Adaptation of Winton’s ‘Blueback’ gets Screen Aus funding
23 January 2020
A feature film adaptation of Tim Winton’s 1997 novella Blueback (Penguin) has received production funding from Screen Australia in its latest funding round. Writer/director Robert Connolly of Arenamedia will work...
Hachette acquires Byrne’s book on family history
22 January 2020
Hachette Australia has acquired world rights to a new book by journalist and TV personality Jennifer Byrne, based on the lives of two 14th-century English regal women who are Byrne’s...
NewSouth acquires van Zweden’s memoir
21 January 2020
NewSouth has acquired world rights to Sam van Zweden’s memoir Eating with My Mouth Open, which recently won the 2019 Kill Your Darlings unpublished manuscript award. Commissioning editor Harriet McInerney said: ‘Sam...
Black Inc sells world rights to ‘Solved!’
21 January 2020
Black Inc. has sold world rights (ex ANZ) to Andrew Wear’s book Solved!: How other countries have cracked the world's biggest problems and we can too to Oneworld UK. Black...
Gannon’s ‘The Mothers’ sold to US, optioned for TV
21 January 2020
Jeanne Ryckmans from Cameron’s Management has sold North American rights to journalist Genevieve Gannon’s novel The Mothers (A&U) to William Morrow. The novel has also been optioned for television by...
PRH sells ‘The Tiny Star’ to US
17 January 2020
Penguin Random House Australia has sold North American rights to Mem Fox’s picture book The Tiny Star (illus by Freya Blackwood) to Knopf Books for Young Readers. Editorial director of...
UQP acquires Christopher Raja memoir in ‘spirited’ auction
16 January 2020
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired world rights to a memoir by Melbourne-based author Christopher Raja, in what literary agent Martin Shaw of Alex Adsett Publishing Services described...
Ventura sells UK rights to ‘Paris Savages’
15 January 2020
Ventura Press has sold UK rights to Katherine Johnson’s novel Paris Savages to independent publisher Allison and Busby. Paris Savages, which was written as part of Johnson’s PhD, is based...
A&U acquires ANZ rights to Marney’s new YA novel
15 January 2020
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to a new YA thriller by Ellie Marney. None Shall Sleep, which A&U described as a YA Silence of the Lambs, is...
HQ Fiction acquires Fiona Lowe novels in two-book deal
11 December 2019
HarperCollins imprint HQ Fiction has acquired ANZ rights to two new novels by Victoria-based author Fiona Lowe in a 'substantial' deal. A Home Like Ours, the first novel in the...
MidnightSun acquires Steve Heron picture book
5 December 2019
MidnightSun has acquired world rights to the picture book Ling Li’s Lantern, by Steve Heron and illustrated by Benjamin Johnston. Ling Li’s Lantern follows Ling Li on a quest that...
Big Sky sells six children’s titles to US imprint Windmill Books
5 December 2019
Big Sky Publishing has sold North American and US territories rights to six children’s titles to Windmill Books, an imprint of independent educational publishing house Rosen Publishing. The deal, which...
Marchetta’s ‘On the Jellicoe Road’ to be adapted for drama series
4 December 2019
Melina Marchetta’s 2006 young adult novel On the Jellicoe Road (Penguin) is being adapted for a young adult drama series, reports Deadline. The project is a co-production by the US’s...
Hardie Grant Travel acquires Steffensen’s book on Indigenous fire management
4 December 2019
Hardie Grant Travel has acquired world rights to Fire Country, the memoir of Indigenous fire practitioner Victor Steffensen. Steffensen is a Tagalaka descendant from Far North Queensland who is dedicated...
‘The Book Ninja’ optioned for film
4 December 2019
Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus’ novel The Book Ninja (S&S) has been optioned for film by producers Chris Brown of Pictures in Paradise and Veronica Fury of Fury Film Co....
UQP acquires two new nonfiction titles by Foley, Bond
2 December 2019
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired world rights to two books by leading Indigenous scholars, visual artist Fiona Foley’s Biting the Clouds and public intellectual Chelsea Bond’s Another...
‘The Strays’ to be adapted into six-part drama series
28 November 2019
Emily Bitto’s Stella Prize-winning novel The Strays (Affirm) will be adapted into a six-part drama series as a co-production of See Pictures and Apogee Pictures. Beatrix Christian (Picnic at Hanging...
Hardie Grant Egmont acquires Alex Dyson’s debut YA novel
28 November 2019
Hardie Grant Egmont has acquired world rights to the debut young adult novel by former triple j breakfast presenter Alex Dyson. When it Drops follows social outcast and bedroom musician...
A&U acquires ANZ rights to Heyman’s memoir ‘Fury’; rights sold to UK
27 November 2019
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to novelist Kathryn Heyman’s memoir Fury, ‘a deeply feminist story of becoming heroic in a culture which does not see heroism in...
Hachette acquires Jan Fran autobiography ‘Of Middle Eastern Appearance’
26 November 2019
Hachette has acquired world rights to journalist and presenter Jan Fran’s memoir Of Middle Eastern Appearance, via Creative Representation managing director Jacinta Waters. Fran said: ‘Of Middle Eastern Appearance is...
‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’ sold into multiple territories ahead of ANZ release
26 November 2019
International rights to Pip Williams’ debut novel The Dictionary of Lost Words (Affirm, April) have been sold in multiple territories following this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. UK and Commonwealth rights...
Matt Okine’s debut novel to be adapted for film
25 November 2019
Sydney-based production company Aquarius Films has acquired film rights to comedian Matt Okine’s debut novel Being Black 'N Chicken, & Chips (Hachette), reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Principal producer Angie...
PRH sells Aung Than graphic novel series to US in six-figure deal
25 November 2019
Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has sold North American rights to the first three books in Gavin Aung Than’s middle-grade graphic novel series ‘Super Sidekicks’ to Random House Children's Books...
Black Inc. sells ‘The Motivation Hoax’ to UK
22 November 2019
Black Inc. has sold UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) to James Adonis’ The Motivation Hoax: A smart person’s guide to inspirational nonsense (Nero) to The History Press. The History Press,...
China ‘most active’ international market for Oz kids publishers: Insights from the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair
20 November 2019
A delegation of Australian publishers and agents attended this year’s China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), which ran from 15–17 November. Wenona Byrne, Australia Council’s director of literature, reports...
ABC Books acquires Tilley memoir in six-figure deal
20 November 2019
ABC Books has acquired world rights to radio broadcaster Tom Tilley’s coming-of-age memoir Speaking in Tongues, in a six-figure deal via the Fordham Company. Tilley will step down as host...
Affirm acquires novel, memoir from two Varuna fellowship recipients
19 November 2019
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to two books that grew out of manuscripts developed at Varuna, the Writers House, as part of the publisher’s mentorship award. Katherine Arguile’s debut...
Text acquires new Lohrey novel
15 November 2019
Text Publishing has acquired world rights to Amanda Lohrey’s new novel The Labyrinth, via Lyn Tranter of Australian Literary Management. The Labyrinth returns to the setting of Lohrey’s 2008 novella...
Pantera acquires two new Wasley novels
13 November 2019
Pantera Press has acquired ANZ rights to two new works of women’s fiction by Sasha Wasley, via Alex Adsett Publishing Services. Spring Clean for the Peach Queen follows a woman...
A&U sells ‘Pain and Prejudice’ to US, UK
7 November 2019
Allen & Unwin has sold rights to Gabrielle Jackson’s Pain and Prejudice to Piatkus in the UK and Greystone Books in North America. Published in Australia in October, Pain and...
