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Digital Writers’ Festival 2019 program announced

Wednesday, 9 October 2019
The program for this year’s Digital Writers’ Festival (DWF), which runs from 29 October to 2 November, has been announced. More than 90 guests will participate in the online program,...

Three Sara Foster novels sold to US in six-figure deal

Wednesday, 9 October 2019
Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown Australia has sold North American rights to three novels by Perth-based author Sara Foster to Blackstone Publishing in a six-figure deal. Blackstone Publishing acquired rights...

Voss Literary Prize 2019 longlist announced

Wednesday, 9 October 2019
The longlist for the 2019 Voss Literary Prize has been announced. The longlisted titles are: Flames (Robbie Arnott, Text) Book of Colours (Robyn Cadwallader, Fourth Estate) The Making of Martin...

CHASS Australia Book Prize 2019 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 9 October 2019
The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) has announced the shortlist for the 2019 Australia Book Prize. The prize, worth $3500, is part of the CHASS Australia...

Brow Books acquires Dao’s debut novel 

Tuesday, 8 October 2019
Brow Books has acquired world rights to André Dao’s debut novel, which has the working title Anamnesis, or A Book No Longer Discussed Today. Set in Ho Chi Minh City,...

APA announces new industry conference BookUp

Tuesday, 8 October 2019
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has announced a new conference for the Australian book industry called BookUp. Aimed at ‘all book publishing people’, the one-day event will explore the future...

Richell Prize 2019 shortlist announced

Logo for the Richell Prize, featuring a swooping bird Monday, 7 October 2019
Hachette Australia has announced the shortlist for the 2019 Richell Prize for emerging writers. The shortlisted writers and their works are: 'The Earth Starts Talking' (Ayla Black) 'The Blind Pussy...

Masson joins MidnightSun with spec-fic YA novel

Monday, 7 October 2019
MidnightSun Publishing has acquired world rights to Sophie Masson’s YA speculative fiction novel The Ghost Squad. Set in ‘an alternative yet jarringly familiar reality’, The Ghost Squad follows 16-year-old Polly...

Booktopia to launch publishing program 

Friday, 4 October 2019
Booktopia has announced it will commence its own publishing program through a new imprint called Booktopia Editions. The company says it will initially focus on ‘trade paperback editions of commercial...

Cobby Eckermann to headline 2019 Odyssey Literary Festival

Friday, 4 October 2019
Students from RMIT University’s Professional Writing and Editing program will host the fourth annual Odyssey Literary Festival at Melbourne’s Capitol Theatre on 15 October. The event is headlined by poet...

SPN announces conference keynotes

Thursday, 3 October 2019
The Small Press Network has announced three keynote speakers for its 2019 Independent Publishing Conference, to be held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne from 21–23 November. Claire Squires, director...

No David Unaipon Award to be presented this year

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Judges for this year’s Queensland Literary Awards won’t choose a shortlist or winner for this year’s David Unaipon Award, presented to an outstanding manuscript by an unpublished Aboriginal or Torres...

Hachette acquires ‘On’ series from MUP 

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Hachette Australia has acquired world rights to Melbourne University Publishing's (MUP) 'On' series of essays. The deal was negotiated by MUP then-acting CEO Richard Tegoni. The list of over 30...

PRH sells ‘The Yield’ to US, France

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold Tara June Winch’s novel The Yield to publishers in the US and France. Pamela Malpas at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency sold world English-language...

Queensland Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced

Tuesday, 1 October 2019
The shortlists for the 2019 Queensland Literary Awards (QLAs) have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of state significance ($25,000) The...

PRH sells ‘Jane in Love’ to US

Tuesday, 1 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold North American rights to Rachel Givney’s forthcoming novel Jane in Love (Michael Joseph) to HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, via Daniel Lazar at Writers...

Jaipur Literature Festival returns to Adelaide

Monday, 30 September 2019
The Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival will host the second Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) Adelaide on November 1–3. More than 60 guests will appear at 40 free events as part...

‘Dinner Detectives’ books to be developed for TV

Thursday, 26 September 2019
Melbourne-based production studio BES Animation has acquired world broadcast and digital content rights to self-published picture book series ‘Dinner Detectives’, with plans to develop the books into a multi-platform TV...

Rogers resigns as ASA CEO 

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Juliet Rogers has resigned as CEO of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) after four years in the role. Olivia Lanchester, the ASA’s legal services manager and company secretary, will...

Ventura Press acquires Dalgarno’s debut novel ‘Poly’

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Ventura Press has acquired world rights to Paul Dalgarno’s debut novel, Poly. The rights were acquired via Martin Shaw at Alex Adsett Publishing Services. Shaw described Dalgarno’s novel as ‘a...

Magabala partners with The Rights Hive 

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Magabala Books has appointed The Rights Hive agency to represent the publisher on international rights sales. The Rights Hive director Natasha Solomun said she has ‘long admired Magabala’s list, which...