News | Books+Publishing

Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Tuesday, 31 March 2026
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced the shortlist for the 2026 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. The shortlisted books in each category, selected from the 2026 Notable...

Create NSW launches affordable residencies program for writers, illustrators

Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Create NSW has announced the establishment of the Rocks Creative Terraces Affordable Residencies Program, which it says “fulfils one of the first commitments outlined in Stories Matter: A Writing and...

Queensland Literary Awards moves to BWF for “foreseeable future”

Tuesday, 31 March 2026
The Queensland Literary Awards (QLAs) will become part of the 2026 Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF), with a BWF spokesperson confirming to Books+Publishing that BWF would be administering the awards "for...

Newcastle Poetry Prize 2026 winners announced

Tuesday, 31 March 2026
The Hunter Writers’ Centre has announced the winners of the 2026 Newcastle Poetry Prize. The winners in each category are: First place ($15,000) Greg McLaren for “Late Sonnets” Second place ($3000)...

Nigerian publisher Masobe Books acquires 5 books by Bacon

Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Othuke Ominiabohs, founder and publisher of Masobe Books, has acquired Nigerian rights for five books by African-Australian author Eugen Bacon, in a deal brokered in partnership with Bacon’s US publisher...

Upswell acquires Nowra’s “My Grandfather’s Ghost”

Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Upswell Publishing has acquired world rights to My Grandfather’s Ghost, a narrative nonfiction title by Louis Nowra, via Natalie Stewart, HLA Management. Describing My Grandfather’s Ghost, Nowra said, “On 12...

UK Publishers Association CEO calls for transparency amid “Shy Girl” controversy

Tuesday, 31 March 2026
In the UK, Publishers Association CEO Dan Conway has responded to the discontinuation of Mia Ballard’s novel Shy Girl over suspected AI use and its cancellation in the US. Conway...

Aaron wins 2026 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize

Monday, 30 March 2026
In the UK, Huw Aaron has won the 2026 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, worth £5000 (A$9657), for Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob (Puffin), reports the Bookseller. Aaron’s is the second picture book...

“A strong year” locally as PRH global earnings down 4.7%

Monday, 30 March 2026
While global revenue at Penguin Random House in 2025 rose 1.3% to €4.981 billion (A$8.34 billion), earnings were down 4.7% to €704 million (around A$1.18 billion). PRH parent company Bertelsmann...

S&S acquires Rogers’s “The Damned”

Monday, 30 March 2026
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired The Damned by Matt Rogers. Described as a “heart-pounding new thriller”, The Damned follows the author’s 2025 thriller The Forsaken and again features ex-assassin Logan...

Newcastle Writers Festival kicks off tomorrow

Thursday, 26 March 2026
Newcastle Writers Festival (NWF) runs from 27 to 29 March, with an opening night event featuring London-based Australian author Kathy Lette, who will reflect on “her writing career, resilience, and...

ABA 2026 conference program announced

Thursday, 26 March 2026
The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) has released the program for its 2026 conference, to run from 13 to 15 June at in Canberra at the QT hotel (pictured). Sessions at...

APA, Melb Uni launch second Workforce Survey on Diversity and Inclusion

Thursday, 26 March 2026
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has launched its second Australian Publishing Industry Workforce Survey on Diversity and Inclusion, in partnership with the University of Melbourne. The survey, which is open...

Bakers Lane acquires Jones’s “Swimming Backwards”

Thursday, 26 March 2026
Bakers Lane Books has acquired world rights to the novel Swimming Backwards by Helen Jones. Swimming Backwards, which was shortlisted for the publisher’s inaugural Fearless Prize, tells the story of grieving...

Women’s Prize for Nonfiction 2026 shortlist announced

Thursday, 26 March 2026
In the UK, the shortlist for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Nonfiction, worth £30,000 (A$57,702) has been announced. The six shortlisted titles are: The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History...

Bookseller’s diary: Clunes and the pleasures of re-homing vintage books

Wednesday, 25 March 2026
For the 20th Clunes Booktown Festival, held on the weekend of 21 to 22 March, 15,000 book lovers descended on the small Victorian town of Clunes. The event featured 70...

Australian Government opens consultation on next National Cultural Policy

Wednesday, 25 March 2026
The Australian Government has opened consultation to hear views on developing the next National Cultural Policy, 3 years after the launch of the 5-year policy Revive. The consultation process invites submissions...

Waving through windows: Insights from the “Reaching Australian Readers” report

Wednesday, 25 March 2026
Reading peak body and newly minted not-for-profit organisation Australia Reads has released a new research report, “Reaching Australian Readers”, following on from last year’s “Understanding Australian Readers” report. This new...