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Gender pay gaps revealed for larger Australian publishers 

Thursday, 29 February 2024
Many larger Australian publishing houses’ gender pay gaps are now viewable through the Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) data explorer, which was made available this week. As reported...

Reti resigns from MWF board over program 

Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Retired clinician Leslie Reti has resigned from his position as Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) deputy chair. In a statement to the Age, Reti said his reasons for resigning from the...

S&S acquires Garside memoir ‘The Good Fight’ 

An image of boxer Harry Garside applying a hand wrap Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to The Good Fight, a memoir by boxer Harry Garside. Garside rose to prominence following his bronze medal win at the...

Pantera acquires Lenton debut ‘Spite Pie’ 

Author photograph of Patrick Lenton with a greyhound dog Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Pantera Press has acquired world rights to the debut novel Spite Pie by journalist and writer Patrick Lenton in a two-book deal brokered by Lou Johnson at Key People Literary...

CBCA 2024 Notable Books announced

Tuesday, 27 February 2024
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its list of Notable Books for 2024. The list acts as the longlist for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards....

Conversation launches books and ideas newsletter 

Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Research-based news and analysis website the Conversation has launched a new books and ideas newsletter. ‘With shrinking space in many newspapers for serious discussion of books and ideas, we think...

Daisley on Walter Scott longlist 

Cover image for Stephen Daisley's A Better Place Tuesday, 27 February 2024
In the UK, Aotearoa New Zealand author Stephen Daisley has been longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, worth £25,000 (A$48,500). The full list of titles longlisted for...

Brooks wins 2023 Judith Wright Poetry Prize

A portrait of Andrew Brooks Monday, 26 February 2024
Overland has announced that Andrew Brooks is the winner of the 2023 Judith Wright Poetry prize, for his poem ‘Celestial Tree’. Brooks is a lecturer in media and culture, living...

Zhang wins 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize

A photograph of Annie Zhang Monday, 26 February 2024
Overland has announced that Annie Zhang is the winner of the 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize, for her story ‘Who Rattles the Night?’. Zhang is a writer and editor...

A&U promotes Forge to associate publisher 

Monday, 26 February 2024
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has promoted Samantha Forge to the position of associate publisher—books for children and young adults. Forge has over 12 years’ experience in trade publishing, and was...

Smith wins 2024 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize

Thursday, 22 February 2024
Yasmin Smith has won Island magazine’s 2024 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize for the poem ‘The Burial Feathers’. Smith’s poem was chosen from about 500 entries. The two runners-up were Emilie...

Affirm Press sells screen rights to Funny Ethnics 

Funny Ethnics book cover, featuring an ibis holding a bubble tea drink while standing on top of a bin Thursday, 22 February 2024
Flying Bark Productions has optioned the screen rights to Shirley Le’s Funny Ethnics (Affirm), in a deal negotiated by Bold Type Agency on behalf of Affirm Press. The 2022 novel ‘catapults...

The Heart Is a Star screen option sold to Aquarius Films 

Thursday, 22 February 2024
The Heart Is a Star (Megan Rogers, HarperCollins) has been optioned by Aquarius Films, in a television deal negotiated by Zeitgeist Agency. The novel—Rogers’ debut—is ‘set predominantly in rugged Tasmania’,...

HarperCollins acquires Gardiner, Kumar cosy crime 

An image of authors Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar. Wednesday, 21 February 2024
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective, a forthcoming cosy crime novel from Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar, via Danielle Binks and Jacinta di Mase of...

Canberra Writers Festival moves to October 

Canberra Writers Festival logo Wednesday, 21 February 2024
The 2024 Canberra Writers Festival will run from 23–27 October. With the new dates occurring late in the year, organisers said that the 2024 festival is planned to ‘kick off...

UQP acquires Behrendt novel 

An author photograph of Larissa Behrendt. Tuesday, 20 February 2024
UQP has acquired world rights to Alchemy, a new novel from Larissa Behrendt. Alchemy is described by UQP as ‘an intertwining story about the blurred lines between science and supernatural, the...

Kroetsch appointed Writers SA CEO 

An image of Laura Kroetsch in front of a bookcase Tuesday, 20 February 2024
Writers SA has appointed Laura Kroetsch as its new CEO. In an announcement on behalf of the Writers SA board, chair Tanya Wilkins said: ‘I look forward to working closely...

Funder longlisted for inaugural Women’s Prize for Nonfiction

Cover of Wifedom Monday, 19 February 2024
Anna Funder is longlisted for the inaugural Women’s Prize for Nonfiction, worth £30,000 (A$58,000), for her book Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s invisible life (Hamish Hamilton). The fifteen other titles longlisted for the award...

BookPeople announces conference guest authors 

Monday, 19 February 2024
BookPeople has announced its first guests for this year's conference—the authors who will speak at its 100th anniversary gala dinner and awards night. Helen Garner will be the pre-dinner speaker....

A&U acquires Beer middle-grade novel 

Photograph of Sophie Beer Monday, 19 February 2024
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to Thunderhead, a debut illustrated middle-grade novel by picture book author and illustrator Sophie Beer, via Annabel Barker at Annabel Barker Agency....

Rodrick wins inaugural Pearl Prize

Monday, 19 February 2024
Spencer M F Rodrick has won the inaugural Pearl Prize, presented by queer arts and cultural organisation Midsumma. Rodrick, who was chosen from a list of 15 finalists, and was...

DANZ Children’s Book Award shortlists announced

DANZ logo Thursday, 15 February 2024
The shortlists for the inaugural DANZ (Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) Children’s Book Award have been announced. Chosen from longlists announced last month, the shortlisted titles in each...

Blak & Bright Festival 2024 program announced

Thursday, 15 February 2024
Blak & Bright Festival has announced its 2024 program, with the festival to run from 13 to 17 March in Naarm/Melbourne. The biennial First Nations literature festival will this year...

Ultimo acquires Holmes debut 

Thursday, 15 February 2024
Ultimo has acquired Commonwealth rights (ex Canada) to a debut novel from Gail Holmes, titled In the Margins. Calling Holmes ‘a remarkable new voice in historical fiction’, the publisher described...

Graham longlisted for Carnegie Medal for Illustration

Cover of Concrete Garden by Bob Graham Wednesday, 14 February 2024
In the UK, Australian author Bob Graham has been longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration (previously known as the Kate Greenaway Medal for Illustration), which was announced along with...