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No ‘Daily’ on Friday

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Please note that due to Victoria's AFL Grand Final public holiday on Friday, 23 October, the next 'Daily' newsletter will be published on Monday, 26 October.

Ampersand Prize 2020 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Hardie Grant Children's Publishing (HGCP) has announced the shortlist for its 2020 Ampersand Prize for unpublished young adult and middle-grade fiction. The five shortlisted authors and their works are: Conan...

US$75k Cundill History Prize 2020 finalists announced

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
The three finalists for the Cundill History Prize have been announced. Chosen from a shortlist of 10, the finalists are: Tacky’s Revolt: The story of an Atlantic slave war (Vincent Brown,...

Buchmesse buzz: how bestsellers originate at Frankfurt 

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Publishing academics Beth Driscoll and Claire Squires conducted fieldwork at Frankfurt Buchmesse 2017–2019 to examine what makes a bestseller at the fair. The result was The Frankfurt Book Fair and...

McLean receives inaugural $10k Albert Ullin Award

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Andrew McLean is the winner of the inaugural Albert Ullin Award. The $10,000 biennial award, created with a bequest from the late The Little Book Room co-founder Albert Ullin, is...

Craig appointed Ultimo Press publisher 

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Former Picador Australia publisher Alex Craig has been appointed publisher of Ultimo Press. Craig spent 12 years at Pan Macmillan, including five as Picador publisher, before resigning from the company...

Rewriting the long lunch 

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
In the Australian publishing landscape, the long lunch occupies a contentious space, provoking a mixture of envy, nostalgia, delight and judgement. Books+Publishing's columnist Veronica Sullivan asks: is the practice a...

Watkins appointed Ultimo Press publishing director 

Tuesday, 20 October 2020
Hachette Australia head of literary and head of illustrated Robert Watkins has been appointed publishing director of new Hardie Grant–backed independent publisher Ultimo Press. Watkins joined Hachette as commissioning editor...

CBCA Book of the Year 2020 winners announced

Friday, 16 October 2020
The winners of the 2020 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards have been announced. The winning titles and honour books in each category are: Older...

Varuna announces recipients of 2021 Residency Fellowships

Friday, 16 October 2020
Varuna, the Writers House, has announced the recipients of the 2021 Varuna Residency Fellowships. The writers and their projects are: The Mick Dark flagship fellowship  Rachael Mead, for her literary...

Deacon in the running for US award

Friday, 16 October 2020
Australian writer Desley Deacon is in the running for the US Theatre Library Association’s 2020 George Freedley Memorial Award. Deacon’s book Judith Anderson: Australian Star First Lady of the American...

Davies, Al-Kadhi win 2020 Polari Prizes

Friday, 16 October 2020
In the UK, writers Kate Davies and Amrou Al-Kadhi have won the 2020 Polari Prizes for work that explores the LGBT experience, reports the Bookseller. Davies won the £2000 (A$3640) Polari...

Arnott wins inaugural $30,000 Hedberg residency

Friday, 16 October 2020
Robbie Arnott has won the inaugural University of Tasmania Hedberg Writer-in-Residence Program. Arnott said the program, which carries a stipend of $30,000, would give him the time and space needed...

PRH acquires Edgar’s ‘The Coffin Confessor’ 

Thursday, 15 October 2020
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has acquired world rights to The Coffin Confessor by ‘funeral crasher’ Bill Edgar. Edgar's memoir was acquired by PRH commissioning editor Brandon VanOver, who said...

Walkley Book Award 2020 longlist announced

Thursday, 15 October 2020
The Walkley Book Award longlist for 2020 has been announced. The longlisted titles are:  After the Count (Stephanie Convery, Viking) City On Fire (Antony Dapiran, Scribe) Hazelwood (Tom Doig, Viking)...

Ned Kelly Awards 2020 winners announced

Thursday, 15 October 2020
The Australian Crime Writers Association (ACWA) has announced the winners of this year’s Ned Kelly Awards for Australian crime writing. The winning works and authors in each category are: Best...

Meet UQP rights and contracts manager Kate McCormack 

Wednesday, 14 October 2020
In the lead up to this year's virtual Frankfurt Book Fair, Books+Publishing’s sister publication Think Australian profiled UQP rights and contract manager Kate McCormack about her rights list and how Covid-19 has...

BookUp: APA announces online panels

Wednesday, 14 October 2020
The Australian Publishers Association (APA), which in March postponed its planned one-day BookUp conference due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will instead present a series of online panel and conversation sessions...

Christmas buyers’ picks: the Booktopia team 

Wednesday, 14 October 2020
In the lead-up to Christmas 2020, Books+Publishing is asking book buyers across the country to share which titles they’re investing in for the busiest time of year on the bookselling calendar....