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Davitt Awards 2019 shortlists announced

Tuesday, 16 July 2019
Sisters in Crime has announced the shortlists for the 2019 Davitt Awards for the best crime books by Australian women. The shortlisted works in each category are: Adult novel This...

BA says UK government’s digital services tax ‘a step in the right direction’

Tuesday, 16 July 2019
The Booksellers Association (BA) has welcomed the UK government’s decision to introduce a digital services tax on big tech companies from next April, but says it does not resolve the...

Van and Anderson awarded Overland writing residencies

Tuesday, 16 July 2019
Literary journal Overland has announced the recipients of its two writing residencies, which aim to address a lack of opportunities for underrepresented writers. Lucy Van has been awarded the residency...

Crime writers condemn Staunch Prize after organisers suggest thrillers could ‘bias jurors’

Monday, 15 July 2019
In the UK, crime writers have condemned the organisers of the Staunch Prize—awarded to thrillers without violence against women—for claiming the genre could bias jurors, reports the Guardian. The Staunch...

Canberra Writers Festival 2019 program launched

Monday, 15 July 2019
Canberra Writers Festival has announced the full line-up of guest speakers for its festival program, which runs under the theme ‘power, politics and passion’ from 21–25 August. Over 160 authors...

Ruby romance award 2019 finalists announced

Friday, 12 July 2019
The finalists for the Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) Romantic Book of the Year Award, known as ‘the Ruby’, have been announced. The finalists in each category are: Contemporary romance...

Winners of inaugural Comedy Women in Print Prize announced

Friday, 12 July 2019
In the UK, the winners of the inaugural Comedy Women in Print Prize (CWIP) have been announced. In the published author category, Laura Steven was awarded for her YA novel...

‘Axiomatic’ sold to UK’s Fitzcarraldo Editions

Friday, 12 July 2019
Brow Books has sold UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) to Maria Tumarkin’s Axiomatic to independent publisher Fitzcarraldo Editions. Publisher Jacques Testard acquired the book, and Fitzcarraldo will publish Axiomatic...

SLV announces 2019 fellowship recipients

Friday, 12 July 2019
State Library Victoria has announced this year’s recipients of its fellowships, worth a total of over $200,000, including several writers working on book projects. The recipients include: Creative fellowships ($15,000)...

PRH issues editor ‘first and final warning’; MEAA alleges ‘discriminatory’ conduct

Thursday, 11 July 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has issued a ‘first and final warning’ to an editor who tweeted in support of booksellers as they faced possible cuts to penalty rates on...

Melbourne Writers Festival program announced

Thursday, 11 July 2019
The full program for the 2019 Melbourne Writers Festival, which runs from 30 August to 8 September, has been announced. The program will run under the theme ‘When We Talk...

Write-ability fellowships 2019 recipients announced

Thursday, 11 July 2019
Writers Victoria has announced the recipients of its 2019 Write-ability fellowships. The following five emerging writers with disability were awarded the fellowships: Alex Creece for 'Neurodifficult', a collection of experimental...

2019 ABA conference: value, volume down YTD; HR, sales discussed

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Nielsen Book associate director Julie Winters presented an overview of the Australian book market at the 2019 Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) conference. Winters reported a 2.6% decline in Australian book...

Susannah Bowen: Six things to know about book marketing

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Susannah Bowen is the head of marketing (higher education) for Cengage Australia and, with Alison Baverstock, the author of How to Market Books (Routledge). Here, Bowen shares her tips for...

HarperCollins to publish ‘electrifying’ debut novel; UK, film rights sold

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
HarperCollins has acquired ANZ rights to Melbourne author and playwright Gabriel Bergmoser’s 'electrifying' debut adult novel, The Hunted, in a two-book deal via Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown Australia. UK...

UK library loans lag behind US, Australia

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
In the UK, library loans are lagging behind other countries, reports the Bookseller. According to new analysis by ex-Waterstones CEO Tim Coates, UK book loans have plummeted year-on-year since 2009–10,...

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library cut by UK council

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
In the UK, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library scheme has been cut by Doncaster Council after three years of funding came to end, reports the Bookseller. Under the scheme, children under...

Lending Rights schemes worth $21.8m in 2018–19

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
The federal government has announced that more than 16,300 authors, publishers and illustrators will receive $21.8 million through its Lending Rights schemes in 2018–19. The figures are down slightly on...

Beyond just sales: Connecting to customers and communities through events

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Sarah Farquharson speaks to two independent bookshops about how they make connections with customers and their communities through events. The owners of BooksPlus, in the NSW town of Bathurst, and...

Cypriot writer Soteriou wins 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Cypriot writer Constantia Soteriou has been named the overall winner of the 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for her story 'Death Customs'. It is the first time in the history...

Australian Christian Book of the Year 2019 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
The shortlist for the 2019 Australian Christian Book of the Year been announced. The shortlisted titles are: The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism (Benjamin Myers, Lexham Press)...

A&U acquires ‘fierce’ literary debut

Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Jane Palfreyman at Allen & Unwin has acquired ANZ rights to literary fiction debut A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu, via Melanie Ostell Literary. The novel...

US bookshops raise $48k for #BookstoresAgainstBorders campaign

Tuesday, 9 July 2019
In the US, around 150 independent bookshops, small presses and other literary organisations have raised more than US$48,000 (A$68,860) for the #BookstoresAgainstBorders fundraising campaign, reports Publishers Weekly. Initiated by Wisconsin...

Blabey tops NYT bestseller charts

Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Aaron Blabey’s ‘The Bad Guys’ (Scholastic) has topped the New York Times weekly chart for bestselling children’s series. ‘The Bad Guys’, which has spent 37 weeks on the list, came...

Frankfurt Book Fair to allow book sales during public access days

Tuesday, 9 July 2019
For the first time, exhibitors will be allowed to sell books during the closing weekend of the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair, reports Book Brunch. The last two days of the...

‘Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas’ to be read for National Simultaneous Storytime 2020

Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Lucinda Gifford's forthcoming picture book Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas (Scholastic, October) has been chosen for the Australian Library and Information Association’s (ALIA) National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) 2020. Marking 20...