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BookTok reprieve: TikTok restoring US accounts

a screenshot of a TikTok error message reading Sorry TikTok isn't available right now. Monday, 20 January 2025
In the US, TikTok has announced it has begun restoring access to the social media platform after incoming president Donald Trump indicated that one of his first acts will be...

EWF announces Zanoni as artistic director, co-CEO 

A photo of Jess Zanoni Monday, 20 January 2025
The Emerging Writers' Festival (EWF) has announced Jess Zanoni as artistic director and co-CEO. Zanoni, who is a writer, producer and musician as well as the organisation's previous program coordinator,...

Ferns to retire, Weir new GM at HarperCollins NZ 

an image of Karen Fern Monday, 20 January 2025
HarperCollins New Zealand has announced the retirement of general manager Karen Ferns. In a statement, the publisher said Ferns would retire ‘after an exceptional career spanning decades in the publishing...

Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship 2025 shortlist announced

the logo for Writers Victoria Friday, 17 January 2025
Writers Victoria has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship. The shortlist includes nine writers: Jennifer Martin, ‘writing about Australian journalist Eva Sommer, inaugural winner of the...

Christmas sales up 2% by value 

Cover of RecipeTin Eats: Tonight Friday, 17 January 2025
While book sales in Australia for the 2024 year overall were down compared to 2023, Christmas sales – those during the four weeks to 28 December 2024 – were up...

Hardie Grant announces restructure, redundancies 

the Hardie Grant logo, a black speech bubble with a stylised white line drawing of a dog inside Friday, 17 January 2025
Hardie Grant Publishing (HGP) has announced a restructure of its marketing and communications team and four redundancies. In a statement, the publisher told Book+Publishing: ‘In light of market challenges, one...

Local authors on Dublin Literary Award 2025 longlist

dublin literary Award Thursday, 16 January 2025
Several works by authors from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand have been longlisted for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award, worth €100,000 (A$165,236). The Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand longlisted titles...

Singleton on 2024 Novel Prize shortlist

Thursday, 16 January 2025
Publishers Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo and New Directions have announced the 2024 shortlist for the Novel Prize. Local author Hollen Singleton is among those shortlisted for the prize, for their novel...

Green wins 2025 Margaret Mahy Medal

a black and white photo of Paula Green Thursday, 16 January 2025
The Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki has announced poet Paula Green as the 2025 recipient of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal. Said Publishers Association of New...

Indie Book Awards 2025 shortlists announced

Wednesday, 15 January 2025
The shortlists for the 2025 Indie Book Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Fiction Dusk (Robbie Arnott, Picador) Cherrywood (Jock Serong, Fourth Estate) The Ledge (Christian White, Affirm)...

Lucy Sussex recommends 

Cover of Restless Dolly Maunder Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville, which captures the female Australian voice and experience so well – just like Mary Fortune.

Megan Brown recommends 

Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Natasha Lester’s The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard. I really enjoyed it because it weaves fact and fiction together, but not in a forced way or in a way that tries...

NLA announces 2025 Fellows

Wednesday, 15 January 2025
The National Library of Australia (NLA) has announced its 2025 Fellows, awarded to local and international scholars. The recipients and their research projects are: NLA Fellowships Alexis Bergantz, ‘Whose Pacific?...

New independent publisher Spoor Books launches 

Wednesday, 15 January 2025
In Aotearoa New Zealand, Erena and Balamohan Shingade have launched Spoor Books. Spoor Books is ‘an independent publisher, a community-oriented platform, and a bookshop featuring radical publishers from India and...

Gizzi wins 2024 TS Eliot Prize

Cover of Fierce Elegy Wednesday, 15 January 2025
In the UK, Peter Gizzi has won the 2024 TS Eliot Prize, worth £25,000 (A$49,319), for Fierce Elegy (Penguin), reports Book Brunch. Fierce Elegy was chosen from a shortlist of...

Pearce wins PF Rowland Manuscript Development Grant 

Tuesday, 14 January 2025
James Cook University's Foundation for Australian Literary Studies has announced Lilian Pearce as the recipient of the second $5000 PF Rowland Manuscript Development Grant. The grant is offered in partnership...

S&S launches audio-first imprint

Tuesday, 14 January 2025
In the US, Simon & Schuster has launched Simon Maverick, an audio-first imprint, under the guidance of Jason Pinter, the imprint’s vice-president and editorial director. Publishers Weekly (PW) reported that...

Aotearoa New Zealand market down 6.6% in value 

Tuesday, 14 January 2025
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the book market in 2024 was down by 6.6% in value and 3.2% in volume, according to figures from Nielsen BookScan NZ. Nielsen’s 2024 snapshot for...

HarperVia acquires two Tsao novels 

Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Alexa Frank at HarperVia has acquired world English rights to two novels by 2023 PEN Translation Prize winner Tiffany Tsao, in a pre-empt deal from Daniel Lazar at Writers House...

Text Prize discontinued 

Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Text Publishing has announced that the Text Prize has been discontinued. In a statement, the publisher said it had ‘made the reluctant decision’ that Caroline Stills’ A Gift from the...

Authors allege Meta knowingly used pirated books

Monday, 13 January 2025
In the US, a group of authors including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Sarah Silverman is suing Meta for copyright infringement, alleging CEO Mark Zuckerberg approved the use of pirated books to...

Peter Porter Prize 2025 shortlist announced

ABR logo Monday, 13 January 2025
The shortlist for the 2025 Australian Book Review (ABR) Peter Porter Poetry Prize has been announced. Shortlisted poems include: ‘The Orphan’ by Sarah Day ‘Hook, Grandmother, Line, Marlin’ by Jennifer Harrison...

Australian market down 3% in value 

Friday, 10 January 2025
The book market in Australia in 2024 was down by 3% in value and 1.2% in volume, according to figures from Nielsen BookData’s BookScan service. Nielsen’s 2024 snapshot, covering 31...