Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

Local news >

Readings to open Chadstone shop 

Readings logo Monday, 24 February 2025
Melbourne independent bookselling chain Readings has announced the business will open a new shop at Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre in late March. The store will be managed by Belle Katavatis,...

Stewart wins 2025 MUD Literary Prize

a photo of cameron stewart in black and white Monday, 24 February 2025
Cameron Stewart's Why Do Horses Run? (Allen & Unwin) has been announced as the 2025 winner of the $10,000 MUD Literary Prize. The prize, now in its eighth year, is...

Major wins 2025 Louie Award 

a portrait of KT Major Thursday, 20 February 2025
The Australian Crime Writers Association (ACWA) has named KT Major as the winner of the 2025 Louie Award, worth $500, for her story 'Bitter'. The judges also highly commended two...

Kill Your Darlings announces new flash fiction prize 

the logo for kill your darlings Thursday, 20 February 2025
Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced an inaugural flash fiction prize. Open to KYD members for submissions of previously unpublished flash fiction stories, the prize 'challenges writers to be faster,...

A&U acquires Kirk debut fiction 

a portrait of Eleanor Kirk Thursday, 20 February 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to Eleanor Kirk’s debut novel, Very Impressive for Your Age, in a deal brokered by Grace Heifetz at a4 Literary. ‘Twenty-six-year-old Evelyn is...

Text acquires new Winkler fiction 

a portrait of Michael Winkler Thursday, 20 February 2025
Text has acquired world rights for Griefdogg by Michael Winkler. The novel introduces Jeffrey Watson-Johnson, a hydrologist living with his wife, Martine, and child, Reggie, in Mildura. After inheriting a...

Summit Books acquires new Lee fiction 

a portrait of Bri Lee in Antarctica Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Simon & Schuster (S&S) imprint Summit Books has acquired ANZ rights to Bri Lee’s second novel, Seed, from agent Grace Heifetz at a4 Literary. The novel introduces Mitchell and Frances,...

Knox longlisted for 2025 Walter Scott Prize

logo walter scott prize Wednesday, 19 February 2025
In the UK, the Abbotsford Trust has announced the longlist for the 16th Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction (WSP).  Among those longlisted is local author Malcolm Knox for his...

S&S Australia launches Atria imprint 

Atria books logo Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Simon & Schuster (S&S) Australia has announced the launch of new imprint Atria Books Australia, to be led by publisher Anthea Bariamis. Atria Books is already an imprint with S&S...

Stricker wins 2025 Peter Porter Poetry Prize

a portrait of Meredith Stricker Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Meredith Stricker was awarded the 2025 Peter Porter Poetry Prize, run by the Australian Book Review (ABR) and worth $6000, at a ceremony in Melbourne last night. ABR outgoing editor Peter...

Atlantic acquires Stephens debut 

a portrait of Clare Stephens Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Atlantic Books Australia, a division of Allen & Unwin (A&U), has acquired ANZ rights to Clare Stephens’s debut novel The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done, in a deal brokered by...

Creative Australia announces 2025 VIPs 

Creative Australia logo Monday, 17 February 2025
Creative Australia has announced the 12 international publishers, editors and agents participating in the 2025 Visiting International Publishers (VIPs) program. This year’s participants represent ‘a range of territories; genre specialties;...

Ocean Reeve Publishing declares bankruptcy 

the logo for ocean reeve publishing Monday, 17 February 2025
Ocean Reeve Publishing, a hybrid publisher based in Queensland and in Aotearoa New Zealand, has declared bankruptcy. In a statement, the Reeve family said, ‘websites, emails, [and] social media related...

Keeperton to publish five TL Swan books 

a portrait of TL Swan Monday, 17 February 2025
Arndell, an imprint of Keeperton, has announced it will publish worldwide print editions of The Miles High Club series by author and Keeperton founder TL Swan. The series consists of...

Tasmanian Literary Awards 2025 shortlists announced

Monday, 17 February 2025
The shortlists for the 2025 Tasmanian Literary Awards have been announced. Shortlisted titles in each category are: Premier’s Prize for Fiction ($25,000) The Angry Women’s Choir (Meg Bignell, Penguin) Heartsease...

DANZ Children’s Book Award 2025 longlists announced

Thursday, 13 February 2025
The 2025 longlists for the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) DANZ (Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) Children’s Book Award have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category...

Silcox to depart Canberra Writers Festival 

Photograph of Beejay Silcox Thursday, 13 February 2025
Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) has announced the departure of artistic director Beejay Silcox. Silcox joined CWF in 2023, following the departure of Jeanne Ryckmans in 2022, and oversaw the 2023...

HarperCollins acquires Parker historical novel 

a portrait of Alli Parker Thursday, 13 February 2025
HarperCollins Australia has acquired ANZ rights for Until the Red Leaves Fall by Alli Parker, via Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown. The novel, set in 1957 Melbourne, follows Emmy Darling,...

A&U acquires new historical fiction from Rose 

a portrait of Heather Rose Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to A Great Act of Love by Heather Rose, via Gaby Naher of the Naher Agency. US rights have sold to Judy Clain...

Bateman acquires Beatnik 

Beatnik logo Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Aotearoa New Zealand publisher David Bateman Ltd (Bateman Books) has acquired independent publisher Beatnik Publishing, effective from 1 February. In a statement, Bateman Books said Beatnik founder and publisher Sally...

Affirm acquires Johnson debut ‘King Tide’ 

Photograph of Luke Johnson Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Affirm has acquired ANZ rights to the debut crime novel King Tide by Luke Johnson, via literary agent Daniel Pilkington. Described by the publisher as a ‘beautiful, exhilarating and exquisitely...

Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize 2025 shortlist announced

a sepia portrait of Gwen Harwood Monday, 10 February 2025
The shortlist for the 2025 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize has been announced. The shortlisted poems, chosen from almost 500 entries, are: ‘Whistling Space’ by Chris Andrews ‘Finding Pan’ by Jonathan...

ASA announces new rates of pay for literary award judges 

Australian Society of Authors logo Thursday, 6 February 2025
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has launched rates of pay for literary award judges. This new information, specifically for judges of literary awards for published books, has 'been established...

S&S acquires Morgan’s fiction debut 

Thursday, 6 February 2025
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to Rachael Morgan’s commercial women’s fiction debut, in a deal between S&S commercial fiction publisher Cassandra Di Bello and Anjanette Fennell...