Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Collins Booksellers acquires Book City 

Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Collins Booksellers has acquired the 28 franchises of the Book City group, effectively doubling its size.The new combined group will have more than 60 shops operating across Australia, with plans...

In brief 

Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Scott, Manhire and Farrell win NZ Prime Minister's literary awards Historian Dick Scott, poet Bill Manhire and novelist Fiona Farrell are the 2007 winners of the New Zealand Prime Minister's...

New Zealand Book Month winds up 

Tuesday, 9 October 2007
The second New Zealand Book Month, which ran this year from 3 to 30 September, has drawn strong interest from New Zealand readers. The Six Pack Two, an anthology of...

ABC Enterprises and Vision Australia announce partnership 

Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Following its announcement earlier this year that ABC Enterprises would cease audio book production, the ABC's commercial arm has announced a partnership with Vision Australia which promises continued production of...

Quote of the Week 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
‘These guys know what they're doing, they've made it successful so we just want to give them more power to make it bigger and better.'--BBC Worldwide international director Ian Watson,...

Antipodean contingent prepares for Frankfurt 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
The annual Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest rights fair, officially starts next week on 10 October. This year's Guest of Honour is the Catalan Culture.Seventy Australian and 25 New...

Around the World 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
In news from our Around the World blog this week:Amazon launches digital music storeMacmillan CEO leaves for Bloomsbury Perseus bid for PGW name approvedGoogle Book Search reloadedJohn Grisham and other authors...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
It's probably neither an outstanding nor a wacky record, but the latest 'Guinness Book' - Guinness World Records 2008 has garnered top spot this week in the charts. What could...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: Watermark Literary Muster, Camden Haven, NSW 2 - 6 OctoberAustralian School Library Association Biennial Conference,...

Affirm Press launches 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Martin Hughes, a former Lonely Planet travel writer and former editor of The Big Issue, together with Graeme Wise, who set up The Big Issue in Australia, have launched a...

Seven-figure deal for Nix 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Australian author Garth Nix has secured a seven-figure deal with HarperCollins in the US for North American rights to three new titles--including a prequel and sequel to his ‘Old Kingdom'...

Holtzbrinck reports trade sales increase for 2006 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Holtzbrinck, the parent of publisher Pan Macmillan, has reported a 7.5% increase in total revenue in 2006 to €2.24 billion (A$3.4 billion). The company, which has interests in newspapers and...

BBC Worldwide to take Lonely Planet guides online 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Following its acquisition of 75% of Melbourne-based travel publisher Lonely Planet (reported in a WBN special bulletin on Monday), BBC Worldwide has announced its intention to take the publisher's 500-plus guidebooks...

Inaugural Indigenous Literacy Day exceeds target 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
The inaugural Indigenous Literacy Day, held around the country on Wednesday 5 September, has raised more than $120,000, with some donations yet to be received. David Gaunt, chair of the Indigenous...

Borders wins young retailer of the year award for second year 

Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Lina Karpinsky, marketing coordinator for the Borders bookselling chain, was named the Australian Retailers Association's Young Retailer of the Year within the corporate category for 2007. Karpinsky, who manages local store marketing for...

In brief 

Monday, 1 October 2007
Buyer wanted for Judith Wright’s homeThe chief executive of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Canberra is looking for a buyer for poet Judith Wright’s bushland home. The Australian National...

Forthcoming Events 

Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Bali 25 - 30 SeptemberApplications close for the John Curtain...

July wins Frank O’Connor award 

Tuesday, 25 September 2007
No One Belongs Here More Than You (Text) by US writer and filmmaker Miranda July has won the 2007 Frank O'Connor award--the world's richest short story prize. July's debut collection...

Around the World 

Tuesday, 25 September 2007
In news from our Around the World blog this week: New Borders UK owner outlines his plansOprah and the 'If I Did It' saga Audiobooks added to eMusic site Authors take...

Harry’s printer reports strong year 

Tuesday, 25 September 2007
PMP, the parent company of book publisher Griffin Press, is ‘in a much stronger position that it was three years ago, and better equipped to face ongoing challenges,' according to...

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 25 September 2007
'The fact is only about 30 or 40 per cent of people ever buy a book, so there is potential for a greater proportion of people to buy books.' So...

In brief 

Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Clarification: Hachette NZ  Further to the 'in brief' story in last week's WBN, WBN wishes to clarify that Hodder Moa Beckett's name change to Hachette Livre NZ occured in early 2006. NSW...

Workers strike at PMP’s Brisbane plant 

Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Workers at the Brisbane plant of printer PMP held a two-day strike last week, over what Australian Manufacturing Workers Union spokesperson Danny Dougherty told ABC Online was ‘the failure of...