News sections | Books+Publishing

Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Charts this week

Monday, 19 February 2018
Top 10 Bestsellers Index Title Author Imprint 1 The Barefoot Investor Scott Pape John Wiley 2 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Mark Manson Macmillan 3 Still Me...

New storytelling festival to launch at multilingual kids’ bookshop in Sydney

Friday, 16 February 2018
Lost in Books, a specialist multilingual children’s bookshop in Sydney’s western suburbs, is launching a new annual festival to highlight music, storytelling and ideas in multilingual communities. The inaugural In...

Scott appointed chair of SWF

Thursday, 15 February 2018
Mark Scott AO has been appointed chair of the Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF) board, beginning on 15 February. Scott, who joined the SWF board in July 2016, is replacing chair...

Aurealis Awards 2017 finalists announced

Thursday, 15 February 2018
The finalists for the 2017 Aurealis Awards, presented for science-fiction, fantasy and horror writing in Australia, have been announced. Judging coordinator Tehani Croft said she was ‘impressed by the breadth...

Inaugural ‘Rising Star’ award added to ABIAs 2018

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) has introduced a new award to recognise emerging talent in the publishing industry. The inaugural Rising Star of the Year Award will be presented...

Quote of the week

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
‘I want to be an ambassador for the fears and hopes and dreams and dreads that young people have as they contemplate and navigate today’s world, and also as they...

Rights round-up

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Sales Fiction: Penguin Random House Australia has licensed French-language rights to All Day at the Movies (Fiona Kidman); and German-language rights to The Chocolate Tin (Fiona McIntosh). Nonfiction: Penguin Random...

Lucy and Rebekah Mannering’s ‘Surviving Your Split’

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
‘Written in a friendly, conversational style and lightened with occasional bouts of humour, Surviving Your Split feels like a sage friend who is holding your hand through the minefield of...

Controversy over sexual harassment in US children’s publishing; accused writer responds

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Jay Asher, author of the young adult novel Thirteen Reasons Why, has responded to reports he was ‘expelled’ from the US Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) for...

New podcast on Australian kids’ books launches

Wednesday, 14 February 2018
A new fortnightly podcast about Australian children’s books has launched. One More Page focuses on Australian picture books through to middle-grade titles, and includes interviews, book reviews and competitions. Creators,...

Blythe to direct Homecooked Comics Festival

Tuesday, 13 February 2018
Publicity and marketing manager at Black Inc. Marian Blythe has been announced as festival director for the 2018 Homecooked Comics Festival. Blythe, who was formerly marketing manager at Scribe, will...

Aussie, NZ writers make shortlists for UK Romantic Novel Awards

Tuesday, 13 February 2018
Australian author Janet Glover and New Zealand author Soraya M Lane have both been included in the 2018 Romantic Novel Awards (RONA) shortlists, administered by the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association. Glover’s...

ALA Youth Media Awards 2018: Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, Stonewall

Tuesday, 13 February 2018
In the US, the American Library Association (ALA), has announced the winners of its Youth Media Awards, including the Newbery and Caldecott medals. Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe (HarperCollins) was...

Seizure announces 2018 Viva la Novella shortlist

Monday, 12 February 2018
Volunteer-run publishing initiative Seizure has announced the shortlist for the 2018 Viva la Novella competition. This year’s shortlisted authors and their works are: Hasti Abbasi for ‘And the Raindrops Fill...

Adult sales up, kids sales down in US

Monday, 12 February 2018
In the US, estimates from the AAP’s StatShot program show that sales of adult trade books increased slightly (0.4%) in the first nine months of 2017 compared to the same...

Gleitzman announced as Australian Children’s Laureate for 2018-19

Monday, 12 February 2018
Children’s author Morris Gleitzman has been chosen as the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2018-19. The author of nearly 40 books for young people, including Two Weeks with the Queen (Pan...

Charts this week

Monday, 12 February 2018
Top 10 Bestsellers Index Title Author Imprint 1 The Barefoot Investor Scott Pape John Wiley 2 Still Me Jojo Moyes Michael Joseph 3 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a...

ASA launches virtual ‘literary speed dating’ for regional members

Friday, 9 February 2018
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) will launch its first virtual ‘literary speed dating’ session for regional members as part of Red Dirt Writers’ Week. ASA members in remote and...

Penguin US announces imprint for diverse kids books

Friday, 9 February 2018
In the US, Penguin Young Readers will launch a new imprint focusing on diverse books for children and young adults, reports Publishers Weekly. Called Kokila, the new imprint will seek...

PRH Literary Prize winner announced

Friday, 9 February 2018
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has announced that the winner of its inaugural literary prize is Kathryn Hind for her novel Hitch. ACT-based Hind wins $20,000 (which acts as an...

Stella Prize 2018 longlist announced

Thursday, 8 February 2018
The longlist for the 2018 Stella Prize has been announced. This year’s longlisted titles are: The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree (Shokoofeh Azar, Wild Dingo Press) A Writing Life: Helen...

‘Nevermoor’ makes shortlist for Waterstones children’s prize

Thursday, 8 February 2018
Jessica Townsend’s middle-grade novel Nevermoor (Lothian) has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in the younger readers category. Australian-born US-based author Emily Suvada is also shortlisted in the...