This week’s news | Books+Publishing

Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

This week’s news >

Tonelli appointed Walker Books publisher, Global Book Crawl a local success, Pulitzer Prize winners announced

Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Headlining local news this week, Walker Books announced the appointment of Eve Tonelli to the role of publisher, Australia and New Zealand. Meanwhile, in a surfeit of awards news this...

Lloyd O’Neil, Pixie O’Harris recipients; Open Book 2025 interns; Maehashi makes plagiarism claims

Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Lots of news from the industry this week. Beginning with good news, B+P and the Australian Publishers Association (APA) congratulate the winners of the 2025 ABIA Hall of Fame awards....

Anti-Racism in the book sector; Bologna ‘cautiously optimistic’; Crime, science fiction and short story awards

Wednesday, 23 April 2025
In the news this week, we speak to Lena Nahlous, CEO of Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS) about the recently released ‘How to be Anti-Racist in the Arts’ program with a...

NT Writers Festival program; Aurealis, Hugo finalists; Global Book Crawl destinations

Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Some event details were released this week – so have your calendars ready: The Northern Territory Writers Festival has announced its 2025 program, which will run 29 May–1 June on...

Stella Prize, Women’s Prize for Fiction, International Booker among a busy week for prize shortlists

Wednesday, 9 April 2025
The 2025 Stella Prize shortlist made history this week, with judging chair Astrid Edwards noting that this is the first shortlist in the prize's 13-year history to be entirely made...

ABIA business shortlists, Books Create Australia’s Election 2025, Writing Australia funded

Wednesday, 2 April 2025
We at Books+Publishing had some news of our own this week, as we welcome Jasmin McGaughey to our team in the newly created role of editorial and production coordinator. Jasmin commences on...

Joint statement on LibGen; 2025 VPLA winners; MWF, BookPeople programs; S&S opens new office

Wednesday, 26 March 2025
In the news this week, the Australian Publishers Association, the Australian Society of Authors, and the Copyright Agency have released a joint statement and plan of action for Australian authors...

ABIA shortlists announced; New graphic novel publisher; BookPeople’s top 100; Festival programs

Wednesday, 19 March 2025
The ABIA shortlists have been announced! Also in industry news, Wombat Books founder Rochelle Stephens and teacher and author Bethany Loveridge announced the establishment of new publishing venture Perentie Press,...

Sector gender pay gaps released; Australia Reads announces LitUp; ABDA longlists revealed

Wednesday, 12 March 2025
The Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency has published data on gender pay gaps for the second year in a row, indicating that many large publishing houses continue to have...

A&U appointments, name change; Black Inc. seeks permission for AI sub-license; Ockham NZ shortlist; Stella, Women’s Prize longlists

Wednesday, 5 March 2025
Welcome to the news this week! The Aotearoa New Zealand office of Allen & Unwin (A&U) has officially rebranded to Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand, and hired Emma Clifton...

APA expands Open Book; Shand resigns from SWF; Readings to open in Chadstone; CBCA Notables, International Booker longlist announced

Wednesday, 26 February 2025
In news this week, the APA has announced an expanded Open Book Internship Program, including a Brisbane-based internship for the first time; while Sydney Writers' Festival board chair Kathy Shand...

S&S announces new CEO, new Aus imprint; Hachette 2024 results; 2025 VIPs announced

Wednesday, 19 February 2025
It’s been a big week at Simon & Schuster (S&S), with the announcement of a new imprint, Atria Australia, the acquisition of new fiction from Bri Lee, and the appointment...

New Australia Reads report; update from liquidators of Booktopia; Beatnik Publishing acquired by Bateman Books; festival programs and award shortlists announced

Wednesday, 12 February 2025
The industry continues to honour Michael Webster, with more tributes and details of a memorial service. Australia Reads and Monash University have released a new report into reading behaviours; the...

Vale Michael Webster; Bundyi announces new prize; BookPeople reveals new websites; regional, trans, genre literary festival programs released

Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Publisher, editor and academic Michael Webster has died, and friends and former colleagues in the industry have paid tribute. An array of new and returning literary festivals and events have...

Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, Australia Day Honours recipients announced; VPLAs shortlists revealed; Michael Gifkins Prize ends

Wednesday, 29 January 2025
In this week's news, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund has announced the 42 Australian literary and creative organisations that will share in $754,769 in its most recent funding round. Meanwhile,...

PRH acquires Text; Restructure, redundancies at Hardie Grant; Christmas sales up

Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Penguin Random House Australia has acquired Text Publishing, Hardie Grant has announced a restructure of its marketing and communications team and four redundancies; HarperCollins New Zealand has announced the retirement...

Local book markets down; Text Prize discontinued; authors allege Meta knowingly used pirated books

Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Nielsen BookScan figures show that the Australian and Aotearoa book markets were down in the year just ended, by 3% and 6.6% in value respectively; Nagi Maehashi’s RecipeTin Eats: Tonight (Macmillan)...

Johnson wins inaugural Australian Fiction Prize, Black Friday sales up on last year, Internet Archive copyright case ends

Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Peter Rose, editor and CEO of the Australian Book Review, is set to step down from the role in 2025, after 23 years leading the publication. In another change, the...

Lucashenko wins Nib; APA, ASA, Copyright Agency welcome AI recommendations; McGuire wins Richell Prize

Wednesday, 4 December 2024
The Federal Government’s Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence has released its final report, with recommendations on consultation, fair remuneration and transparency among those welcomed by Copyright Agency, the Australian...

BWF changes venue, dates, bookseller; Bloomsbury adds audiobooks to Spotify; Flanagan declines Baillie Gifford prize money

Wednesday, 27 November 2024
The Brisbane Writers Festival has announced it will next year be held at the Brisbane Powerhouse and take place during October, with Avid Reader and Riverbend Books replacing the Library...

Jones receives Creative Australia Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature; Flanagan wins Baillie Gifford Prize; Wright, Tiffany 2024 Melbourne Prize winners

Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Headlining awards news, Gail Jones won the Creative Australia Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature; Alexis Wright won the Melbourne Prize for Literature, and Carrie Tiffany won the Writers Prize;...

Staff changes at Hardie Grant, Scribe; Booktopia Group traded while insolvent; Oliver children’s book withdrawn from sale

Wednesday, 13 November 2024
Hardie Grant Publishing group managing director Julie Pinkham is leaving her role at the end of 2024, moving to a non-executive advisory position with the company, with the company subsequently...

Heifetz, Gilliatt, McGuire, Slater form a4 Literary; Booktopia administrators call second creditor meeting; Walkley Book Award shortlist announced

Wednesday, 6 November 2024
Grace Heifetz, Tom Gilliatt, Michaela McGuire and Rebecca Slater have announced the creation of new literary agency a4 Literary. This follows news of the upcoming dissolution of Left Bank Literary,...

TT. O. wins Patrick White Literary Award, Hughes to leave Affirm, Pan Mac to move distribution to TDLC

Wednesday, 30 October 2024
In local news this week, Martin Hughes will leave Affirm Press, amid other staff changes; Left Bank Literary will dissolve in December; the Australia Institute is launching its own publishing...

SPN to wind up unless new board formed, Shawline liquidation affects hundreds, ‘Edenglassie’ wins Roderick Literary Award

Wednesday, 23 October 2024
The board of the Small Press Network has informed members that it will apply to Consumer Affairs Victoria to terminate the organisation in 30 days, unless a new board is...

Han Kang wins Nobel Prize; McGregor, Sakr, Apolonio awarded Copyright Agency fellowships; bookshops celebrate LYBD 2024

Wednesday, 16 October 2024
South Korean author Han Kang has won the 2024 Nobel Prize for Literature ‘for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life’. Also...

Van Neerven receives Creative Australia Fellowship; Shawline enters liquidation; Booksellers Aotearoa NZ launches buying group

Wednesday, 9 October 2024
Author Ellen van Neerven is the recipient of the 2024 Creative Australia Fellowship for literature, worth $80,000; Shawline Publishing has entered liquidation, with liquidator Brooke Bird stating that ‘the master...