Weekly news | Books+Publishing

Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Books at MIFF, an event that promotes books to potential screen rights buyers at the Melbourne International Film Festival, took place again this year, on last Thursday, 8 August. The...

Affirm acquires Cleary debut historical fiction

Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Madeleine Cleary’s debut historical novel, The Butterfly Women. Set in 1863, the novel tells a story of Australia ‘that the newspapers and history...

Readings Children’s Book Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Tuesday, 13 August 2024
The shortlist for the 2024 Readings Children’s Book Prize has been announced. This year’s six shortlisted books are: The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright (Reece Carter, illus by Simon Howe, A&U...

Aotearoa New Zealand Book Industry Awards 2024 announced

Wednesday, 7 August 2024
The winners of the 2024 Aotearoa New Zealand Book Industry Awards have been announced. Moa Press, an imprint of Hachette, was named publisher of the year, while Petronella’s Bookstore and...

A&U acquires Oswald novel

Wednesday, 7 August 2024
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to One Hundred Years of Betty by Debra Oswald, in a deal brokered by Anthony Blair at Cameron’s. One the eve of...

Sullivan appointed MWF festival director

Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Veronica Sullivan, head of programming at the Wheeler Centre (TWC), will step down from the role at the end of August to become festival director at Melbourne Writers Festival. Said...

Deadline for next Booktopia meeting of creditors extended

Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Booktopia administrators have until early December to find a buyer for the company after a Federal Court judge ordered a three-month extension to the deadline before the next meeting of...

Wood longlisted for 2024 Booker Prize

Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Australian author Charlotte Wood has been longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel Stone Yard Devotional (A&U). The 13 books shortlist for the £50,000 (A$98,124) prize are: Creation...

Hamouda wins 2024 National Biography Award for ‘The Shape of Dust’

Wednesday, 31 July 2024
The Shape of Dust: A father wrongly imprisoned, a daughter’s quest to free him (Lamisse Hamouda with Hazem Hamouda, Pantera) has won the 2024 National Biography Award. Hamouda wins $25,000,...

Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 31 July 2024
The Australian Book Review has announced the shortlist for the 2024 Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize. The shortlisted works are: ‘First Snow’ by Kerry Greer (WA) ‘Pornwald’ by Jill Van...

Pantera acquires Sheppard adult novel

Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Pantera Press has acquired ANZ rights for Holden Sheppard’s first novel for adults, Two Kings, in a deal brokered by Gaby Naher at Left Bank Literary. Two Kings is described...

Forster to leave Curtis Brown

Wednesday, 24 July 2024
Curtis Brown has announced that senior agent Clare Forster will be leaving the company in late August ‘to pursue other interests’. Forster joined the literary agency in 2007, having previously...

PANZ Book Design Awards 2024 finalists announced

Wednesday, 24 July 2024
The finalists in the 2024 New Zealand Te Rau o Tākupu Publishers Association (PANZ) Book Design Awards have been announced. The finalists in each category are: Best illustrated book The...

HarperCollins acquires Price’s memoir

Wednesday, 24 July 2024
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s memoir Matters of the Heart, written with Sue Smethurst. Price was elected a Country Liberal Party (CLP) senator for the Northern...

Booktopia administrators identify $60 million in debt

Wednesday, 17 July 2024
Keith Crawford, of Booktopia administrators McGrathNicol, has told the ABC the company had identified debts of $60 million held by the online bookseller, following the first meeting of creditors on 15 July. Crawford...

‘Big Time’ sells to UK, Italy and Russia

Wednesday, 17 July 2024
University of Queensland Press (UQP) has sold UK/Commonwealth (ex ANZ) rights to Jordan Prosser’s debut novel, Big Time, to publishing director Harriet Hirshman at Dead Ink, in a deal brokered...

Thames & Hudson to move distribution to UBD

Wednesday, 17 July 2024
Thames & Hudson (T&H) ANZ has announced it will move its Australia and New Zealand distribution from Alliance Distribution Services (ADS) to United Book Distributors (UBD) in February 2025. T&H...

Red Paper Kite for sale

Wednesday, 17 July 2024
Perth-based independent press Red Paper Kite is up for sale. Founder and publisher Sandra van Doorn told Books+Publishing the press is ‘on the cusp of a greater success’ but ‘demands a...

Birch, Lucashenko inaugural Hage Award mentors

Wednesday, 10 July 2024
Sweatshop Literacy Movement has announced multi-award-winning authors Tony Birch and Melissa Lucashenko will mentor the recipients of the inaugural Hage Award for First Nations Writers. As previously reported by Books+Publishing,...

National Biography Award 2024 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 10 July 2024
The State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW) has announced the shortlist for the $25,000 National Biography Award. The shortlisted works, selected from a record 107 entries and including five...

Ultimo Press acquires Watts novel

Wednesday, 10 July 2024
Ultimo Press has acquired ANZ rights to Elegy, Southwest, the second novel by Madeleine Watts, in a deal brokered by Lucy Luck at C&W Agency, London, on behalf of Anna...

Transit Lounge acquires Sayer memoir

Wednesday, 3 July 2024
Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to No Dancing in the Lift, a memoir from author Mandy Sayer, via Jeanne Ryckmans at Key People Literary Management. Described by Transit Lounge...

Booktopia appoints administrators

Wednesday, 3 July 2024
Online bookseller Booktopia has appointed McGrathNicol as voluntary administrators of the company and its subsidiaries. Listed as insolvent are Booktopia Group Limited and associated entities Booktopia Pty Limited, Making I....

UQP acquires Vowles debut novel

Wednesday, 3 July 2024
UQP has acquired world rights to a debut novel from screenwriter and author Thomas Vowles, titled The End of Everything. ‘A psychological thriller set in Melbourne’s queer scene, The End...

Creative Australia international program recipients announced

Wednesday, 3 July 2024
Creative Australia has announced the recipients of grants through its international programs. The programs include the International Travel Fund, the International Engagement Fund and the International Touring and Presentation Fund,...

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