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My Brother Ben (Peter Carnavas, UQP)

Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Acclaimed Australian children’s writer Peter Carnavas has followed up his wonderful first novel The Elephant with another book equally full of heart. An ode to sibling relationships, growing up and the natural world, My...

‘Still Alive’ sells to Fantagraphics

Wednesday, 4 August 2021
Melbourne graphic novel publisher Twelve Panels Press has sold world English rights (ex ANZ) to Safdar Ahmed’s Still Alive to Gary Groth at Fantagraphics, to be published under the Fantagraphics...

Pantera acquires McWilliams debut middle-grade novel

Wednesday, 4 August 2021
Pantera Press has acquired world rights to The Reindeer and the Submarine, the debut middle-grade novel by Beverly McWilliams. Inspired by the true story of a reindeer who lived aboard...

Dark Rise (C S Pacat, A&U)

Tuesday, 3 August 2021
Will is on the run from the men who killed his mother. When a terrifying artefact is unleashed on the Thames docks, Will finds himself thrust into a hidden world...

PRH acquires Chadderton middle-grade graphic novel

Thursday, 29 July 2021
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has acquired world rights to the contemporary middle-grade graphic novel Oh, Brother by Adelaide author-illustrator Georgina Chadderton. Rights were acquired in a joint deal between PRH...

Dragon Skin (Karen Foxlee, A&U)

Tuesday, 27 July 2021
Dragon Skin is the much-anticipated new novel by Karen Foxlee, author of cherished modern classics including the internationally successful Lenny’s Book of Everything. Foxlee is skilled at writing brave yet vulnerable young...

S&S acquires two McAlister rom-coms

Thursday, 22 July 2021
Simon & Schuster Australia has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to two adult novels by Jodi McAlister, author of the YA series 'Valentine', via Alex Adsett from Alex Adsett Literary....

Simpson wins 2021 ALS Gold Medal for ‘Song of the Crocodile’

Wednesday, 21 July 2021
Nardi Simpson has won the 2021 Australian Literature Society (ALS) Gold Medal for Song of the Crocodile (Hachette). Song of the Crocodile is Simpson's debut novel, and was the winner...

Lohrey wins 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award for ‘The Labyrinth’

Thursday, 15 July 2021
Amanda Lohrey has won the $60,000 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her seventh novel, The Labyrinth (Text). Lohrey, the second Tasmanian writer to win the Miles Franklin in its 64-year...

UQP sells ‘The White Girl’ to HarperVia

Wednesday, 14 July 2021
UQP has sold world English rights (ex ANZ) for The White Girl by Tony Birch to HarperCollins imprint HarperVia. The deal was handled by UQP rights manager Kate McCormack in...

Robotham wins CWA Steel Dagger

Friday, 2 July 2021
Michael Robotham has won the UK Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award for best thriller for his novel When She Was Good (Hachette). The judges praised Robotham’s...

Hachette acquires Yarwood debut in two-book deal

Wednesday, 30 June 2021
Hachette Australia has acquired ANZ rights to Sydney author Dianne Yarwood’s debut novel The Wakes in a 'hotly contested' international auction. The six-figure, two-book deal was struck with Catherine Drayton...

Affirm acquires Berry’s ‘Fearlessly Failing’

Monday, 28 June 2021
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to nutritionist and podcast host Lola Berry’s new personal development book Fearlessly Failing. Affirm said Fearlessly Failing is ‘a guide to embracing challenges and...

‘Fight Like a Girl’ to be adapted for TV

Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Aquarius Films has acquired all development and production rights to Clementine Ford’s nonfiction book Fight Like a Girl (A&U), in a deal negotiated by Jacinta Dimase at Jacinta Dimase Management....

Lui wins Russell Prize for Humour Writing, Bunting wins inaugural writing for young people award

Friday, 18 June 2021
Nakkiah Lui has won the $10,000 biennial Russell Prize for Humour Writing for Black is the New White (A&U), the book of her play of the same name. Judges Mark...

Miles Franklin 2021 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 16 June 2021
The shortlist for the 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award has been announced. The six shortlisted novels, chosen from a longlist of 12, are: Amnesty (Aravind Adiga, Picador) The Rain Heron (Robbie Arnott,...

Ultimo acquires Hyland crime fiction in two-book deal

Thursday, 3 June 2021
Ultimo Press has acquired world rights to Canticle Creek and a second book by crime writer Adrian Hyland. ‘When Adam Lawson's wrecked car is found a kilometre from Daisy Baker’s...

‘The Nancys’ optioned for screen

Wednesday, 2 June 2021
Screen adaptation rights to crime novel The Nancys by Melbourne-based New Zealand author R W R McDonald (A&U) have been optioned by Queensland production company Hoodlum Entertainment, via Grace Heifetz...

‘Treehouse’ titles top children’s fiction, nonfiction charts YTD

Wednesday, 26 May 2021
Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s ‘Treehouse’ series—which celebrates 10 years in print this year—has topped the Australian children’s fiction chart (The 130-Storey Treehouse) and Australian children’s/YA nonfiction chart (The Treehouse...