A win for illustrated books all round: Thames & Hudson celebrates with “another reprint on top of the reprint”
Once I Was a Giant (Zeno Sworder) was shortlisted in this year’s CBCA awards ahead of its overall win as Book of the Year at last week’s Australian Book Industry Awards, and happily Thames & Hudson Australia (T&H) managing director Daniel Watts confirms the publisher has seen a spike in... Read more
“My parents made a brilliant decision … to choose a bookseller as our godmother”: Zeno Sworder on winning ABIA Book of the Year
A heartfelt thank you to ABIA and Australian booksellers and publishers for this honour and for the valuable work that you do. My parents made a brilliant decision before my big sister was born and that was to choose a bookseller named Felicity as our godmother. Of course, Felicity’s occupation... Read more
ABIA 2026 photos available
Books+Publishing hopes you enjoyed the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards. Photos of the award ceremony on 21 May are now available for download. Access photos by Peanut Productions on the image portal. Access photos by Oneill Photographics and Books+Publishing in the OneDrive folder. Photos are for personal use only. To... Read more
Sworder wins ABIA Book of the Year
The winners of the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) have been announced, with Once I Was a Giant by Zeno Sworder (Thames & Hudson) taking out the overall Book of the Year award, as well as the award for Children’s Picture Book of the Year. In the business awards,... Read more
Macdonald wins 2026 Pixie O’Harris Award
Paul Macdonald has been named as the recipient of the 2026 Pixie O’Harris Award in the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA). The outgoing president of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) NSW, Macdonald is an author, former bookseller and “tireless champion of children’s books”, said an ABIA statement announcing the... Read more
Fox wins 2026 Lloyd O’Neil Award
Mem Fox has been named as the recipient of the 2026 Lloyd O’Neil Award in the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA). Fox has written more than 40 books for children, including Possum Magic, Where Is the Green Sheep?, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, Time for Bed , and Wilfrid... Read more
Thorpe-Bowker: “A well-written book is no longer sufficient on its own”
In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is inviting the event’s major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the state of our industry. This week, Andrew Kovacs, product marketing manager at Thorpe-Bowker,... Read more
Times Printers: “Every story deserves a beautiful beginning”
In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards, Books+Publishing is inviting the event’s major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the state of our industry. This week, Esther Kee, assistant general manager for sales and... Read more
Penguin Random House Australia: “The Penguin Modern Australian Classics will be treasured by readers for years to come”
In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards, Books+Publishing is inviting the event’s major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the state of our industry. This week, Susie Smith, communications lead at Penguin Random House... Read more
Ingram: “Forecasting demand has become more challenging for retailers”
In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is inviting the event’s major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the state of our industry. This week, Brian MacDonald, senior manager for sales and business development... Read more
ABIA 2026 business award shortlists announced
Books+Publishing, in partnership with the Australian Publishers Association, has announced the 2026 business award shortlists for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs). The shortlistees in each category are: Bookshop of the Year Books Kinokuniya Sydney Collins Booksellers Warrnambool Constant Reader Fullers Bookshop Gleebooks Dulwich Hill Paper Bird Book Retailer of... Read more
ABIA 2026 book award shortlists announced
Books+Publishing, in partnership with the Australian Publishers Association, has announced the 2026 book award shortlists for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs). The shortlisted titles in each category are: Audiobook of the Year Gravity Let Me Go (Trent Dalton, narrated by Trent Dalton, Fourth Estate) How They Get You (Chris... Read more
OverDrive: “The romantasy trend showed up years ago”
In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is inviting the event’s major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the state of our industry. This week, OverDrive regional manager for Australia and New... Read more
Copyright Agency: “The cat-and-mouse dynamic has not disappeared”
In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is inviting the event’s major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the state of our industry. This week, Copyright Agency CEO Josephine Johnston writes on copyright,... Read more
Magnum Book Services: “Specialist book logistics support matters”
In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is inviting the event’s major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the state of our industry. This week, Magnum Book Services Australia director Annie Hattrell writes... Read more
Alliance Distribution Services: “A day at ADS”
