News | Books+Publishing

Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Tuesday, 3 June 2025
Books+Publishing will not publish a newsletter on Monday, 9 June due to the King’s Birthday public holiday. The next newsletter will be published on Tuesday, 10 June. The deadline for...

Bendigo Writers Festival 2025 program announced

Tuesday, 3 June 2025
The program for the 2025 Bendigo Writers Festival program, which runs 15–17 August on Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung Country, has been announced. The festival will open with an ABC Radio...

Hardie Grant Melbourne office moves to Collingwood

Tuesday, 3 June 2025
Hardie Grant has announced the relocation of its Melbourne office. The new office, located in the T3 building in Collingwood, offers ‘spaces for both teamwork and focused individual work, reflecting...

Roberts-Orr wins 2024 Anne Elder Award

Tuesday, 3 June 2025
Raw Salt (Vagabond Press) by Izzy Roberts-Orr has been announced the winner of the 2024 Anne Elder Award. The prize is awarded annually for a debut, solo-authored collection of poetry,...

The digital life of a neighbourhood bookstore

Monday, 2 June 2025
Ramona Books is a new independent bookstore in Melbourne that’s quickly made a name for itself online. Books+Publishing's reviews editor Jess Lomas spoke with store owner Katie Smith about how...

Disher, Bishop on CWA Dagger shortlists

Monday, 2 June 2025
Garry Disher and DV Bishop have been shortlisted for the UK Crime Writers’ Association’s (CWA) 2025 Dagger Awards. Disher and Bishop were shortlisted from longlists announced earlier this year. The shortlisted...

2025 Michael King Writers Centre Australian Residency announced

Monday, 2 June 2025
The 2025 Michael King Writers Centre Australian Residency, in association with Varuna, The National Writers House, has announced Ingrid Horrock as the 2025 Aotearoa New Zealand winner. Horrock is the author...

Dorothy Hewett Award 2025 shortlist announced

Monday, 2 June 2025
UWA Publishing has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Dorothy Hewett Award for an unpublished manuscript. The shortlisted manuscripts, chosen from over 300 entries, are: ‘Clutch Feathers, Draw Breath’ by...

PRH acquires Stedman’s ‘A Far-flung Life’

Monday, 2 June 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has acquired ANZ rights to A Far-flung Life by ML Stedman. The novel will be published simultaneously with Doubleday in the UK. A Far-flung Life...

Rowell wins 2025 Women’s Prize Trust Discoveries Award

Monday, 2 June 2025
In the UK, Rosie Rowell has been announced as the 2025 recipient of the The Women's Prize Trust Discoveries Award for her thriller Down by the Stryth. The prize is awarded...

Fired US copyright chief sues over removal

Thursday, 29 May 2025
Fired US Copyright Office director Shira Perlmutter has filed a lawsuit over her removal from the position earlier this month, reported Publishers Weekly (PW). Perlmutter has sued multiple defendants, including...

S&S acquires Pub Choir creator’s memoir

Thursday, 29 May 2025
Simon & Schuster (S&S) Australia has acquired world rights to Average at Best, a memoir by Pub Choir founder and director Astrid Jorgensen, via Alex Adsett Literary Agency. 'Average at...

Ganner awarded 2025 Janet Mackenzie Medal

Thursday, 29 May 2025
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) announced Julie Ganner as the winner of its 2025 Janet Mackenzie Medal. Ganner has worked in the editing and publishing industry for over 35...

Who gets published in Aotearoa? Three key findings

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
A recent Booksellers NZ newsletter shared independent publisher Damien Levi’s analysis of 2023 publishing data on gender and ethnicity in Aotearoa. This analysis follows on from earlier work by writer...

Fogarty receives 2025 Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Yugambeh poet and activist Lionel Fogarty has been recognised with a Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2025 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards. Born on Wakka Wakka...

Mary Gilmore Award 2025 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
The Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Mary Gilmore Award, a prize for a poet's first book of poetry. Judges Kate...

A First Nations writer’s fellowship was withdrawn by Queensland’s government. What’s going on?

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Jo Caust is an associate professor at the University of Melbourne in the School of Culture and Communication, where she is also an honorary principal fellow. She is a founder-editor...

MWF ticket sales up 47%

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) recorded a 47% year-on-year increase in revenue for this year’s festival program, running 8–11 May. Representing the highest revenue since 2019, the festival reported over 21,000...

Jacky Winter Group launches Gildlings

Wednesday, 28 May 2025
The Jacky Winter Group – a creative agency with offices in Melbourne, New York, and London – has announced the creation of new literary agency Gildlings. According to the organisation,...

Explainer: State Library Victoria duty of care review timeline

Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Following the release of documentation from the State Library Victoria (SLV) regarding ways of working with stakeholders including contractors, Books+Publishing has compiled a timeline of relevant events. Bootcamp postponement In February...