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Frank O’Connor short story winner announced 

Monday, 14 July 2014
Debut Irish author Colin Barrett has won the 2014 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award—the world’s richest prize for a short-story collection, reports the Guardian. Barrett’s collection Young Skins (Vintage...

Print decline slows in the UK 

Monday, 14 July 2014
In the UK, the Bookseller reports that the ‘physical market’ for the first half of the year has fallen by 2.4% to £526 million (A$959 million), with volume sales of...

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 14 July 2014
Lost & Found by Perth author and bookseller Brooke Davis (Hachette) has entered the bestsellers chart this week in 10th place after being last week’s highest new entry in 17th place....

Page & Blackmore’s in Nelson no longer for sale 

Friday, 11 July 2014
New Zealand independent bookstore Page & Blackmore’s in Nelson has been withdrawn from the market, reports Booksellers NZ.Booksellers Peter and Ann Rigg, who own half of the bookstore, have decided...

Romance Writers of America releases romance app 

Friday, 11 July 2014
The Romance Writers of America has released the Novel Engagement app for readers and authors of romance fiction, reports Publishers Weekly. The app will feature a database of 5000 romance...

Disney launches Disney Story Central 

Friday, 11 July 2014
Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) has launched the Disney Story Central app and website with titles for kids aged three to seven years, reports Publishers Weekly. The platform includes 100 ebooks based...

National Biography Award shortlist announced 

Thursday, 10 July 2014
The State Library of NSW has announced the shortlist for the National Biography Award, which recognises ‘the continuing importance and value of life writing’.The shortlisted titles are: A Spy in the...

Magarey Medal for Biography winner announced 

Thursday, 10 July 2014
The Magarey Medal for Biography has been awarded to The Lone Protestor: AM Fernando in Australia and Europe by Fiona Paisley (Aboriginal Studies Press). The biennial prize, worth $10,000, is presented to the best biographical...

‘The Swan Book’ wins ALS Gold Medal 

Thursday, 10 July 2014
Alexis Wright’s The Swan Book (Giramondo) has won the 2014 Australian Literature Society (ALS) Gold Medal.The Swan Book was selected from a shortlist of six books, which included What Was...

Mary Gilmore Award winner announced 

Thursday, 10 July 2014
Even in the Dark by Rose Lucas (UWA Publishing) has won the Mary Gilmore award for poetry.The biennial award, worth $500, recognises a first book of poetry published in the...

New office, staff changes at Scribe UK 

Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Scribe has relocated its UK office and announced several staff changes.The UK office, which opened in early 2013, is now located at 2 John Street in Clerkenwell in a ‘listed...

HarperCollins launches direct-to-consumer website

Wednesday, 9 July 2014
In the US, HarperCollins has launched a new website with direct-to-consumer sales of print books, ebooks and audiobooks, reports the Publishers Weekly. The new design will be rolled out to HarperCollins’...

New Harry Potter story published on Pottermore

Wednesday, 9 July 2014
A new Harry Potter story published on the Pottermore website offers a glimpse into the lives of 30-something Harry Potter and his friends, reports the Bookseller. The 1500-word story was...

Pick-a-WooWoo wins small business award 

Wednesday, 9 July 2014
WA-based Pick-a-WooWoo Publishing has won the South West Small Business of the Year Award for its excellence in the field of self-publishing, reports the West Australian. Founder and director Julie-Ann...

Smashwords releases 2014 ebook sales survey

Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Self-publishing platform Smashwords has released its 2014 indie ebook sales survey based on the company’s sales data, reports Publishers Weekly. The survey reveals that readers prefer longer ebooks priced between US$2.99 (A$3.18)...

Quote of the week

Wednesday, 9 July 2014
‘Contemporary poetry—especially the Australian brand—is making a s-x-charged, sweary and confronting comeback thanks to a host of young poets intent on challenging the status quo’—Koren Helbig reports on the Australian...

Simmons joins ‘Books+Publishing’

Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Hilary Simmons has joined the team at Books+Publishing as assistant editor. Simmons is a graduate of professional writing and editing and a former bookseller. She has worked in an editorial...

Valerie Parv Award finalists announced 

Wednesday, 9 July 2014
The finalists for the 2014 Valarie Parv Award, presented by Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) for an unpublished manuscript, have been announced. This year’s finalists are: Rowena Candlish, Karina Coldrick,...

UK literary festival offers profit share to authors 

Tuesday, 8 July 2014
In the UK, the Chipping Norton Literary Festival has announced that it will split its profits with authors in lieu of paying appearance fees, reports the Bookseller. The festival, which...

SLV Creative Fellowships announced

Tuesday, 8 July 2014
The State Library of Victoria (SLV) has announced the recipients of its 2014-15 Creative Fellowships. Each of the creative fellowships is funded for three months with a grant of $12,500....

Stinson appointed lecturer at Newcastle Uni 

Tuesday, 8 July 2014
Author and academic Emmett Stinson has been appointed lecturer in English literature at the University of Newcastle. Stinson was previously lecturer in publishing and communications at the University of Melbourne. He is...