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‘Bridget Crack’ wins 2019 Tasmania Book Prize

Friday, 6 December 2019
The winners of the 2019 Tasmanian Premier’s Literary Prizes have been announced. The winning works and their authors are: Tasmania Book Prize for the best book with Tasmanian content in...

Arts to be merged into new government ‘super-department’

Friday, 6 December 2019
From 1 February 2020, the Department of Communications and the Arts (DCA) will be incorporated into the new Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, meaning the arts will...

Booton appointed Stella Prize executive director 

Friday, 6 December 2019
The Stella Prize has appointed Jaclyn Booton as its new executive director, replacing previous ED Michelle Scott Tucker, who in July left the role after less than a year to...

Chen wins Deborah Cass Prize 2019

Friday, 6 December 2019
Writer Janette Chen has won the 2019 Deborah Cass Prize for emerging writers from migrant backgrounds for her manuscript extract ‘Wall of Men’. Chosen from a shortlist of 10, ‘Wall of...

MidnightSun acquires Steve Heron picture book 

Thursday, 5 December 2019
MidnightSun has acquired world rights to the picture book Ling Li’s Lantern, by Steve Heron and illustrated by Benjamin Johnston. Ling Li’s Lantern follows Ling Li on a quest that...

‘The Book Ninja’ optioned for film

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus’ novel The Book Ninja (S&S) has been optioned for film by producers Chris Brown of Pictures in Paradise and Veronica Fury of Fury Film Co....

Van Zweden wins 2019 KYD unpublished manuscript award

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Literary journal Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced Sam van Zweden as the winner of its 2019 unpublished manuscript award for her manuscript ‘Eating with my Mouth Open’. Van Zweden...

Indie Book Awards 2020 longlists announced

Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Leading Edge Books has announced the longlists for the 2020 Indie Book Awards for books published in 2019. The longlisted titles in each category are: Fiction The White Girl (Tony...

UQP acquires two new nonfiction titles by Foley, Bond

Monday, 2 December 2019
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired world rights to two books by leading Indigenous scholars, visual artist Fiona Foley’s Biting the Clouds and public intellectual Chelsea Bond’s Another...

Room on our Rock wins Charlotte Huck Award in US

Friday, 29 November 2019
In the US, Room on our Rock (Kate & Jol Temple, illus by Terri Rose Baynton, Scholastic) has won the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for outstanding fiction for children. Room...

Sales wins 2019 Walkley Book Award

Friday, 29 November 2019
Journalist and author Leigh Sales has won the 2019 Walkley Book Award for Any Ordinary Day (Hamish Hamilton). Any Ordinary Day describes how tragedy and loss can affect people. Judges...

‘The Strays’ to be adapted into six-part drama series

Thursday, 28 November 2019
Emily Bitto’s Stella Prize-winning novel The Strays (Affirm) will be adapted into a six-part drama series as a co-production of See Pictures and Apogee Pictures. Beatrix Christian (Picnic at Hanging...

Readings Foundation announces 2020 grant recipients

Thursday, 28 November 2019
The Readings Foundation has chosen 12 Victorian organisations to share in $135,142 worth of grants in 2020. The grant recipients are: Banksia Gardens Community Service: $10,000 to continue supporting for a...

NZ Review of Books Pukapuka Aotearoa to close

Thursday, 28 November 2019
The New Zealand Review of Books Pukapuka Aotearoa will close next month, following Creative New Zealand’s decision to withdraw its funding to the publication. The quarterly publication was launched in...

Wilson to leave Text 

Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Kirsty Wilson will leave her role as Text Publishing sales and marketing director, after 14 years with the company. Wilson was due to return from maternity leave at the end...

Pandiella to return to S&S 

Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Anabel Pandiella will return to the role of marketing and publicity director at Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) in 2020. Pandiella previously worked for S&S for 10 years before joining...