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WAYRBA 2017 shortlists announced

Friday, 3 February 2017
The shortlists for the 2017 West Australian Young Readers’ Book Awards (WAYRBA) have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Picture books Thelma the Unicorn (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic)...

‘Overland’ poetry prize 2016 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 1 February 2017
The shortlist for the 2016 Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets has been announced. The eight shortlisted poems are: ‘Many Girls, White Linen’ (Alison Whittaker) ‘Languages...

Full program for Adelaide Writers’ Week announced

Wednesday, 1 February 2017
The full program for Adelaide Writers’ Week, which runs from 4-9 March, has been announced. This year’s festival is dedicated to Elizabeth Harrower, who will be in conversation with Text...

Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2017 winners announced

Wednesday, 1 February 2017
Sydney-based writer, actor and playwright Leah Purcell has won the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature for her play The Drover’s Wife (Currency Press) at this year’s Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards....

London longlisted for Wellcome Book Prize

Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Joan London’s novel The Golden Age (Vintage, published in the UK by Europa Editions) has been longlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize in the UK. The annual prize, worth £30,000...

‘Introducing Teddy’ makes ALA ‘Rainbow List’

Introducing Teddy cover Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Jessica Walton’s Introducing Teddy (illus by Dougal MacPherson, Bloomsbury) has made the American Library Association’s (ALA) annual Rainbow List’s Top Ten books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (LGBT)...

Creative Victoria announces VicArts recipients

Friday, 27 January 2017
Several literary projects have been included among the recipients in the latest round of Creative Victoria’s VicArts Grants. The program will provide over $1.8m in funding for 87 creative projects...

NZSA / Hachette Mentor program recipients announced

Wednesday, 25 January 2017
The New Zealand Society of Authors and Hachette Australia have announced the recipients of the 2017 NZSA/Hachette Mentor Program. NZ writers Heidi North-Bailey and Linda Bennett will work on a...

Sydney Story Factory to open Parramatta branch

Tuesday, 24 January 2017
The Sydney Story Factory, which runs free creative writing and storytelling workshops for students, will open its second centre in Parramatta in early 2018. More than a quarter of its...

Flynn wins inaugural XO Romance Prize

Monday, 23 January 2017
Xoum Publishing has announced Jean Flynn as the winner of the inaugural XO Romance Prize for an unpublished manuscript, for her work Lovesick. Guest judge Alexandra Nahlous called Lovesick ‘a...

Larbalestier, McKinty shortlisted for 2017 Edgars

Friday, 20 January 2017
Australian author Justine Larbalestier and Melbourne-based Irish author Adrian McKinty have been shortlisted for the 2017 Edgar Allan Poe Awards (the Edgars), which honour ‘the best in mystery fiction and...

Books editor Blanche Clark leaves ‘Herald Sun’ 

Friday, 20 January 2017
Blanche Clark, books editor of the Victorian newspaper the Herald Sun, has left the publication. A spokesperson for the Herald Sun said that sub-editor Barry Reynolds will manage the book...

Tiny Owl Workshop partners with online multimedia game

Thursday, 19 January 2017
Brisbane micro-publisher Tiny Owl Workshop is partnering with Wattpad and new online interactive storytelling game The Westbury Faery to host a short story competition, with winners to be published in...

Australian YA debut acquired by PRH

Thursday, 19 January 2017
Penguin Random House (PRH) has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Australian-born, US-based author Emily Suvada’s debut YA novel This Mortal Coil in a two-book deal. The novel centres around...

Zusak, Fox top 2015-16 lending rights surveys

Thursday, 19 January 2017
Books by Markus Zusak and Mem Fox have topped the lists of the highest scoring books in the most recent report on the Public Lending Rights (PLR) and Educational Lending...

Birchalls bookshop to close

Thursday, 19 January 2017
Australia’s oldest bookshop, Birchalls in Launceston, is set to close this year after being put on the market in March 2016. The ABC reports that the premises were sold in...

McPherson’s ‘Grace Beside Me’ adapted for TV

Thursday, 19 January 2017
Sue McPherson’s YA novel Grace Beside Me (Magabala) has been commissioned by NITV, the National Indigenous Television channel, for a live-action children’s series. The planned 13-episode series marks the first-ever...