Women’s Prize for Nonfiction 2026 longlist announced
Thursday, 12 February 2026
In the UK, the 2026 longlist for the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction, worth £30,000 (A$57,360), has been announced. The longlisted titles are: Daughters of the Bamboo Grove (Barbara Demick, Text) The...
Lucashenko’s “Edenglassie” on Walter Scott Prize longlist
Thursday, 12 February 2026
Melissa Lucashenko’s Edenglassie (UQP, 2023) has been longlisted for the 2026 Walter Scott Prize, worth £25,000 (A$47,807). Already the recipient of 8 prizes in Australia, Edenglassie tells the story of...
Local publishers on Bologna Prize shortlist
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Local publishers have been shortlisted for the 2026 Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year. Publishers shortlisted in the Oceania category are: Affirm Press (Australia) Hardie Grant Children's...
Ruffino joins Keeperton as head of commercial strategy
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Keeperton has appointed Dan Ruffino to the newly created role of head of commercial strategy. Ruffino has over 30 years in the publishing industry, with roles in sales, publicity, marketing and...
Hachette Australia announces “Belonging and Storytelling” event
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Hachette Australia, Australian Publishers Association (APA), Media Diversity Australia (MDA) and Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS) have partnered to present “Belonging and Storytelling: Diversity in Publishing”. A dedicated space for First...
PRH acquires Hannan’s next novel
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has acquired Australian rights to I Love the Whole World! by Victoria Hannan, a novel about friendship, ageing and the extra/ordinary act of deciding to...
Griffiths announced as Australian Children’s Laureate
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Andy Griffiths has been named the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2026 and 2027. Griffiths is author of over 30 books, including the JUST! series, the Treehouse series (both illus by...
Affirm acquires Blue-eyed Kayla Jade’s memoir
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Call Girl Confidential by Blue-Eyed Kayla Jade, via a deal brokered by Lem Zakharia from Bedou. According to the publisher, Call Girl Confidential...
Community Publishing, Australian Literature and the “DIY Publishing Toolkit”
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Publishing in Australia comes in various forms. For those that live outside of the large cities, the process can look different to what is considered traditional publishing. The DIY Publishing...
Riveted Press acquires Roe’s middle-grade novel
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Riveted Press has acquired world rights to The Stolen Bairn, a middle-grade historical fantasy by children’s author and media professional Katrina Macdonald Roe. Set 200 years ago in Scotland and...
Taipei International Book Exhibition wraps up
Tuesday, 10 February 2026
The Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) finished its 6-day event this week, under the theme “Reading Is Amazing”, reported Publishers Weekly (PW). According to PW, a highlight of the exhibition included the...
Folio website launched
Tuesday, 10 February 2026
A new website, Folio, has been launched showcasing stories from the Australian comics community, using oral histories and ephemera from the period 1980 to 2020, aimed at creators, readers and...
CBCA announces new award category
Tuesday, 10 February 2026
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced the introduction of the Middle Readers Book of the Year category from the 2027 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. From...
Allen & Unwin acquires Duncan’s “Musquito”
Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Musquito: The real story of a legendary colonial warrior, a biography of the First Nations resistance warrior known as Musquito, written...
Hachette UK launches 3 new children’s imprints
Monday, 9 February 2026
In the UK, Hachette Children’s Group (HCG) has launched 3 imprints “as part of a branding refresh [...] under the new leadership of managing director Ruth Alltimes”, reported the Bookseller....
Simon & Schuster staff changes
Monday, 9 February 2026
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has reorganised its Australia and New Zealand sales team, with Elissa Baillie moving into a wider role and Keiran Rogers departing the organisation. From today...
Lester’s “Magic Beach” named Australia’s best children’s picture book
Monday, 9 February 2026
The Guardian has announced the winner of its poll for Australia’s best children’s picture book as Magic Beach by Alison Lester (A&U Children’s). The Guardian said the book “follows the different adventures...
NSW legislation to protect diverse public library collections
Monday, 9 February 2026
Diverse public library collections in NSW will be protected under new legislation and “respond to challenges to materials from individuals or groups seeking to restrict their scope.” The Library Amendment...
Sorrento Writers Festival announces full 2026 program
Monday, 9 February 2026
The Sorrento Writers Festival (SWF) has announced its 2026 festival program, running from 23 to 26 April 2026 in Sorrento, Victoria. This year's festival will feature over 180 speakers across...
Junior Book Club – this month’s reads
Friday, 6 February 2026
Searching for your next great read to share with kids? Our Junior Book Club highlights new titles each month that are perfect for classrooms, libraries and family reading time. From...
Newcastle Poetry Prize shortlist announced
Thursday, 5 February 2026
The Hunter Writers’ Centre has announced the 2025 shortlist for the $15,000 Newcastle Poetry Prize. Shortlisted poets are: Ann-Marie Blanchard for “Medea with the Graceful Feet” Owen Bullock for “Systolic”...
Woollett and Twyford-Moore announced as KYD critics
Thursday, 5 February 2026
Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced Laura Elizabeth Woollett and Sam Twyford-Moore as two regular critics for the magazine. During 2026, Woollett and Twyford-Moore will each write and publish long-form...
Australia Reads forms not-for-profit with new board
Thursday, 5 February 2026
Australia Reads has become an independent not-for-profit organisation with a new board. The move comes after Writing Australia named Australia Reads as a delivery partner and granted funding of $300,000...
S&S UK appoints publishing director of new digital-first imprint
Thursday, 5 February 2026
In the UK, Victoria Pepe has been appointed publishing director of a new Simon & Schuster UK (S&S) digital-first imprint to be launched later this year, reports the Bookseller. Pepe,...
Writers’ centres are “fundamental” to literary culture
Thursday, 5 February 2026
Following Creative Victoria’s decision not to fund Writers Victoria in its current round, Books+Publishing’s Angela Glindemann discussed the role of writing centres in this article for the Conversation. Writers Victoria,...
Latest UK book award announcements
Wednesday, 4 February 2026
In the UK, the winners of two major literary awards have been announced. Weatherglass Novella Prize winners The 2026 Weatherglass Novella Prize has been jointly awarded to Jupiter Jones’s The...
Clunes Booktown Festival announces 20th anniversary program
Wednesday, 4 February 2026
Clunes Booktown Festival has released program details for its 2026 festival, to be held in the main street of the Victorian town of Clunes from 21 to 22 March. Festival...
Hardie Grant acquires Galea book on dreams
Wednesday, 4 February 2026
Hardie Grant has acquired world rights to A–Zzz of Dreams: Decoding Your Dreams and Deciphering Your Future, in a two-book deal with Matt Galea. A–Zzz of Dreams is a guide...
Wheeler Centre turns 15
Wednesday, 4 February 2026
On The Wheeler Centre’s 15th birthday, chief executive Erin Vincent responds to questions from Books+Publishing. As The Wheeler Centre marks 15 years, how do you look back on its origins?...
MidnightSun acquires McDermott’s debut YA
Wednesday, 4 February 2026
MidnightSun Publishing has acquired The Big Things, a YA novel from debut author Meg McDermott. According to the publisher, The Big Things is story about the unbreakable bond between teen...
