Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Industry members on Queen’s Birthday Honours list 

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
The 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List were announced Monday 8 June. Among the book industry-related individuals honoured with awards in the Order of Australia in the general division (AM) were...

BPANZ Book Design Awards shortlist announced 

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
The 2009 Book Publishers Association of New Zealand (BPANZ) Book Design Awards shortlist has been announced. Peter Gilderdale, convenor of judges for 2009 said: ‘The finalists we have chosen are...

Sir Julius Vogel Award winners announced 

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
The winners of the 2009 Sir Julius Vogel Awards for New Zealand science fiction, fantasy and horror have been announced. The winners in the literary categories are:Best novel - adult:...

Kibble to Kent; Dobbie to Thomas 

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
The 2009 Nita B Kibble Award for Women Writers ($25,000) has been awarded to Jacqueline Kent, for her book An Exacting Heart: the Story of Hepzibah Menuhin (Viking). Kent was...

On Tour 

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Authors on tour in June and July: JuneMark Schwarzer & Neil Montagnana-Wallace, Bounce Books (Megs and the Complete Left Foot)JulyRupert Isaacson, Text Publishing (The Horse Boy)Scott Frost, Hachette (Don't Look...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge is top of the Fastest Movers chart this week. This year's Sydney Writers' Festival bookshop (run by Gleebooks) recorded that Doidge's book...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: Smart 2009 Conference, Sydney, 10-11 JuneCape Town Book Fair, 13-16 JuneTo view these and more...

RiP David Eddings 

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
American fantasy author David Eddings, best known for his ‘Malloreon' and ‘Belgariad' series, has died, aged 77. 

RiP Chris O’Brien 

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Amruta Slee, publisher at HarperCollins writes: 'On June 4, following a two and a half year battle with cancer, Chris O'Brien died at Royal Prince Alfred hospital in Sydney. His...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:Google to sell ebooksSalinger sues over 'Catcher' sequelHachette UK and Amazon resolve disputeEvaristo wins Orange youth prizeConsumers...

Montana New Zealand Book Awards finalists announced 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The Montana New Zealand Book Awards celebrate the best books written and illustrated by New Zealanders each year. Awarded in the fields of fiction; poetry; history; biography; reference and anthology; lifestyle and...

Quotes of the week 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
‘Subscriptions and consumer online purchasing and advertising, there's per-page printing at public access terminals in libraries ... there's a whole lot of new ways for authors to be paid if...

Reading Matters Conference 2009 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The Reading Matters Conference--Australia's leading youth literature event for professionals and young people--was held from the 28 to the 30 May at the State Library of Victoria and Storey Hall,...

Rights round-up 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
In rights news this week:  FictionHarperCollins has sold Covet by Tara Moss to Spain after Moss' successful author tour there; The Sea Between by Carol Thomas to Germany; Accidental Sorcerer...

McGills Melbourne to close 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The Melbourne bookshop McGills, which has been trading for 149 years, will close this Friday 5 June. ‘It's fair to say we've been struggling for a few years--it's a tough...

BEA: bookseller attendance down 10-15% 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Derek Dryden, owner of Better Read Than Dead, reports on this year's Book Expo America: ‘Book Expo America closed in New York on Sunday after an invigorating three days focusing on...

Dymocks to close flagship Auckland store 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Dymocks has announced it will close its company-owned flagship Auckland store. The store, which is located in Queen Street in Auckland's CBD, is due to close on 26 June. Dymocks...

Tsiolkas’ ‘The Slap’ to be adapted for TV 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Matchbox Pictures has announced that it has secured the rights to Christos Tsiolkas' The Slap (A&U), to be adapted for television. Matchbox Pictures' Tony Ayres said in a statement: ‘The...

CMS Bookstore to close 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The Church Missionary Society (CMS) has announced that the CMS Bookstore in Brisbane, in its current form, will close. CMS first started a book room in 1944, and has served...

ASA announces mentorship recipients 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced the 20 successful applicants for its 2009/10 round of mentorships. The ASA received over 260 entries in the areas of fiction, nonfiction,...

R*BY finalists announced 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) has announced the finalists for the 2009 R*BY Awards, this year expanded to four categories. The finalists are:Short Sweet category:The Single Dad's Patchwork Family...

ABIA shortlist announced 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The shortlist for this year's Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) has been announced. The shortlist is as follows: Chain Bookseller of the Year 2009, sponsored byPacStreamDymocks Sydney (NSW/ACT)Dymocks Indooroopilly (Qld)Dymocks...

Retail sales up 0.3% in April 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has reported that retail sales rose 0.3% in April to $19.351 billion from $19.296 billion in March, seasonally adjusted. However the results for April...

ABA to participate in retail tenancy ‘crisis meeting’ 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The Australian Booksellers Association has joined the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) in calling on the federal government to bring retailers and landlords together at a Retail Tenancy Crisis meeting. ‘Many...

Emerging Writers’ Festival wraps up 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The Emerging Writers' Festival (EWF) concluded on Sunday 30 May, having run from 22 May in Melbourne. Festival director David Ryding told WBN: ‘The festival sold out every ticketed event...

Black Duck Books becomes MacLean’s Booksellers 

Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Max and Amanda Shirley took over Black Duck Books, in Toronto, New South Wales, on Monday 1 June, renaming it MacLean's Booksellers. The Shirleys have owned a separate bookstore, Maclean's...