Australian publishers report interest in parenting, children’s titles in Beijing
Wednesday, 12 September 2018
Independent Australian publishers attending the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), running from 22-26 August, have reported interest in the categories of children's, parenting, and education. Ventura Press director Jane Curry...
Lush announced as SWF head of children’s & YA programs
Tuesday, 11 September 2018
The Sydney Writers' Festival (SWF) has appointed Amelia Lush as its new head of children's and YA programs. Lush has been a children's and YA bookseller in Sydney for 10...
Orr, Groth named as finalists in Canadian children’s book awards
Monday, 10 September 2018
Two Australian authors are among the finalists of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s (CCBC) children’s book awards. Dragonfly Song (A&U) by Canadian-born Australian author Wendy Orr has been shortlisted for the...
New short story prize launched for adults writing for children
Thursday, 6 September 2018
Australian children’s literature electronic magazine Buzz Words has launched a new short story prize for adults writing for children. The Buzz Words Short Story Prize ‘celebrates excellence in short story writing...
The Christmas wrap-up: 2018 children’s highlights
Thursday, 30 August 2018
Jackie Tang picks some highlights from publishers’ Christmas lists. Headliners Several high-profile authors have new titles out this Christmas, including national treasure Alison Lester who has three picture books: Tricky’s...
Book bites: A taste of books to come
Thursday, 30 August 2018
The next chapter Hot off the news that ‘The Bad Guys’ is being developed for an animated feature film by US production company Dreamworks, Aaron Blabey is back with a...
Stretching the truth: Jack Heath on ‘The Truth App’
Thursday, 30 August 2018
The Truth App (Scholastic, September) is the first book in YA author Jack Heath’s five-book junior-fiction series 'Liars', described by reviewer Heath Graham as a ‘non-stop action-adventure ride’ for readers who want ‘techno-thrillers...
Growing pains: Karen Foxlee on ‘Lenny’s Book of Everything’
Thursday, 30 August 2018
Karen Foxlee’s middle-grade novel Lenny’s Book of Everything (A&U) is ‘bittersweet tale about heartbreak and healing’ with ‘a sense of whimsy that never feels forced’. Reviewer Karys McEwen spoke to the author. Lenny’s brother...
‘100 Dogs’ named Sainsbury’s children’s book of the year
Thursday, 30 August 2018
UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has announced the winners of the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards, reports the Bookseller. The children’s book of the year prize was awarded to 100 Dogs (Michael Whaite, Puffin), which...
Getting the picture: Elizabeth Flux on the local comics industry
Wednesday, 29 August 2018
As librarians and booksellers report greater interest in graphic novels for children and teenagers, Elizabeth Flux explores the state of the local comics industry. When comics store All Star Comics opened...
Chronicle launches Chinese-language children’s books imprint
Wednesday, 22 August 2018
US publisher Chronicle Books has launched an imprint for Chinese-language editions of its children's titles, reports Publishers Weekly. Chronicle Books is partnering with international investment firm Trustbridge Global Media to...
Children’s publishing fair to run during Beijing International Book Fair
Tuesday, 14 August 2018
A new dedicated children’s publishing fair will run in conjunction with this year’s Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), which runs from 22-26 August. Covering an area of 14,000 square metres,...
Townsend shortlisted for 2018 Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards
Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Australian author Jessica Townsend's multiple award-winning middle-grade novel Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Lothian) has been shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards in the fiction category, reports the Bookseller. Each...
‘Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story’ named book of the year at 2018 NZ Book Awards for Children and YA
Thursday, 9 August 2018
Christchurch writer and illustrator Gavin Bishop’s Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story (Penguin) has won the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and the Elsie Locke Award for Nonfiction at this...
Dymocks’ Books For Kids week launched
Wednesday, 8 August 2018
Dymocks booksellers has launched its week-long charity campaign, Books For Kids. During Books For Kids week, which runs from 4-12 August, the retailer will donate $1 from the sale of...
