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Affirm Press acquires Duckor-Jones coming-of-age novel 

Author photograph of Avi Duckor-Jones Thursday, 12 October 2023
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Max, a coming-of-age novel by Avi Duckor-Jones, via Jane Novak Literary Agency. The titular protagonist is ‘grappling with questions about his birth parents and...

Inaugural Stella Day Out announced

Stella Day out Wednesday, 11 October 2023
Stella has announced the inaugural Stella Day Out, a free one-day literary festival that ‘celebrates and promotes the outstanding contributions of women and non-binary writers to Australian literature’. The event...

Richell Prize 2023 shortlist announced

Logo for the Richell Prize, featuring a swooping bird Wednesday, 11 October 2023
Hachette, in partnership with the Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF), has announced the shortlist for the 2023 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers. The five shortlisted entries are: ‘When I Was Your...

Newcastle Poetry Prize 2023 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 11 October 2023
The Hunter Writers’ Centre has announced the 2023 shortlist for the $15,000 Newcastle Poetry Prize, with several poets reaching the shortlist with more than one entry. Shortlisted poets include: Eileen...

Pickard appointed OUP ANZ general manager 

Wednesday, 11 October 2023
OUP ANZ has announced that former operations director Selina Pickard is returning to the organisation in the role of general manager. At OUP, Pickard was previously a digital and creative...

Larrikin House acquires two graphic novels

Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Larrikin House has acquired world rights to two graphic novels set for release in 2024. One title is Ultra Violet by Cristy Burne, illustrated by Rebel Challenger, which ‘follows Violet, a science...

Tighe wins 2023 Varuna-NEWC Fellowship 

Author photograph of Matthew Tighe Tuesday, 10 October 2023
The New England Writers’ Centre (NEWC)—in partnership with Varuna, the National Writers’ House—has announced Matthew Tighe as the winner of the 2023 Varuna-NEWC Fellowship. Tighe will work on his steampunk...

Rainbow Road board books recalled

Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Eight books in the Rainbow Road board book series, published by Make Believe Ideas, are being recalled because of concerns they could cause a choking hazard. In a statement published...

Writing WA to present 2024 Perth Writers Weekend

Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Perth Festival has formed a partnership with Writing WA to present the Perth Writers Weekend at Perth Festival 2024. To be held on 23–25 February 2024, the revamped Writers Weekend...

Kayser appointed Murdoch Books publisher 

Monday, 9 October 2023
Murdoch Books has appointed Melissa Kayser as publisher, in a newly created position. Kayser, who will be based in Melbourne, joins Murdoch from Hardie Grant, where she was most recently...

Doig wins NZ$25,000 CLNZ/NZSA Writers’ Award

Monday, 9 October 2023
Tom Doig has been awarded the 2023 Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) and the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) Writers’ Award,...

Leane wins 2023 David Harold Tribe Poetry Award

Monday, 9 October 2023
Jeanine Leane has won the University of Sydney's 2023 David Harold Tribe Poetry Award, worth $20,000. Leane's poem 'Water under the bridge' was chosen from a record of 522 poems,...

Bendigo moves back to August 

Friday, 6 October 2023
Bendigo Writers Festival has announced it will return to an August time slot for its 2024 event, with festival director Rosemary Sorensen leaving the role. The three-day festival will next...

HarperCollins acquires Wilson memoir 

Cover image of the book Rebel Rising by Rebel Wilson, featuring a portrait of the actor wearing a sparkling red dress Thursday, 5 October 2023
HarperCollins has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to actor Rebel Wilson’s memoir Rebel Rising, via Matilda Forbes Watson at WME, reports the Bookseller. HarperCollins UK managing director and publisher Sarah...

Antigny steps down at Pantera, Draper promoted 

Thursday, 5 October 2023
Pantera Press has announced the promotion of senior publicist Lauren Draper to the role of head of publicity and communications, as publicity director Léa Antigny steps down to 'move in...

Affirm acquires Brissenden novel 

An author photograph of Michael Brissenden, who is looking off-camera Thursday, 5 October 2023
Affirm has acquired ANZ rights to Smoke, a new crime thriller from journalist Michael Brissenden, via Shane Salerno and Daniel Pilkington of The Story Factory. The publisher described Smoke as...

Beveridge wins $10k ACU Poetry Prize

Wednesday, 4 October 2023
Sydney-based poet Judith Beveridge has won the $10,000 Australian Catholic University (ACU) Prize for Poetry for her poem ‘Two Houses’. Responding to this year’s theme of ‘Love’, Beveridge’s poem is...

Magabala to offer two $10k AIC Creative Grants

Logo for the AIC Creative Grants Wednesday, 4 October 2023
Magabala Books will offer two $10,000 creative grants for First Nations storytellers, writers, illustrators and artists, in partnership with Australian Indigenous Coffee (AIC). The publisher said the grants ‘are intended...

Europa Editions acquires new Azar novel 

Tuesday, 3 October 2023
Europa Editions has acquired world rights to a new novel by Iranian-Australian author and journalist Shokoofeh Azar, via Europa editor in chief Michael Reynolds, in a deal brokered by Victoria...

Drama series inspired by ‘Fake’ to screen next year 

Tuesday, 3 October 2023
An eight-part drama series inspired by journalist Stephanie Wood’s 2019 nonfiction book Fake (Penguin) will screen on Paramount+ in 2024. Fake has been created for TV by screenwriter Anya Beyersdorf and...

2023 Ditmar Award winners announced

Monday, 2 October 2023
The winners of the 2023 Ditmar Awards were announced on 30 September, as part of the 2023 Australian National Science Fiction Convention in Canberra. These awards recognise achievement in Australian...