Bios, how-tos, hybrid memoirs: recent nonfiction acquisitions in Aus
1 April 2022
A biography of Australian surfer Owen Wright (world rights acquired by S&S Australia) tells the story of the surfer’s recovery after a serious brain injury ahead of the Pipeline Masters...
Koalas, climate and real-life ‘Succession’: Australian nonfiction offerings at LBF
1 April 2022
Of all the titles being pitched at LBF, perhap the most instantly recognisable as Australian is forthcoming nonfiction title Koala by biologist Danielle Clode (Black Inc., September), which promises ‘an...
Australian book market overview 2021
1 April 2022
After a pandemic-fuelled record year in 2020—during which sales of books in Australia grew 7.8% to A$1.25 billion (unit sales for the year were 67 million) according to Nielsen BookScan—in 2021,...
Fiction acquisitions: debuts, familiar names and plenty of two-book deals
1 April 2022
Among recent acquisitions are a spate of two-book deals. MacLehose Press, an imprint of Hachette-owned UK publisher Quercus, has acquired world rights to two new novels by Australian author Peter...
Australian authors recommend
1 April 2022
Australian authors tell us the most recent book they have read and loved, and why. Hayley Scrivenor is the author of forthcoming crime novel Dirt Town (Macmillan, May). ‘I...
Aus crime wave continues: the fiction publishers are pitching at LBF
1 April 2022
Australian publishing continues to ride a literary crime wave, with several local publishers bringing crime offerings to London. ‘We are delighted to share Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone in My Family Has...
Aus YA shows its range
16 March 2022
From horror to fantasy with some wit and mystery along the way, Australian YA shows its range in several recent deals. Two recent acquisitions by Australian publishers present a similar...
Introducing Gabrielle Wang, Australia’s new Children’s Laureate
16 March 2022
Australian children's author Gabrielle Wang is the new Australian Children’s Laureate for 2022–23. Wang is the award-winning author and illustrator of over 20 books, including The Lion Drummer (illus by...
Aus middle-grade golden age continues
16 March 2022
Australia’s ‘golden age’ of middle-grade fiction doesn’t look it's ending any time soon, with several high-profile fiction acquisitions in the age bracket. Fans of Amelia Mellor around the world will...
Picture this
16 March 2022
From a nonfiction book about how trees talk to a slam poetry adaptation, Australian publishers are pitching some picture books with a difference at Bologna this year. Jordan Collins’ debut...
In Bologna? Pop by the Australian stand
16 March 2022
If you’re on the ground in Bologna for this year’s fair, pop by the Australian stand, Hall 25, Stand B78. The Australian Publishers Association stand will be managed by Rome-based...
Serious about series
16 March 2022
Australian publishers will be pitching several new series at Bologna—from some well established names, as well as emerging authors. In middle-grade, Penguin Random House Australia has a ‘charming’ new series...
‘Magical Australian light’: Rights successes and recent titles from Australian illustrated nonfiction publishers
29 September 2021
Australia’s leading publisher of books on the visual arts, Thames & Hudson Australia, has been publishing—and exporting—local titles for many years. ‘We find there is a real thirst for Australian...
Exploring the natural world: Australian picture books and children’s nonfiction with an environmental theme
29 September 2021
Australian artist and mother of three Kat Macleod was inspired by the challenge of entertaining small children during lockdown to create her first picture book for Thames & Hudson Australia....
The bigger picture: Australian books respond to climate change
29 September 2021
It’s hard to find a theme more urgent in publishing today—and one that unites fiction and nonfiction—than climate change. Australian independent publisher Black Inc. has been particularly active in publishing...
Amplifying First Nations voices: Magabala, UQP and Thames & Hudson share their latest titles
9 June 2021
From exciting new releases to major international rights sales, First Nations publishing in Australia continues to go from strength to strength. Australian Indigenous publisher Magabala Books has had a stellar...
Independent and international: Spinifex Press, Big Sky and Exisle on their latest titles and rights successes
9 June 2021
Spinifex Press, Big Sky Publishing and Exisle Publishing are three Australian independents with a strong international focus. Australian feminist publisher Spinifex Press has had a presence on the international scene—selling...
Small press, big picture: New picture books from Windy Hollow, Berbay, Magabala and Fremantle Press
26 May 2021
Four Australian small presses—Windy Hollow Books, Berbay Publishing, Magabala Books and Fremantle Press—are taking their picture books to the world. The world is starting to take notice of Windy Hollow...
Keeping it real: The latest YA Own Voices titles from Australian publishers
26 May 2021
As the Own Voices movement gains momentum around the world, Australian publishers have been filling their YA lists with diverse and exciting Own Voices titles. In 2018 Fremantle Press published...
New talent: Australian publishers, agents nominate their top new authors
17 March 2021
In this issue of Think Australian we asked Australian publishers and literary agents to nominate their most promising new authors, whose debut or second books would appeal to an international...
Publishing and the pandemic: The Australian book market in 2020
30 September 2020
Despite the disruption that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the Australian book industry this year, overall sales figures are looking surprisingly healthy. For the first eight months of 2020,...
Lead titles from Australian publishers & agents
30 September 2020
With the Frankfurt Book Fair now purely online, Australian publishers and literary agents are gearing up to pitch their titles via the fair’s—and their own—digital channels. Here are some of...
Lead children’s titles from Australian publishers & agents
19 March 2020
Prior to the cancellation of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Think Australian spoke with a number of Australian publishers and literary agents who were scheduled to attend the fair. Here...
Lead titles for LBF from Australian publishers & agents
11 February 2020
A number of Australian publishers and literary agents will be heading to this year’s London Book Fair in March, with some taking their own stands, others joining their parent company...
Get to know … Murdoch Books
11 April 2019
Think Australian interviewed publishing director Lou Johnson about Murdoch Books' rebranding and forthcoming titles. What makes Murdoch Books unique? A whole combination of things. The fact that we have such...
The market down under
2 October 2018
Australian titles are faring well in a market where personal development books and crime fiction are the standout trends, reports Andrea Hanke. For the fourth year in a row, the...
