News sections | Books+Publishing

Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Wednesday, 7 June 2023
Sales Nonfiction Black Inc. has sold Czech rights to The Shortest History of the World (David Baker) to Dokoran. Children’s/YA Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing has sold German rights to I...

Hachette, A&U drop ins detail Roberts-Smith case

Wednesday, 7 June 2023
Both Hachette Australia and Allen & Unwin (A&U) have announced the publication of drop in titles on the defamation trial brought by former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith against Fairfax Media Publications,...

Rachel Funari Prize 2023 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 7 June 2023
Lip magazine has announced the shortlist for the 2023 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction. The shortlisted stories are: ‘Pink’ by Jean Flynn ‘Schism’ by Helen Booth ‘Days that Swing Outwards’...

Hachette signs two new books from Lester

Wednesday, 7 June 2023
Hachette Australia has acquired ANZ rights to two books by historical fiction novelist Natasha Lester, as part of an ANZ and UK deal made in conjunction with Little, Brown Book...

Vale Joy McKean

Wednesday, 7 June 2023
Joy McKean, an Australian country music singer-songwriter and the wife and manager of Slim Dusty, has died. Hachette Australia writes: 'Hachette Australia is saddened to hear of Joy McKean’s passing...

I Am The Mau & Other Stories (Chemutai Glasheen, Fremantle)

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
Chemutai Glasheen delivers a powerful and vibrant collection of short stories in I Am the Mau & Other Stories. Inspired by her upbringing in Africa, each brilliant tale is infused...

Sit, Stay, Love (Amy Hutton, S&S)

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
As a pet rescue shelter owner, Sera often finds herself in messy situations. However, she didn’t expect her potentially messiest situation to start with a ‘drop-dead, stop-you-in-your-tracks, gorgeous’ actor standing...

Ballet Confidential (David McAllister, T&H)

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
Ballet Confidential is not a no-holds-barred expose but rather a joyfully led and personal guide into the world of ballet. David McAllister is the former artistic director of the Australian...

Monet Chases the Light (Jenny Gahan, illus Patricia Ward, Little Pink Dog Books)

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
There is a particular aesthetic challenge to nonfiction picture books about artists: they must do more than simply emulate the artist’s style, yet they risk alienating readers if the illustrations...

Thaw (Dennis Glover, Black Inc)

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
Among the breathtaking and perilous wilds of Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf, a dozen men prepare to be the first to reach the South Pole. When tragedy strikes the men on...

Two Sides to Every Story (Beck & Robin Feiner, ABC Books)

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
This vibrantly illustrated story by the team that brought us If I was Prime Minister is about weighing up the various options when decision making–a process that can be very...

Wilderness Society announces shortlists for Environment Award for Children’s Literature

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
The Wilderness Society has announced the shortlists for the 2023 Environment Award for Children’s Literature (EACL). The shortlisted titles in each category are: Picture fiction Say No to Plastic! (Ned...

Text Prize 2023 shortlist announced

Monday, 5 June 2023
The shortlist for the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, worth $10,000, has been announced. The shortlisted manuscripts are: 'Upswell' by Beth Amos (YA), about a 17-year-old surfer...

Aurealis Awards 2022 winners announced

Monday, 5 June 2023
The winners of the Aurealis Awards, presented for science fiction, fantasy and horror writing published in 2022 in Australia, have been announced. Among the winning categories are: Best Fantasy Novel...

Neilma Sidney Travel Fund recipients announced

Monday, 5 June 2023
Writers Victoria has announced the ninth round of recipients for the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund. The successful recipients, who share in a total of $58,675, are: Aimee Chan (NSW),...

Read the latest Publishers Weekly

Monday, 5 June 2023
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. View the edition here.

MidnightSun acquires Brewin YA

Friday, 2 June 2023
MidnightSun Publishing has acquired world rights to a new YA novel by Melbourne author Emily Brewin. The Two Sides of Grace tells the story of 16-year-old Grace who’s living alone...

UQP sells US rights to two picture books by Soweol Han

Friday, 2 June 2023
UQP has sold North American rights to debut picture book Tiny Wonders forthcoming follow-up Nightsong (Sally Soweol Han) to Bloomsbury US. Sally Soweol Han is a Korean-Australia author-illustrator, currently shortlisted...

Scribe acquires Darling novella

Thursday, 1 June 2023
Scribe has acquired ANZ and UK rights to Thunderhead by Miranda Darling. ANZ rights were acquired at auction from Grace Heifetz at Left Bank Literary, and UK rights were acquired from John Ash,...

NewSouth acquires ‘Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower: The letters’

Wednesday, 31 May 2023
NewSouth Publishing has acquired world rights to Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower: The letters, edited by Brigitta Olubas and Susan Wyndham. The publisher describes the book as ‘a major contribution to the literary...

ABIA, ABDA winners announced; Kinokuniya awaits ‘Gender Queer’ classification outcome; black&write! 2023 fellowships

Wednesday, 31 May 2023
The winners of the 2023 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) have been announced, with RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (Nagi Maehashi, Macmillan) winning book of the year. The Australian Book Designers Association...

Rights round-up

Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Sales Fiction Giramondo has sold Dutch rights to The Swan Book (Alexis Wright) to Uitgeverij Orlando and Norwegian rights to Barley Patch (Gerald Murnane) to Samlaget, to be translated by International Booker Prize finalist Jon Fosse....