Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 7 September 2010
'It would still be a viable business. It would be a different business if I was doing half of what I'm doing now. And I hope to god that in...

Indigenous Literacy Day 2010 

Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Last week's Indigenous Literacy Day was ‘a day to raise major funds for the Indigenous Literacy Project but also marked a dramatic increase in interest in the debate, discussion and...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Katniss Everdeen has survived the hunger games twice against all odds, and she’s not safe after making it out of the bloody arena, because the Capitol is angry and wants...

Rights round-up 

Monday, 6 September 2010
In rights news this week: Fiction--Allen & Unwin has sold The Slap (Christos Tsiolkas) to Italy (Neri Pozza), Germany (Klett-Cotta) and Portugal (ASA Editores); and Serbian rights for The Forgotten...

2010 Hugo Award winners announced 

Monday, 6 September 2010
The winners of the 2010 Hugo Awards for science-fiction were announced at AussieCon 4 on Sunday 5 September. Local author Garth Nix delivered the keynote speech at the awards ceremony...

Victorian Premier’s awards 2010 shortlist announced 

Monday, 6 September 2010
The shortlist for the 2010 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards has been announced. The shortlisted works are: The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction $30,000Parrot and Olivier in America (Peter Carey, Penguin) The...

Ned Kelly Awards 2010 winners announced 

Monday, 6 September 2010
The winners of the 2010 Ned Kelly Awards for Australian Crime Writing Awards were presented at the Melbourne Writers Festival on Friday 3 September. Best fiction book went to Garry...

On Fancy Goods 

Monday, 6 September 2010
On our Fancy Goods blog this week: reviewer Kate Cuthbert speaks to Kimberley Freeman about her new novel Wildflower Hill (Hachette); Eliza Metcalfe says ‘there's not a word out of...

In brief 

Monday, 6 September 2010
Dymocks and Murdoch Books partner for design competitionMurdoch Books and Dymocks have announced they are partnering in a cover design competition for Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...

RIP Vance Bourjaily 

Monday, 6 September 2010
Postwar American novelist and writing professor Vance Bourjaily has died, aged 87. His novels included The End of My Life, Confessions of a Spent Youth, The Man Who Knew Kennedy...

RIP Raymond Hawkey 

Monday, 6 September 2010
UK graphic designer Raymond John Hawkey has died, aged 80. He influenced the evolution of book covers with his designs of Len Deighton's titles including The Ipcress File, Ian Fleming’s...

RIP Ken McLachlan 

Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Magazine publisher Ken McLachlan has died, aged 65. McLachlan became a salesman for McGraw-Hill when he moved to Australia from New Zealand in 1966. He founded Australian Sailing magazine in...

Around the world 

Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Among the many international booktrade stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:Should writers pay for book reviews?'The digital era has not made publishers defuct'The OED...

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 1 September 2010
‘Online, our undies are hanging out for all to see’--A&U’s Elizabeth Weiss utilised the ‘undies drawer’ metaphor to try to liven up the topic of metadata at this week’s ABA...

‘The Future is Now’ ABA ebook seminar 

Wednesday, 1 September 2010
The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) hosted a well-attended full-day seminar on ebooks yesterday in Sydney, titled ‘The Future is Now'. The day's keynote speaker was Len Vlahos, the COO of...

Thorpe-Bowker 2010 NZ Book Industry Awards 

Tuesday, 31 August 2010
The winners of the Thorpe-Bowker 2010 New Zealand Book Industry Awards were announced at the Booksellers NZ Conference Dinner in Auckland on Sunday 29 August. The winners were: Independent Bookseller...

Davitt Awards winners announced 

Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Allen & Unwin won all awards in the Sisters in Crime Australia’s 10th Davitt Awards for best Australian women’s crime writing, presented by Val McDermid in the Celtic Club as...

In brief 

Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Amsterdam on 'Guardian' first book longlist Things We Didn't See Coming by Australian author Steven Amsterdam (Sleepers Publishing) has been longlisted for this year's £10,000 (A$17,000) Guardian first book award in...

On Fancy Goods 

Tuesday, 31 August 2010
On the Fancy Goods blog this week, Angela Meyer reviews Bereft (Chris Womersley, Scribe), we talk to Toni Jordan about the numerous and varied book covers for her novel Addition...

Fourth annual Indigenous Literacy Day today 

Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Thousands of school children, together with hundreds of bookshops and publishers, libraries and organisations around Australia will celebrate the fourth Indigenous Literacy Day today, 1 September 2010. Major events include...

‘Addition’ film rights sold 

Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Text Publishing has announced that film rights to Toni Jordan's Addition have been acquired by Buon Giorno Productions and Bruna Papandrea. The film is set to be co-produced by Cristina...

‘Lovesong’ wins 2010 Age Book of the Year 

Tuesday, 31 August 2010
The winners of the Age Book of the Year Awards were announced on Friday 27 August at the opening of the Melbourne Writers Festival. Alex Miller was the overall winner...

Browne to replace Walker at REDgroup 

Tuesday, 31 August 2010
REDgroup Retail, owner of Borders, Angus & Robertson and Whitcoulls, has announced Rod Walker will step down from his role as executive chairman.The announcement comes as the group confirms it...

Queensland Premier’s Awards 2010 winners announced 

Tuesday, 31 August 2010
J M Coetzee took out the top prize for fiction at the 2010 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards last night for Summertime (Vintage), which judges described as an ‘extraordinary book' that...