Hachette acquires Smith Street Books
Wednesday, 2 September 2026
Hachette Australia has acquired lifestyle and gift book publisher Smith Street Books, effective immediately. Founded in Melbourne/Naarm in 2016, Smith Street Books publishes across food and drink, lifestyle, art, pop...
Volume symposium first speakers announced
Wednesday, 2 September 2026
The first guest speakers have been announced for Volume, the national reading symposium, held online from 21 to 22 October. Author Jess Scully will host day one of Volume, “looking...
Allen & Unwin acquires “Neil the Seal” under Albert Street Books imprint
Wednesday, 2 September 2026
Albert Street Books, an imprint of Allen & Unwin, has acquired world rights to the picture book Neil the Seal by Lucinda Gifford. In the book – inspired by “the...
Keeperton expands commercial fiction program with US appointment
Wednesday, 2 September 2026
Keeperton, the publisher established by Australian author TL Swan, is expanding its commercial fiction program, appointing senior acquisitions editor Kate Roddy to its US team. “The appointment comes as Keeperton...
UWA Publishing acquires “Laughing River” by NJ Madden
Wednesday, 2 September 2026
UWA Publishing has acquired world rights to the novel Laughing River, a literary fiction work by NJ Madden. Shortlisted for the Dorothy Hewett Award in 2025, Laughing River is a historical...
Australian Political Book of the Year Award 2026 longlist announced
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
The longlist for the 2026 Australian Political Book of the Year Award has been announced. Longlisted titles include: Gough Whitlam: The Vista of the New (Troy Bramston, HarperCollins) Angertainment (Ed Coper, Summit...
Hachette partners with the Footpath Library on literacy kit initiative
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
Hachette Australia has partnered with the Footpath Library to deliver literacy kits to children experiencing homelessness and living in temporary crisis accommodation, shelters and refuges across parts of New South...
Love Your Bookshop Day campaign launched
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) has launched Love Your Bookshop Day (LYDB) for Saturday 10 October, under the theme “Ask a bookseller. Shake up your shelf”. Drawing on Australia Reads research...
Hugo Awards 2026 winners announced
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
The 2026 Hugo Award winners have been announced. Among the winners are: Best Novel The Everlasting (Alix E Harrow, Tor UK) Best Novella The River Has Roots (Amal El-Mohtar, Arcadia)...
Text Publishing acquires Jade Timms’s “The Good Boys”
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
Text Publishing has acquired ANZ rights to contemporary YA novel The Good Boys by Jade Timms, in a two-book deal brokered by Bella Suckling at Annabel Barker Agency. The Good...
Deborah Abela to receive 2026 Lady Cutler Award
Monday, 31 August 2026
Deborah Abela is the recipient of the 2026 Lady Cutler Award, a biennial award presented by the New South Wales branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) for...
Flame Tree acquires 3 novels by Eugen Bacon
Monday, 31 August 2026
UK publisher Flame Tree has acquired world rights to 3 “Afro-surreal” books by Eugen Bacon. The titles acquired are murder mystery novella Jintu, to be published in September 2027; Betwixt,...
Google launches AI ebook app with “respect for copyright protections”
Monday, 31 August 2026
Google has launched a new AI application for books “that publishers seem to actually like, thanks to its apparent respect for copyright protections”, reports Publishers Weekly (PW). Expert Intelligence (EI)...
Canberra Writers Festival 2026 program announced
Monday, 31 August 2026
The Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) has announced its 10th anniversary program, which will run 15 to 18 October 2026, showcasing more than 110 events and 200 artists. International guest speakers...
Writers Assemble! program announced
Monday, 31 August 2026
The program for the free 3-day South Australian festival Writers Assemble!, which will run from 11 to 13 September, has been announced. The festival, which is dedicated to the craft...
Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award 2026 longlist announced
Monday, 31 August 2026
The longlist for the 2026 Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award, worth $40,000, has been announced. Longlisted works include: Apron-Sorrow/Sovereign-Tea (Natalie Harkin, Wakefield Press) Being (Rachel E Menzies &...
Summit acquires debut novel “People Will Get Hurt by This” by Katie Newton
Thursday, 27 August 2026
Simon & Schuster Australia imprint Summit Books has acquired ANZ rights to “darkly funny and startlingly original upmarket commercial debut” People Will Get Hurt by This by Katie Newton, in...
Bundyi acquires two novels by Tasma Walton
Thursday, 27 August 2026
Simon & Schuster Australia imprint Bundyi has acquired world rights to two novels by Tasma Walton. Walton is a Boonwurrung woman from the saltwater country of Melbourne and an actor...
QBD to open in Eaton
Thursday, 27 August 2026
QBD Books will open a store in Eaton, Western Australia, as part of an expansion of the Eaton Fair shopping centre. “We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing QBD Books to...
Local author takes third place in 2026 Moth Short Story Prize
Thursday, 27 August 2026
Sydney writer Patrick Eades has won third prize in the 2026 Moth Short Story Prize for his story “Octomum”. New Orleans writer Jeffrey-Michael Kane won first place and €3,000 for...
Allen & Unwin acquires “Now or Never” by James Massola and Shane Wright
Thursday, 27 August 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to nonfiction title Now or Never: The Inside Story of How Albanese and Chalmers Are Changing Australia by James Massola and Shane...
Fremantle Press shortlisted for export award
Thursday, 27 August 2026
Fremantle Press is a finalist in the Creative, Lifestyle and Design award category for a Western Australian Export Award, run in partnership with Austrade. Fremantle Press CEO Alex Allan said...
What should we take away from the ADS crisis?
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
As September releases begin to reach booksellers, what have we learned from the distribution crisis at ADS? Booksellers have begun to receive stock from Alliance Distribution Services (ADS), after the...
Ruby Award 2026 winners announced
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) has announced the winners of the 2026 Romantic Book of the Year Awards, known as the Ruby Awards. The winners in each category are: Historical...
Amplify Christmas picks
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Books+Publishing recently shared publishers’ top picks for Christmas in genres from children’s picture books to illustrated nonfiction in our Christmas Preview. Here, Amplify Bookstore co-founders Jing Xuan Teo and Marina...
Territory awards
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
The Ned Kelly Awards shortlists have been announced, as have the winners of the 2026 Ruby Awards and the finalists for the NT History Book Award, the NT Literary Awards...
HarperCollins US to launch new manga imprint
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
In the US, HarperCollins has announced the launch of a new manga imprint, Kazé, reports Publishers Weekly (PW). The imprint will officially launch in US autumn 2027. It is being...
Penguin Random House acquires two YA horror novels by Margot McGovern
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has acquired world rights to two YA horror novels by Margot McGovern, in a deal brokered by Danielle Binks at Jacinta Dimase Management. PRH publisher...
NT Literary Awards 2026 shortlists announced
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
The shortlists for the 2026 NT Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted works in each category, chosen from 265 entries, are: Brown’s Mart Theatre Award “Lure” (Ryanna Clayton) “Finding...
Ned Kelly Awards 2026 shortlists announced
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
The Australian Crime Writers Association has announced the 2026 Ned Kelly Awards shortlists. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Best Crime Fiction Liar’s Game (Jack Beaumont, Allen & Unwin)...
