Award, have been announced.The titles shortlisted in the best...

Digital press ideePOP launched 

Thursday, 12 June 2014
A new digital press specialising in longform nonfiction has launched.ideePOP is the brainchild of Simon Clews, director of Melbourne University’s Writing Centre for Scholars and Researchers, director of Reader’s Feast...

Over 14,000 attend EWF 2014

Thursday, 12 June 2014
Over 14,000 people attended the 2014 Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF), the second festival under director Sam Twyford-Moore, breaking last year’s box office and attendance records.General manager Kate Callingham told Books+Publishing...

NZ bookstore Atlantis Books expands 

Thursday, 12 June 2014
New Zealand bookstore Atlantis Books, based in the North Island town of Rotorua, is expanding its business to the neighbouring town of Tokoroa, reports Booksellers NZ.Atlantis Books co-owners Greg Price and...

RWA ‘Ruby’ award finalists announced

Wednesday, 11 June 2014
The finalists for the Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) Romantic Book of the Year award, known as ‘the Ruby’, have been announced.The finalists in each category are:‘Short sexy’: What the...

RiP Eric Hill 

Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Writer, illustrator and ‘Spot the Dog’ creator Eric Hill has died, aged 86. Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House UK Children’s, writes: ‘Eric Hill was a master of simple design. He...

Wheelers among 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours list

Tuesday, 10 June 2014
The 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours List has been announced, with Lonely Planet founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler both awarded Officer in the General Division (AO) for ‘distinguished service to business and...

Ditmar Awards ballot 2014 winners announced 

Tuesday, 10 June 2014
The winners of this year’s Ditmar Awards ballot have been announced. The winners include: Best novel Fragments of a Broken Land: Valarl Undead (Robert Hood, Wildside) Best novella or novelette ‘The...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Cassandra Clare’s City of Heavenly Fire (Walker Books), the sixth and final novel in the ‘Mortal Instruments’ series, has debuted at number one on this week’s bestsellers chart. It’s ahead of...

Australians on Frank O’Connor short story award longlist

Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Five Australians have been longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. The Australians longlisted are Tony Birch for The Promise (UQP), Catherine McNamara for Pelt and Other Stories...

LIANZA Children’s Book Awards 2014 finalists announced

Tuesday, 10 June 2014
The finalists in the 2014 LIANZA (Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa) Children’s Book Awards have been announced. The judges this year selected six finalists in the young...

Copyright Agency extends WrICE funding until 2017

Tuesday, 10 June 2014
The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund has announced it will continue its funding of RMIT University’s Writers Immersion and Cultural Exchange (WrICE) program until 2017. The new $225,000 funding ‘will enable 15...

ABA forms data and supply chain committee

Friday, 6 June 2014
The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) has formed a new committee to work through data and supply chain issues.Members of the committee are: Jon Page (chair, Pages & Pages and Boomerang),...

Byron Bay Writers’ Festival launches 2014 program

Friday, 6 June 2014
The Byron Bay Writers’ Festival has launched its 2014 program.Joining international guest Jeanette Winterson, who was previously announced as the festival’s keynote speaker, are Geoff Dyer, Susie Orbach, David Finkel...

Kibble and Dobbie awards 2014 shortlists announced

Wednesday, 4 June 2014
The shortlists for the Kibble and Dobbie Literary Awards have been announced. The titles shortlisted for the $30,000 Kibble Literary Award, which recognises the work of an established Australian female...

Barrowman receives NZ Order of Merit 

Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Fergus Barrowman, publisher at Victoria University Press in Wellington, has been named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to the publishing industry. Barrowman received...

Quote of the week

Wednesday, 4 June 2014
‘The politicisation of this award means that the award’s integrity has been seriously damaged’—Morry Schwarz and Chris Feik of Black Inc. on the PMLA nonfiction award

Wyld, Catton shortlisted for Encore Award 

Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Books by Australian author Evie Wyld and New Zealand author Eleanor Catton have been shortlisted for the 2013 Encore Award for second novels.Wyld’s All the Birds, Singing (Vintage) and Catton’s...

SA Writers Centre to hold romance writers festival

Tuesday, 3 June 2014
The SA Writers Centre in Adelaide will hold a romance writers festival from 14 to 15 June. ‘Weekend Romance: A Fair to Remember’ will feature guests including Helene Young, Fiona...

Seizure Viva La Novella competition winners announced

Tuesday, 3 June 2014
The four winning novellas in the 2014 Seizure Viva La Novella competition have been announced.Sideshow by Nicole Smith, The Other Shore by Hoa Pham, The Neighbour by Julie Proudfoot and...