In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is inviting the event's major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the state of our industry. This week, Alliance Distribution Services (ADS) distribution director Riikka Dunn... Read more
Booktopia: “Books have always been more than products”
In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is inviting the event's major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the status of our industry. In this year's first instalment, Booktopia head of merchandise... Read more
APA releases ABIA guide
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has released a guide for publishers entering the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA). Drawing on judging comments from last year’s awards, Judges Insights: A guide for publishers entering ABIA 2026 explains how to write an entry for the awards, while including the items that... Read more
ABIA winner profile: Potts Point Bookshop
Following on from the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) in early May, Books+Publishing (B+P) reached out to the industry winners to ask them about their challenges, the goals and what the win means to them. In today’s edition, we feature Potts Point Bookshop, winner of the ABIA Bookshop of the... Read more
ABIA winner profile: Allen & Unwin
Following on from the Australian Book Industry Awards in early May, Books+Publishing reached out to the industry winners to ask them about their challenges, their goals and what the win means to them. In today’s edition, we spoke with Allen & Unwin. The publishing house received the inaugural Children's Publisher... Read more
ABIA winner profile: Jeanmarie Morosin
Following on from the Australian Book Industry Awards in early May, Books+Publishing reached out to the industry winners to ask them about their career, their challenges, their goals and what the win means to them. In today’s edition, we spoke to Hachette head of children’s publishing and winner of Publisher/Commissioning... Read more
A note from Fashion Critical
The good folk at Murdoch Books have made the bold decision to turn me, a simple street sweeper from Gundagai, into a published author this October. Elevated to a soon-to-be author, I hoped to receive an invite to the prestigious ABIAs, but alas I was sweeping the streets feverishly and... Read more
ABIA photos available
Books+Publishing hopes you enjoyed the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards. Photos of the award ceremony on 7 May are now available for download. See the photos in this OneDrive folder. Photos for personal use only and with permission; use for print, digital, and broadcast should contact abia@.booksandpublishing.com.au.Read more
Farnham wins ABIA Book of the Year
The winners of the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) have been announced, with The Voice Inside (John Farnham with Poppy Stockell, Hachette) taking out the overall Book of the Year award, as well as winning in both the Biography Book of the Year and Audiobook of the Year categories.... Read more
TDLC: ‘The dominant form of revenue for the book industry continues to be the sale of physical books’
In the lead-up to the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is in conversation with the event’s major sponsors about the status of the industry, what excites them about the future, and what they have to offer publishers, booksellers and readers. Emmanuel Bohlock, General Manager at TDLC, spoke with the publication.... Read more
Alliance Distribution Services: ‘We firmly believe that everyone should have access to reading’
In the lead-up to the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is in conversation with the event’s major sponsors about the status of the industry, what excites them about the future, and what they have to offer publishers, booksellers and readers. Riikka Dunn, distribution director at ADS, spoke with the publication.... Read more
James Bennett: ‘There’s no one-size-fits-all approach anymore, and that’s exciting’
In the lead-up to the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is in conversation with the event’s major sponsors about the status of the industry, what excites them about the future, and what they have to offer publishers, booksellers and readers. Sarah Phillpot, general manager at James Bennett, spoke with... Read more
ABIA 2025 business award shortlists announced
Books+Publishing, in partnership with the Australian Publishers Association, has announced the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) 2025 business award shortlists. The ABIA 2025 business award shortlists are: Bookshop of the Year Beaufort Street Books Gleebooks Dulwich Hill Matilda Bookshop Paper Bird Potts Point Bookshop Riverbend Books Book Retailer of the... Read more
Thorpe-Bowker: ‘Having access to books wherever you might want them increases demand’
In the lead-up to the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is in conversation with the event’s major sponsors about the status of the industry, what excites them about the future, and what they have to offer publishers, booksellers and readers. Gary Pengelly, general manager at Thorpe-Bowker, spoke with the publication.... Read more
Booktopia: ‘We need to work together – government and business – to emphasise the importance and joy of reading’
In the lead-up to the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs), Books+Publishing is in conversation with the event’s major sponsors about the status of the industry, what excites them about the future, and what they have to offer publishers, booksellers and readers. Sophie Higgins, head of merchandise at Booktopia, spoke with the publication.... Read more