UK study finds 8% of YA books written by authors of colour in past decade
Tuesday, 31 July 2018
In the UK, a new study has shown that 8% of YA books published in the UK between 2006 and 2016 were by authors of colour. In the study, titled 'The...
‘Alex Rider’ books to be adapted into YA drama series
Monday, 30 July 2018
In the UK, Anthony Horowitz’s 'Alex Rider' series will be adapted to an eight-part television drama series for teenagers, starting with the second book Point Blanc, to be produced by production company...
Lothian acquires two books in YA fantasy series by Kostakis
Thursday, 26 July 2018
Lothian head of children’s publishing Jeanmarie Morosin has acquired ANZ/UK rights to two books in a fantasy series by Australian YA author Will Kostakis, via Sarah Williams at Sophie Hicks...
‘Amelia Westlake’ wins 2018 Readings YA book prize
Wednesday, 25 July 2018
Erin Gough has won the 2018 Readings Young Adult Book Prize for her novel Amelia Westlake (Hardie Grant Egmont). Gough’s novel was chosen from a shortlist of six for the...
‘Terry’s Dumb Dot Story’ raises over $140k for charity
Thursday, 19 July 2018
Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, in partnership with Pan Macmillan Australia, have donated $141,613 to charity from the sale of their short story Terry’s Dumb Dot Story. Published on 27 February,...
Affirm Press acquires Fiona Hardy’s debut middle-grade novel ‘Rosebud’
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Affirm Press has acquired ANZ rights to debut middle-grade novel Rosebud by Readings bookseller Fiona Hardy. Rights were negotiated by agent Danielle Binks of Jacinta di Mase Management. Due to be published...
Namoi retires from A&U
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Angela Namoi will retire from her position as rights and international sales director (children’s) at Allen & Unwin (A&U) on 3 August. During her career, Namoi sold the 'Tashi' series...
Scribble sells North American rights to ‘Under the Love Umbrella’
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Scribe’s children’s imprint, Scribble, has sold North American rights to Under the Love Umbrella (Davina Bell, illus by Allison Colpoys) to Simply Read Books. Rights to the title have previously...
UK study reveals only 4% of children’s books feature a BAME character
Tuesday, 17 July 2018
In the UK, a new report has found that only 4% of children’s books published in the UK in 2017 featured black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) characters, and only...
Speech Pathology Australia book awards 2018 shortlists announced
Tuesday, 17 July 2018
The shortlists for the 2018 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Birth to three years At the Zoo...
QWC/Hachette Australia Manuscript Development Program adds YA and nonfiction
Monday, 16 July 2018
The Queensland Writers Centre (QWC) and Hachette Australia Manuscript Development Program has broadened its submissions criteria this year, and will for the first time accept YA and general nonfiction submissions....
PRH seeks contributions from young writers in children’s anthology
Thursday, 12 July 2018
Penguin Random House is seeking submissions from young writers for a new humorous short story collection, Total Quack Up! (October 2018), edited by children's authors Sally Rippin and Adrian Beck, and...
Walker Books to publish YA anthology by LGBTQIA+ authors
Tuesday, 10 July 2018
Walker Books Australia has acquired world rights to an anthology of YA short stories by LGBTQIA+ Australian authors. Due to be published in June 2019, Kindred: A Queer #LoveOzYA Anthology...
‘Nevermoor’ tops Dymocks Kids’ Top 51 list
Monday, 9 July 2018
Dymocks Booklovers members have cast a combined 5500 votes for their favourite children’s book of all time, with Queensland writer Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Lothian) taking...
‘Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts’ and ‘Reported Missing’ win 2018 Gold Ledger Awards
Monday, 9 July 2018
The winners of the 2018 Ledger Awards for excellence in Australian comics and graphic novels were announced in Sydney on 6 July. Two works received Gold Ledger Awards: Giants, Trolls,...
