Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include:APA Introduction to Book Publishing seminar, in Sydney on 18 MayCAL Copyright seminar, in Brisbane on...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The Fastest Movers chart looks at the books that have enjoyed the biggest bump in sales over the past week. It's not hard to see why. Topping this week's chart...

ACCC investigates Griffin/McPherson’s joint venture 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Further to the announcement in last week's WBN that Australia's two largest book printers, PMP-owned Griffin Press and McPherson's Printing are planning to merge, subject to 'relevant approvals,' the Australian Competition...

RiP Dennis Wren 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Michael Wilding writes: ‘Dennis Wren, who died in Gosford NSW on 5 April, aged 80, was one of the great characters of Australian publishing in the 1960s and 70s. His...

‘Glass ceiling’ in publishing is real: report 

Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The perceived 'glass ceiling' that prevents women from reaching the highest-paid jobs in Australian publishing is quantifiably real, according to a report released this week.According to statistics from the Bloom Report (Thorpe-Bowker), a...

Quotation of the Week 

Thursday, 10 May 2007
I feel bad for people getting their books at Amazon or at Target ... They're getting it alone because they want a bargain. How sad. Don't you want to remember...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog this week:Cashier-free bookshops? RFID hits HollandBook clubs explode in ex-Soviet blocWaterstone's admits HP discounting will hurtSamuel Johnson Prize shortlistChameleon wins...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
It's no secret that Rhonda Byrne's bestselling guide to health, wealth and happiness has won plenty of admirers. But there's another guide to healthy life, albeit with a very different...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include:IPED National Conference, in Hobart on 9 to 12 MayAPA's Introduction to Book Publishing workshop, in...

ASA mentorships 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced the twenty successful applicants for its mentorship program in 2007-08.The program's judges--Georgia Blain, Tohby Riddle, Brooke Emery, Margo Lanagan and ASA executive...

CAL update 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) has announced a major new agreement with its US counterpart Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), which will allow access and payment for digital use of both Australian...

Brumby completes Bookwise acquisition 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The sale of Bookwise to Brumby Holdings was completed on 1 May. ‘We are pleased that Bookwise is now back in Australian ownership,' said Gary Cobbledick, managing director of Brumby...

Five Aussies and a Kiwi on O’Connor Award longlist 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Five Australians and one New Zealander are among the 34 writers on the longlist for this year's Frank O'Connor Short Story Award, the world's richest short-story prize, worth ?35,000 (A$54,500).The...

Book Choice: ‘Brand Power’ for books? 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The first 30-second television commercial in a new book advertising initiative, ‘Book Choice', will air on 10 June. Following the ‘advertorial' format of the ‘Brand Power' advertisements featuring household products,...

Griffin Press and McPherson’s to merge 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Griffin Press and McPherson's Printing--the two main book printers in Australia--have announced a merger plan.Griffin Press' owner PMP and McPherson's will each own 50% of the merged group, creating ‘a...

Lonely Planet not for sale, says Wheeler 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Maureen Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet Publications, has described an article by Mark Hawthorne in the Age last Thursday, which speculated  that the company could 'soon be put on the...

$9 million for Centre for Books and Ideas at SLV 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The Victorian Government made good on its pre-election promise for a new literature centre in Melbourne when it allocated $9 million to the State Library of Victoria (SLV) for a...

Pearson buys Harcourt 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
As reported in a WBN special bulletin on Monday, Pearson has acquired Harcourt Education International and Harcourt Assessment from parent company Reed Elsevier for a reported US$950 million (A$1.1 billion)....

WA Premier’s Book Awards shortlists announced 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
The 2006 WA Premier's Book Awards shortlists have been announced, with local publisher Fremantle Arts Centre Press out in front with seven nominations. The awards (worth $7500 in each category,...

RiP John Power 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
John Power, author of the groundbreaking Australian Rules book The Coach (Geoff Slattery Publishing), has died in London at the age of 72. The fly-on-the-wall account of the North Melbourne...

RiP Joyce Isabel Lee 

Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Australian poet Joyce Isabel Lee, author of five poetry collections and winner of the Grenfell Henry Lawson Prize, has died in Melbourne at the age of 93.

Budget 07-08: what’s in it for the book industry? 

Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Like many other industries the Australian book trade will be awaiting with interest next week's announcement of the federal 2007-08 budget. While an early announcement by former minister for the...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include:the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair, which continues until 6 Maythe Australian Federal Budget announcement on...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog this week:British book industry awards announcedEdgar awards announcedAmazon sales soar in first quarterIPA expresses concern at UN defamation resolutionUS publisher...

Hicks won’t profit from book: Attorney-General 

Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock (pictured) yesterday flagged that the federal government would introduce retrospective legislation to prevent Australian Guantanamo Bay inmate David Hicks from profiting from any book deal made...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 1 May 2007
The two new entries in this week's top 10 should catch no-one by surprise. Debuting at number six is J R R Tolkein's posthumously published tale of Middle Earth The...

Formal accreditation for editors a step closer? 

Tuesday, 1 May 2007
The forthcoming Institute of Professional Editors National Conference, to be held in Hobart from 9 to 12 May, will include a presentation on the proposal for a national organisation of...

Booksellers Choice awards shortlist announced 

Tuesday, 1 May 2007
The six shortlisted titles for this year's Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award have been announced. They are: Every Move You Make (David Malouf, Chatto & Windus)Salvation Creek (Susan Duncan, Bantam)The...

Changes at UWA Press 

Tuesday, 1 May 2007
The University of Western Australia Press (UWA Press) has confirmed to WBN that the press is undergoing a period of ‘renewal' involving staffing changes and a new focus. ‘I'm trying...