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ACCC opposes Griffin/McPherson’s merger 

Tuesday, 21 August 2007
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) last Wednesday announced its opposition to the proposed merger between McPherson's Printing and Griffin Press. ‘The proposed joint venture is likely to substantially...

MWF set to break attendance records 

Tuesday, 21 August 2007
With the 2007 Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) due to open this Friday 24 August, running until 2 September, organisers have already sold ?over 90% of projected box office,' according to...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 21 August 2007
The bean-counters at Bloomsbury must be rubbing their hands with something akin to glee, with both the latest Harry Potter offering and Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns holding the...

RiP Mark Worner 

Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Rosemary Cameron writes: Mark Worner passed away last Tuesday in Sydney from liver cancer. Mark was Director of the Melbourne Writers’ Festival for many years in the late 1980s. Drinks to celebrate...

ABA and APA to meet next week 

Tuesday, 21 August 2007
The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) will be hosting a meeting between key booksellers and representatives of major publishers in Melbourne next Tuesday (28 August).The meeting grows out of the forum...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:UK indie publishers frustrated with chainsIs 'searchandising' the next online retail strategy?Is Rowling turning to crime?Bangladeshi writer...

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 21 August 2007
‘I think it's got about as much commercial appeal as Osama bin Laden's love sonnets. It's a terrible idea for a book, and I don't know why anybody would either...

In brief 

Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Stephen King mistaken for ‘vandal' in Alice SpringsThe bestselling author Stephen King was mistaken for a book vandal when he began signing copies of his latest book Lisey's Story at...

Shortlist for QLD Prem’s Award announced 

Monday, 20 August 2007
The shortlist for the 2007 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards has been announced. The titles in the running for the book-based prizes are: Fiction Every Move You Make (David Malouf, Vintage)Underground (Andrew...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:French teenager arrested for posting HP translationIndonesian academics fight burning of booksAmazon ponders same-day delivery in UKB&T/AMS...

ACCC produces franchisee manual 

Tuesday, 14 August 2007
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched The Franchisee Manual, a publication intended to ‘assist people thinking about buying a franchise and also existing franchisees to understand and...

HarperCollins annual results 

Tuesday, 14 August 2007
News Corp, the parent company of HarperCollins, has again announced record earnings, with a full-year operating income of US$4.45 billion (A$5.17 billion), representing 15% growth on last year.Globally, HarperCollins has increased...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Clearly, readers are still a bit Harry-mad, with the top two spots this week going to the two editions (adult and children's) of HP7, and the Half-Blood Prince making an appearance as...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: Going West Books and Writing Festival in New Zealand 14-16 August Retail Expo Australasia runs...

Dymocks conference 

Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Dymocks held its annual conference over four days last week in Sydney.Dymocks CEO Don Grover told WBN: ‘We had all major publishers represented and our 70 franchise stores. We had...

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 14 August 2007
‘I completely acknowledge that the tone of this correspondence was inappropriate'--Angus & Robertson general manager David Fenlon in his 'clarification' letter to Crikey

Vic Prem’s Awards shortlist 

Tuesday, 14 August 2007
The shortlist for the 2007 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards has been announced. The titles in the running for the book-based prizes are: The Vance Palmer Prize for FictionThe Time We...

A&R supplier moves prompt outrage 

Wednesday, 8 August 2007
Angus & Robertson (A&R)--Australia's largest bookselling chain with over 170 stores--has created a furore among publishers and distributors in its latest round of negotiations with suppliers.In a letter sent last...

Editor accreditation exam: issues paper released 

Tuesday, 7 August 2007
In a new issues paper, The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd), the national body currently preparing a national accreditation scheme for the profession, has outlined the increased expenses involved in...

Uni of Melbourne to appoint new ‘Meanjin’ editor 

Tuesday, 7 August 2007
The University of Melbourne has announced it will commission a short external review to ‘provide advice to the Meanjin board on the literary magazine's intellectual agenda, organisational structure, board membership...

Profit doubles at CUP 

Tuesday, 7 August 2007
Unaudited results for Cambridge University Press (CUP) for the year to 30 April show the business has experienced a doubling of profit for the second year in a row. Sandra...

Heath promoted at Reader’s Digest 

Tuesday, 7 August 2007
Paul Heath, managing director of Reader's Digest Australia, has been named president of Asia Pacific region of the company's operations. The appointment follows a restructure of the company's international operations...

Byron Bay Writers Festival draws the crowds 

Tuesday, 7 August 2007
Audience numbers at the 2007 Byron Bay Writers Festival, which ran from 26 to 29 July were ‘slightly up on last year' according to festival director Jeni Caffin, just exceeding...

UWA Press reassessing children’s list 

Tuesday, 7 August 2007
The University of Western Australia (UWA) Press will discontinue its young adult list and has put on hold its publishing of children's books, pending a reassessment of the list. ‘What...