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Pantera acquires Emanuel’s ‘The Covered Wife’

Friday, 24 January 2020
Pantera Press has acquired ANZ rights to Lisa Emanuel’s debut novel The Covered Wife, via Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management. Emanuel’s novel follows an ambitious young lawyer who falls under...

Gomez leaves PRH

Friday, 24 January 2020
Elena Gomez has left her role as deputy managing editor at Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) to pursue a career in freelance writing and editing. Gomez, who worked at PRH...

No ‘Daily’ on Monday

Friday, 24 January 2020
Please note that, due to the public holiday on Monday, the next Daily newsletter will be published on Tuesday, 28 January.

Adaptation of Winton’s ‘Blueback’ gets Screen Aus funding

Thursday, 23 January 2020
A feature film adaptation of Tim Winton’s 1997 novella Blueback (Penguin) has received production funding from Screen Australia in its latest funding round. Writer/director Robert Connolly of Arenamedia will work...

Robotham, Tranter nominated for 2020 Edgar Awards

Thursday, 23 January 2020
In the US, Australian authors Michael Robotham and Kirsten Tranter have been shortlisted for 2020 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. The 'Edgars' honour ‘the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television’...

PRH withdraws ebooks from unlimited subscription platforms

Thursday, 23 January 2020
Penguin Random House (PRH) has withdrawn its ebooks and digital audiobooks from unlimited access subscription services. According to Goodereader, the publisher has withdrawn its books from platforms including Scribd in...

Murdoch Books to publish ‘Bill Granger Australian Food’ marking 20th anniversary of ‘bills Sydney Food’

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Murdoch Books is delighted to announce it will publish Bill Granger’s new cookbook, Bill Granger Australian Food, on 29 September 2020. In the 20 years since Granger and Murdoch Books...

Antigny, Narayan to join Pantera Press

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Pantera Press has appointed Léa Antigny as head of publicity and communications, and Kajal Narayan in the role of marketing manager. Antigny and Narayan will replace current publicity and marketing...

Pre-Christmas bestsellers: children’s book sales not enough to counter weak adult fiction and nonfiction sales

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Despite a Bluey-led boost to children’s book sales, the value of the Australian book market fell by over four percent, year-on-year, in the 10-week pre-Christmas period, with weaker adult fiction...

‘WBN’ published Thursday next week

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Please note that, due to the Australia Day public holiday in lieu on Monday, the next Weekly Book Newsletter will be published on Thursday, 30 January. The deadline for classifieds and...

New Zealand book market up 2.3% in 2019

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
New Zealand book sales were up 2.3% in value and 3.5% by volume in the past year, according to data from Nielsen BookScan. In total, 6.4 million units were sold...

Hazel Rowley Fellowship 2020 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Writers Victoria has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship, awarded annually to an Australian writer for a proposed biographical work. The shortlisted writers and their projects...

‘The Whole Fish Cookbook’ wins André Simon Food and Drink book award

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
In the UK, Sydney chef Josh Niland's The Whole Fish Cookbook (Hardie Grant) has won the 2019 Food Award at the André Simon Food and Drink Awards. According to the Bookseller,...

Hachette acquires Byrne’s book on family history

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Hachette Australia has acquired world rights to a new book by journalist and TV personality Jennifer Byrne, based on the lives of two 14th-century English regal women who are Byrne’s...

China issues guidelines banning foreign teaching materials in schools

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
China’s Ministry of Education published guidelines earlier this month that ban the use of foreign teaching materials in primary, middle and high schools, reports the Bookseller. Private schools and high...

Christmas survey: deadline extended

Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Books+Publishing is currently conducting its Christmas survey of booksellers and publishers. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey online. We're accepting submissions until midnight (AEST), Monday 26 January....

NewSouth acquires van Zweden’s memoir

Tuesday, 21 January 2020
NewSouth has acquired world rights to Sam van Zweden’s memoir Eating with My Mouth Open, which recently won the 2019 Kill Your Darlings unpublished manuscript award. Commissioning editor Harriet McInerney said: ‘Sam...

Black Inc sells world rights to ‘Solved!’

Tuesday, 21 January 2020
Black Inc. has sold world rights (ex ANZ) to Andrew Wear’s book Solved!: How other countries have cracked the world's biggest problems and we can too to Oneworld UK. Black...

#AuthorsForFireys raises $486,600 for bushfire relief

Tuesday, 21 January 2020
The #AuthorsForFireys campaign has confirmed $486,600 in donations for bushfire relief across Australia. Campaign co-organiser and author Emily Gale said the campaign registered an additional $43,400 in pledged donations that...