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Newtone Press acquires BPA Print Group 

Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Newtone Press has acquired BPA Print Group after the printer was placed into receivership in late March. According to Print21, Melbourne-based Newtone Press is taking on BPA Print Group’s operations...

Unleash Books & Education outlets close 

Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Independent bookselling chain Unleash Books & Education closed its four stores in Westfield shopping centres in Sydney in March. A spokesperson for Westfield confirmed to Books+Publishing that the Unleash Books...

Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Sales Fiction—Scribe has licensed North American rights to Cat & Fiddle (Lesley Jørgensen) to Penguin US. Children’s—Scholastic has licensed Spanish rights within the US to Forever (Anna Pignataro). Acquisitions Nonfiction—Black...

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 1 May 2013
‘Judges of literary prizes today occupy two increasingly incompatible roles. Think of a strip club spruiker wearing an academic gown and brandishing his rolled doctorate as he dutifully proclaims the...

2013 REAL Awards shortlist announced

Wednesday, 1 May 2013
The shortlist for this year’s Reading & Enjoying Australian Literature (REAL) Awards, which acts as a shortlist for children’s choice book awards in the Australian Capital Territory (COOL Awards), New...

NZ Book Council International Travel Fund grants announced 

Wednesday, 1 May 2013
The New Zealand Book Council has announced the recipients of its 2013 International Travel Fund grants. Eight writers and illustrators will receive grants to attend international literary festivals and share New...

Penguin to publish Green Popular Penguins

Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Penguin Books Australia has announced that it will publish 50 classic crime novels in July as part of a new range of Green Popular Penguins. The new range will feature...

All female Miles Franklin shortlist announced

Tuesday, 30 April 2013
The shortlist for this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award features five books by Australian women. The shortlisted titles are: Floundering (Romy Ash, Text)   Questions of Travel (Michelle de Kretser,...

No Vogel Award to be presented in 2013

Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Allen & Unwin has announced that the judges of the Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award have decided not to present the award this year. This is the second time in the award’s...

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 29 April 2013
Nora Roberts’ Whiskey Beach (Hachette) is at the top of the bestsellers and highest new entries charts this week. The novel tells the story of Eli Landon, whose perfect world is shattered...

Book Industry Innovation Award shortlist announced

Monday, 29 April 2013
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has announced the shortlist for this year’s Book Industry Innovation Award, which will be presented as part of the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) in...

Sleepers celebrates 10 years

Friday, 26 April 2013
Melbourne publisher Sleepers is celebrating its 10th birthday this year. The anniversary coincides with a big year for the small press, which was founded in 2003 by Louise Swinn and...

Ashurst Business Literature Prize shortlist announced

Friday, 26 April 2013
The shortlist for this year’s Ashurst Business Literature Prize has been announced. The shortlisted titles are: 7 Myths about Women and Work (Catherine Fox, NewSouth) The Sweet Spot: How Australia...

2013 ABIA finalists announced

Friday, 26 April 2013
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has announced the finalists for this year’s Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs). The finalists in each of the categories are: Chain/Franchise Bookseller of the Year...

RMIT Bookshop to close 

Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Melbourne campus bookseller RMIT Bookshop will close on 30 April. The independent business, which is owned by the Melbourne Co-operative Bookshop Group (MCGB), has operated in the Melbourne CBD for 53 years. The RMIT Bookshop outlets...

Australians upbeat at ‘busy and buzzy’ LBF 

Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Annabel Blay from Curtis Brown reports: ‘Busy and buzzy’ was the most frequent observation from editors, agents and scouts about this year’s London Book Fair (LBF), which ran from 15-17...

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 24 April 2013
‘Amazon has over sixty-five percent of the ebook market in Australia and over seventy-five percent of ereaders owned in Australia are Kindles’—Pages & Pages general manager and Australian Booksellers Association...

RiP Al Knight

Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Hyland House publisher and doyen of the book industry Al Knight has died, aged 88.  Knight's wife Janet McCalman writes: ‘Al came to Melbourne in 1971 to be MD of Thomas Nelson....

Handbury, Ashbridge launch online food community 

Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Former Murdoch Books owner Matt Handbury and digital director Mark Ashbridge have partnered to launch a new website dedicated to food and cooking. Eatlove, which launched in October 2012, features...

ASA Children’s Picture Book Illustrators’ grants announced

Tuesday, 23 April 2013
The recipients of the 2013 Australian Society of Authors’ (ASA) Children’s Picture Book Illustrators’ grants have been announced.The Emerging Illustrator’s grant of $5000 was awarded to Marc Martin for The River. The...

Best Australian Blogs 2013 finalists announced 

Tuesday, 23 April 2013
The finalists in the Best Australian Blogs 2013 competition have been announced. Finalists in the Words and Writing category are: ‘Alpha Reader’ by Danielle Binks ‘Book to the Future’ by...

Pages & Pages announces ‘Kindle amnesty’ 

Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Pages & Pages Booksellers in Mosman, Sydney, has announced that it will introduce a ‘Kindle amnesty’ on the third Saturday of every month, asking customers to trade in Amazon Kindles...

RiP A S A Harrison 

Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Canadian author and editor A S A Harrison has died, aged 65. Harrison’s debut novel The Silent Wife (Headline) is due for worldwide release in June. Harrison previously published Orgasms (Coach...