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Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2026 longlist announced

Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced the longlist for the 2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize. The longlisted poets are: J Andros (United States) Jamil Badi (Vic.) Daragh Byrne (NSW) Elena Croitoru-Reed...

Blak & Bright board director Harrison steps down

Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Literary festival Blak & Bright has announced that Jane Harrison (The Visitors, HarperCollins) has stepped down from the board. Harrison was the festival’s first artistic director and CEO. In 2024,...

Bakers Lane acquires Coomer’s “Ravensbourne”

Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Bakers Lane Books has acquired world rights to Ravensbourne, a young adult novel by Amy Coomer, in a deal brokered by agent Belinda Bolliger. Ravensbourne follows 17-year-old Maisie McDevitt as...

AI wariness prevails in UK and Europe

Monday, 8 December 2025
UK bookselling chain Waterstones would stock books created by generative AI if customers wanted them and they were clearly labelled, reported the Bookseller. But it is “something that we would...

UWAP acquires McWilliams’s “Bandoola”

Monday, 8 December 2025
UWA Publishing (UWAP) has acquired world rights to Bandoola, a middle-grade historical fiction novel by Beverley McWilliams, following an Australian Society of Authors’ Virtual Literary Speed Dating event in March...

A&U acquires Tunny’s debut novel

Monday, 8 December 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Over to You by Georgie Tunny, in a deal brokered by Cathy Baker at CMC Talent Management. According to the publisher, Over...

SLV controversy continues

Monday, 8 December 2025
State Library Victoria (SLV) has responded in more detail to media reporting of a leaked document outlining job and service cuts and redeployments. Over the past two weeks, the SLV’s...

Bestseller list delayed

Friday, 5 December 2025
NielsenIQ BookScan has advised us that their weekly data for the week ending 29 November has been delayed. We expect to receive the charts later on Friday, and will publish...

Junior Book Club – holiday reads

Friday, 5 December 2025
On the hunt for great books to share with kids? Our bumper Junior Book Club holiday edition rounds up new releases for the month and top picks from the past...

Copyright Agency announces latest Cultural Fund grants

Thursday, 4 December 2025
Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has announced the recipients of funding in its final round for 2025, including 3 new publishing fellowships. Launched earlier this year, the revamped publishing fellowships “are...

Fremantle Press arrivals and departures

Thursday, 4 December 2025
Fremantle Press has appointed Aimee Harrison as marketing and communications assistant, and farewelled publicist Adam Matthews, who is setting up his own bookstore, Page Boys. Fremantle Press CEO Alex Allan said,...

Writing Australia appointments

Thursday, 4 December 2025
Writing Australia has announced the appointment of Léa Antigny as program manager and Emily Stewart as senior project officer. Antigny has worked at Text Publishing, Pan Macmillan, Giramondo and Pantera...

British prize announcements: Wodehouse, Heaney and First Chapter

Thursday, 4 December 2025
In a busy literary week in the UK, three more prizes have been presented, on top of this year’s £50,000 (A$100,570) Wolfson History Prize, which went to Hannah Durkin’s Survivors:...

2025 Wolfson History Prize goes to Durkin’s “Survivors”

Wednesday, 3 December 2025
In the UK, historian Hannah Durkin has won the £50,000 (A$100,570) Wolfson History Prize for Survivors: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade (William Collins), reported the Bookseller. The...

Meerkat acquires Bacon’s first Sauútiverse novel

Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Meerkat Press has acquired African-Australian author and editor Eugen Bacon’s Crimson in Quietus, the first novel set in the speculative Afrocentric Sauútiverse. Crimson in Quietus spans the five-planet Sauútiverse, which...

New year 2026 preview: CYA

Wednesday, 3 December 2025
As 2026 approaches, publishers highlight forthcoming children’s and young adult titles to look out for – from teen pregnancy within prejudiced towns to the study of clouds in beautiful picture books. Books+Publishing (B+P) shares titles...

A&U acquires Wilkinson’s new YA novel

Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to YA novel Lavender and Hemlock by Lili Wilkinson, in a deal negotiated by Katelyn Detweiler and Sam Farkas at Jill Grinberg...

Grattan releases PM summer reading list

Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Melbourne-based think tank Grattan Institute has announced its 2025 Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister. Grattan Institute selects five books each year which it recommends to the prime minister,...

Rockpool acquires Major Street

Tuesday, 2 December 2025
Rockpool Publishing has announced its acquisition of independent Australian publisher Major Street Publishing. Rockpool will now “assume ownership of Major Street’s brand, frontlist, backlist and author relationships,” said organisers. Major...