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Larrikin House acquires Harry, Foster junior fiction

Thursday, 11 January 2024
Larrikin House has acquired world rights to a junior fiction text titled Camp Spook: Attack of the Aliants! co-authored by Pip Harry and Kate Foster. In this book, 10-year-old Julia...

B&N aims to open 50 stores in 2024

Thursday, 11 January 2024
In the US, Barnes & Noble (B&N) CEO James Daunt has announced the chain has set a goal of opening 50 new stores in 2024, reports Publishers Weekly (PW). According...

Anton Clifford-Motopi recommends

Wednesday, 10 January 2024
I recently finished reading What About Thao? by Oliver Phommavanh. I loved the portrayal of everyday life in a small country town and the likeable and relatable cast of characters....

Please complete our Christmas survey

Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Books+Publishing is currently conducting its annual Christmas survey of booksellers and publishers. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey online. We are accepting submissions until Wednesday, 17 January. Booksellers...

Writers’ Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 10 January 2024
The shortlist for the 2024 Writers' Prize, formerly the Rathbones Folio Prize, has been announced. The shortlisted books in each category are: Fiction The Wren, The Wren (Anne Enright, Vintage)...

100 Story Building among Creative Ventures Program recipients

Wednesday, 10 January 2024
The 100 Story Building in Footscray, Victoria, is among the funding recipients of the Creative Ventures Program, a Creative Victoria program that provides two-year grants to small creative organisations. The program...

Inclusive publishing leaders at the Sharjah Publishers Conference

Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Each year, the Sharjah International Book Fair brings publishing professionals to the United Arab Emirates through its fellowship program. Agata Mrva-Montoya, from the University of Sydney, attended the 2023 conference....

Explainer: What is accessible publishing?

Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Accessibility and inclusivity are broad terms that can have different meanings in different contexts. In the book industry, these terms have surfaced at many conferences and events as people come...

Anton Clifford-Motopi on ‘To and Fro’

Tuesday, 9 January 2024
Anton Clifford-Motopi is a Brisbane-based author who likes to write stories that make children laugh. Books+Publishing reviewer Emma Pei Yin described his debut novel, To and Fro (A&U Children, March),...

Literary orgs, projects among Create NSW funding recipients

Tuesday, 9 January 2024
Several literary organisations and projects are among the successful applicants for the first round of Create NSW’s Arts and Cultural Funding Program (ACFP) for 2023/24. Included in the ACFP are...

UK sales value up in 2023 as volume declines

Tuesday, 9 January 2024
In the UK, an increase in average selling prices meant the market was up by 1.3% in 2023, despite volume sales being down by 5%, reports the Bookseller. According to...

APA announces 2024 REP editors

Tuesday, 9 January 2024
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has announced the 15 editors selected for the 2024 Residential Editorial Program (REP), an intensive program for mid-career editors to work on an unpublished manuscript...

Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Monday, 8 January 2024
The shortlist for the 2024 Australian Book Review (ABR) Peter Porter Poetry Prize has been announced. The shortlisted poems are: ‘Poem of the Dead Woman’ by Judith Nangala Crispin (NSW) ‘Immigration Triction’...

Hoover, Yarros buoy adult fiction as US print sales decline

Monday, 8 January 2024
In the US, print sales declined 2.6% in 2023, according to Circana BookScan figures, reports Publishers Weekly (PW). Sales were down 4.1% after the first nine months of the year,...

Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced

Tuesday, 19 December 2023
The Wheeler Centre has announced the 2024 shortlists for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. In each category, the shortlists and highly commended titles are: Fiction ($25,000) But the Girl (Jessica...

Murphy awarded 2024 Peter Blazey Fellowship

Friday, 15 December 2023
Author, editor and accessibility consultant Fiona Murphy has won the 2024 Peter Blazey Fellowship. Murphy will use the fellowship to work on her second book, 'Livelihood', a narrative nonfiction essay...

Eli Nacson to become COO at Hay House Australia following acquisition

Friday, 15 December 2023
Hay House Australia's operations will continue as normal following the acquisition of the publisher by Penguin Random House (PRH), according to managing director Leon Nacson. Nacson told Books+Publishing that the...

Australian market down 3% in value YTD, adult fiction strong

Friday, 15 December 2023
Nielsen BookScan reports that this year to date (YTD), to the week ending 9 December, the Australian Book Market overall declined (-3%) in value on the same time as a...

UQP becomes ‘carbon positive’ through reduction and offsets

Thursday, 14 December 2023
University of Queensland Press (UQP) has announced it has become 'carbon positive' this year, through making operational changes to reduce carbon emissions and offsetting the carbon it produces directly. 'We...

ASA 2023 survey results: Earnings ‘perilously low’, rising royalty agreements increase

Thursday, 14 December 2023
The 2023 Australian Society of Authors (ASA) survey of members has found 'a trend towards authors being paid a rising royalty in their publishing agreements', with 40% of respondents indicating...

Creative Australia funds literature organisations and individuals

Thursday, 14 December 2023
Creative Australia has announced the Four Year Investment for Organisations program for 2025–2028. Among the 159 organisations in Creative Australia’s multi-year investment, 14 literature organisations are listed. Creative Australia also...

Hoskins wins 2023 Frank Broeze Memorial Maritime History Book Prize

Thursday, 14 December 2023
Academic and public historian Ian Hoskins has won the 2023 Frank Broeze Memorial Maritime History Book Prize for his book Australia and the Pacific: A history (NewSouth). Australia and the...

PRH acquires Hay House

Thursday, 14 December 2023
Penguin Random House (PRH) has announced the acquisition of mind, body, spirit publisher Hay House. PRH, which did not disclose terms of the acquisition, said Hay House would 'retain its...

UWAP acquires Polimeni junior fiction series

Thursday, 14 December 2023
UWAP has acquired ANZ rights to a four-book junior fiction series, Ella and the Frogs, from Cassy Polimeni. The forthcoming series is for early readers aged five to eight years,...

Alice to depart Writers SA

Thursday, 14 December 2023
Writers SA has announced that CEO Jessica Alice will depart the organisation in early 2024. Alice was appointed as CEO of Writers SA in 2018. Programs and initiatives commenced during...

Trade Christmas closing dates 2023

Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Books+Publishing has collated company closing dates for the Christmas and New Year holiday period. (See table below.) The Books+Publishing office will close on Friday, 15 December and reopen Monday, 8...

Local creators nominated for 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Four local authors, illustrators and organisations have been announced as candidates for the 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world’s richest prize for children’s literature. The Australian candidates are: Ursula...