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Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Sales Fiction Penguin Random House Australia has sold world English-language rights (ex ANZ) to The Yield (Tara June Winch) to HarperVia; and French-language rights to Actes Sud (see news); and...

Book designer spotlight: Michelle Mackintosh

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Michelle Mackintosh is a freelance book designer, as well as a writer, illustrator and Japanophile (she’s co-written four books on Japan with her husband, writer and DJ Steve Wide). She...

Hachette acquires ‘On’ series from MUP 

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Hachette Australia has acquired world rights to Melbourne University Publishing's (MUP) 'On' series of essays. The deal was negotiated by MUP then-acting CEO Richard Tegoni. The list of over 30...

PRH sells ‘The Yield’ to US, France

Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold Tara June Winch’s novel The Yield to publishers in the US and France. Pamela Malpas at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency sold world English-language...

Queensland Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced

Tuesday, 1 October 2019
The shortlists for the 2019 Queensland Literary Awards (QLAs) have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of state significance ($25,000) The...

Giller Prize 2019 shortlist announced

Tuesday, 1 October 2019
In Canada, the shortlist for the C$100,000 (A$112,000) 2019 Giller Prize for the best Canadian fiction published in English has been announced. The shortlisted novels are: Immigrant City (David Bezmozgis,...

PRH sells ‘Jane in Love’ to US

Tuesday, 1 October 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold North American rights to Rachel Givney’s forthcoming novel Jane in Love (Michael Joseph) to HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, via Daniel Lazar at Writers...

Jaipur Literature Festival returns to Adelaide

Monday, 30 September 2019
The Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival will host the second Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) Adelaide on November 1–3. More than 60 guests will appear at 40 free events as part...

Publishers Weekly 

Monday, 30 September 2019
Books+Publishing is partnering with US trade news magazine Publishers Weekly to provide our subscribers with exclusive access to the weekly digital edition of PW magazine for a limited time. This edition features...

Charts this week 

Monday, 30 September 2019
Top 10 bestsellers Index Title Author Imprint 1 The Testaments Margaret Atwood Chatto & Windus 2 The Institute Stephen King Hodder & Stoughton 3 The 117-Storey Treehouse Andy Griffiths &...

True West (David Whish-Wilson, Fremantle Press) 

Thursday, 26 September 2019
Opening on a Western Australian freeway in 1988, True West immediately introduces Lee Southern, a teenager on the run from the militaristic bikie gang in which he grew up. Such...

Nothing New: A history of second-hand (Robyn Annear, Text) 

Thursday, 26 September 2019
Opportunity shops—or op shops, as they’re lovingly referred to—are a well-established and much-loved feature of the Aussie retail landscape. In this entertaining and insightful history, Robyn Annear looks at where...

The Great Divide (L J M Owen, Echo) 

Thursday, 26 September 2019
In her fourth novel, L J M Owen, author of the ‘Dr Pimms, Intermillenial Sleuth’ series, gives us Australian rural crime at its most atmospheric: mist-shrouded streets, ruined vineyards, an...

‘Dinner Detectives’ books to be developed for TV

Thursday, 26 September 2019
Melbourne-based production studio BES Animation has acquired world broadcast and digital content rights to self-published picture book series ‘Dinner Detectives’, with plans to develop the books into a multi-platform TV...

Jane Harrison on Blak & Bright 

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
This year’s Blak & Bright festival—the second after the inaugural festival in 2016—ran from 5–8 September in Melbourne. The festival had about 2500 people attend its sessions, up from the...

Book designer spotlight: Hazel Lam

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Hazel Lam began her career as a motion graphics designer before moving into publishing, and has spent the past six years working for HarperCollins. Her cover for The Lost Flowers...

Ventura Press acquires Dalgarno’s debut novel ‘Poly’

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Ventura Press has acquired world rights to Paul Dalgarno’s debut novel, Poly. The rights were acquired via Martin Shaw at Alex Adsett Publishing Services. Shaw described Dalgarno’s novel as ‘a...

Audiobooks for children double in popularity in UK

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
In the UK, the popularity of children's audiobooks has increased by 138% since January 2018, reports the Bookseller. In a report shared at the Bookseller Children's Conference in London, market...

CHASS Australia Book Prize 2019 longlist announced

Tuesday, 24 September 2019
The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) has announced the longlist for the 2019 Australia Book Prize. The prize, worth $3500, is part of the CHASS Australia...

National Book Award 2019 fiction longlist announced

Monday, 23 September 2019
In the US, the National Book Award fiction longlist has been announced. The finalists in the fiction category are: Fleishman Is in Trouble (Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Wildfire) Trust Exercise (Susan Choi,...

Publishers Weekly 

Monday, 23 September 2019
Books+Publishing is partnering with US trade news magazine Publishers Weekly to provide our subscribers with exclusive access to the weekly digital edition of PW magazine for a limited time. This edition features...

US$75k Cundill History Prize 2019 shortlist announced

Monday, 23 September 2019
In North America, the shortlist has been announced for the Cundill History Prize, which rewards ‘the best history writing in English’. The shortlisted titles are: Orphans of Empire: The fate...