Smashing Serendipity (Louise K Hansen, Fremantle Press)
Tuesday, 15 November 2022
Proud Binjareb Nyoongar woman Louise K Hansen unfortunately passed away before her profound memoir, Smashing Serendipity: The story of one Moordtj Yorga, was published. But the strong stories from her...
Hedgehog the Wonder Dog (Dannika Patterson, illus by Ross Morgan, Ford Street)
Tuesday, 15 November 2022
Hedgehog the Wonder Dog is a picture book with a beautiful aura around it, both visually and figuratively, telling a tender and soul-soothing story of the power of connection—in this...
Tumbleglass (Kate Constable, A&U Children’s)
Tuesday, 15 November 2022
Rowan is helping her big sister Ash with painting her room when suddenly they find themselves in 1999, at a party in the very same house. While Ash wants to...
This Time it’s Real (Ann Liang, Penguin)
Tuesday, 15 November 2022
Ann Liang’s This Time it’s Real is a vibrant young adult romantic comedy with its heart in the right place. When 17-year-old Eliza Lin’s school essay about her fabricated love...
The Matchmaker (Saman Shad, Viking)
Wednesday, 19 October 2022
Playing cupid for the Sydney Pakistani community is Saima Khan in The Matchmaker. Pairing lovers is second nature for Saima until the handsome, young white-collar Kal (Khalid) Ali unwittingly saunters...
Australia is back at Frankfurt, come say hello!
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Australians have spent most of the past two years confined to our home country (and much of that time confined to our homes!), so it is wonderful to report that...
Diverse new offerings from First Nations writers
Thursday, 13 October 2022
First Nations poetry has been a standout success in 2022—so let's take a look at what other titles are forthcoming from across the diverse spectrum of Aboriginal and Torres Strait...
Prize-winners, familiar names, debuts: Australian fiction at Frankfurt
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Among the titles Australian publishers are pitching at Frankfurt this year are two that have been recognised by local awards even before publication. Roseghetto by Kirsty Jagger (UQP, 2023), ‘an...
High-profile memoirs, political books, self-help guides: top nonfiction at Frankfurt
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Memoir and biography Look out for Ash Barty’s memoir My Dream Time (HarperCollins), which reflects on Barty’s tennis career, her family, and ‘finding the path to being the best I...
Middle-grade series, queer YA romances: CYA books Aus publishers are pitching
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Picture books Allen & Unwin Children’s (A&U) is pitching a list of exciting new titles from beloved authors, including the picture book Shadow Catchers by award-winning team Kirsty Murray and...
Australian book market overview: 2022 so far
Thursday, 13 October 2022
The Australian book market posted strong results throughout the Covid-affected years of 2020 and 2021, and has continued this growth in 2022, with overall sales for the year to 18...
Get educated: Introducing Australian educational publishers
Thursday, 13 October 2022
As well as a wealth of trade offerings, Australia boasts a healthy educational publishing sector. Attending in person on the Australia stand at Frankfurt this year will be ATF Press...
Fiction acquisitions: spec-fic, debuts, short story collections
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Among recent fiction acquisitions by Australian publishers are literary speculative fiction books, a plethora of debut authors, and more poetry and short story collections. HarperCollins Australia has acquired ANZ rights...
Nonfiction acquisitions: memoirs galore
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Among the most recent nonfiction acquisitions by Australian publishers are a plethora of memoir titles, including actor Sam Neill’s memoir Did I Ever Tell You This?, for which Text acquired...
Middle-grade boom: recent Australian CYA acquisitions
Thursday, 13 October 2022
The Australian children’s middle-grade market continues to grow, and recent acquisitions show it won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ, Oceania and non-exclusive Asia...
Down wins Miles Franklin for ‘Bodies of Light’
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Melbourne writer Jennifer Down took out Australia’s most prestigious literary prize, the $60,000 Miles Franklin Literary Award, for her second novel Bodies of Light (Text). The winner was chosen from...
Introducing Bold Type Agency
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Nerrilee Weir, former Penguin Random House Australia senior rights manager and Fiona Henderson, former Simon & Schuster Australia publishing director, have joined forces to create new rights agency Bold Type...
Australian authors recommend
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Australian authors tell us the most recent book they have read and loved, and why. Michelle Kadarusman is the author of the middle-grade book on animal activism Berani (A&U...
Australian bestsellers 2022 YTD
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Top 10 Australian fiction YTD Apples Never Fall (Liane Moriarty, Macmillan) 44,080 The Murder Rule (Dervla McTiernan, HarperCollins) 40,870 Exiles (Jane Harper, Macmillan) 39,770 Cobalt Blue (Matthew Reilly, Macmiillan) 37,040...
Every Version of You
Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Never Let Me Go meets Black Mirror, with a dash of Murakami’s surrealism—this is speculative literary fiction at its best. In late twenty-first century Australia, Tao-Yi and her partner Navin...
Bologna rights centre to open to adult publishers
Tuesday, 13 September 2022
Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) will expand its current BCBF Agents' Centre to include rights professionals from across the industry, including adult general trade publishers. BCBF director Elena Pasoli said:...
Tell Me Again (Amy Thunig, UQP)
Tuesday, 6 September 2022
Amy Thunig is an academic and social commentator on shows such as ABC’s The Drum. She also grew up in poverty, the child of parents battling drug addictions who provided...
The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding (Holly Ringland, Fourth Estate)
Tuesday, 26 July 2022
Esther Wilding grows up in the shadow of her older sister Aura. When the once-sparkling Aura returns from Copenhagen hollowed out by life, and walks into the sea to her...
People Who Lunch (Sally Olds, Upswell)
Wednesday, 6 July 2022
People Who Lunch is the much-anticipated first book by Melbourne-based writer Sally Olds. Known among a devoted coterie of fans for her long-form standalone essays, Olds’ first full collection focuses...
Bon and Lesley (Shaun Prescott, Giramondo)
Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Shaun Prescott continues his existential explorations of modern life in his second novel, which follows his 2017 debut The Town. In the opening pages of Bon and Lesley we meet...
Farm: The making of a climate activist (Nicola Harvey, Scribe)
Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Is it possible to be a meat-eating environmentalist? How do you spend months bonding with your heifers, seeing them as they truly are—curious, playful and happy sentient beings—just to send...
Growing in to Autism (Sandra Thom-Jones, MUP)
Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Sandra Thom-Jones had a successful life before she knew she had autism. Or, more specifically, before she had a diagnosis of autism. A well-respected researcher in her 50s, Thom-Jones knew...
Faithless (Alice Nelson, Vintage)
Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Alice Nelson’s Faithless is an astonishing novel that unfolds as a love letter from protagonist Cressida to her all-consuming love, Max. In the beginning, Cressida is looking after a young...
Enclave (Claire G Coleman, Hachette)
Tuesday, 24 May 2022
Born of social media algorithms and convenience culture, with a biting critique of modern tribalism, Enclave, Claire G Coleman’s third novel, is Brave New World with every conceit flipped for...
It’s good to be back
Friday, 1 April 2022
After more than two years attending rights fairs virtually, several Australian publishers will be attending the 2022 London Book Fair (LBF) in person next week. 'We’re excited to attend LBF...
