Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: A Commonwealth Bill of Rights: Do We Need It? -- panel discussion, Eltham, VIC, 13...

RiP Hans Holzer 

Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Author and ‘ghost hunter' Hans Holzer has died, aged 89. He was best known for Murder At Amityville.

BWF 2009: O’Hara announces changes, first guests 

Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Newly appointed Brisbane Writers Festival artistic director Jane O'Hara has announced some changes for this year's festival. ‘In addition to the more "traditional" genres [this year's festival] will reach out...

New subscription-based publisher launched 

Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Author/publishers Michael Wilding and Phillip Edmonds have announced the launch of  Press On, a new publisher modelled on 18th- and 19th-century subscription models. Wilding told WBN one reason behind the...

Reader’s Feast sells ebook readers 

Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Melbourne's Reader's Feast Bookstore has become one of the first independent bookstores to carry a range of ebook readers. The store stocks the Bookeen Cybook, Irex iLiad (V2 and Book...

Kibble and Dobbie shortlists announced 

Monday, 11 May 2009
The shortlists for the Kibble Literary award and Dobbie Encouragement award 2009 have been announced. The Kibble Literary award, worth $25,000, recognises the work of an established Australian female writer....

Whitcoulls concept store opens in Riccarton 

Monday, 11 May 2009
A new Whitcoulls ‘icon' store has opened in Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand. The refurbished store opened on 22 April. Sheryl Green, sales and operations director of Whitcoulls told WBN: ‘The...

Dymocks Brisbane closed 

Monday, 11 May 2009
Dymocks in Brisbane's CBD has closed due to the expiration of its current lease. The store closed on Tuesday 28 April. Dymocks CEO Don Grover told WBN that Dymocks was...

‘Australia’s Biggest Book Group’ launched 

Monday, 11 May 2009
Australia's Biggest Book Group is a new initiative formed to raise funds and awareness for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The initiative, established by Lucy Burns, encourages the public to buy...

Hachette recalls ‘Betrayed’ 

Monday, 11 May 2009
Hachette Australia has announced an urgent recall of Betrayed by P C and Kristen Cast (Atom), ‘due to a printing error'. ‘As the incorrectly bound copies contain material which isn't...

De Kretser on Orange ‘youth’ shortlist 

Monday, 11 May 2009
Australian author Michelle de Kretser is shortlisted for the Orange Prize Shadow Youth Panel Prize, for her book The Lost Dog (A&U). The youth panel (aged 16 to 19) are...

George Robertson awards recognise service to the industry 

Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Long-serving industry members were honoured for their service to the book industry at the second annual Australian Publishers Association (APA) George Robertson awards, held in Melbourne on Thursday 30 April....

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 6 May 2009
There are many more people who would be interested in a general-purpose tablet than in an e-book reader [...]. But if the PC and smartphone industries are any guide, people...

Around the World 

Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:US Justice Dept. launches antitrust inquiry into Google Books up to 650 jobs lost at Waterstone'sover 100...

MWF begins search for new director 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
The Melbourne Writers' Festival has commenced its search for a candidate to replace current director Rosemary Cameron. Cameron, who was appointed director of the festival for three years in 2006,...

Sydney Writers’ Festival industry events announced 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
The Visiting International Publishers (VIP) program takes place during the Sydney Writers' festival, which runs from 18 to 24 May, 2009. Editors, publishers and agents from overseas will join in...

Auckland prepares for Writers and Readers Festival 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
The Auckland Writers and Readers Festival kicks off next Wednesday 13 May, running until 17 May. Guests include Debra Adelaide, Monica Ali, Tash Aw, Mohammed Hanif, New Yorker senior editor...

In brief 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Parallel importation debate continuesMainstream media coverage of the debate surrounding the Productivity Commission's study of parallel importation continued this week, with an op ed piece from Dymocks board member Bob...

Clunes book fair attracts the crowds 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
The annual Clunes Book Town event held from 2 to 3 May attracted ‘a very good turnout' and saw the town overrun with secondhand books, according to publisher Rose Michael...

Rights round-up 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
In rights news this week: FictionRandom House has sold Cemetery Lake by Paul Cleave to France; previous licenses include the United Kingdom and Germany. Text has sold Russian rights to...

Carey moves to Penguin; new novel due in November 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Penguin Australia has announced it will publish Peter Carey's forthcoming novel Parrot and Olivier in America. Carey, whose most recent novels His Illegal Self, Theft and My Life as a...

Ron Abbey’s Bookhouse closes online presence 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Ron Abbey's Bookhouse, which moved online in 2006, has closed. The bricks and mortar store was opened by Ron Abbey in Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, in 2000,...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
True Colours by Lisa Davies graces the top of the Highest New Entries chart this week. The biography centres on Lauren Huxley who was beaten in her home by a...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: Buenos Aires International Book Fair, 23 April - 11 MayClosing date for The Indie Award,...