Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Perth to introduce extended trading hours 

Tuesday, 24 November 2009
The Western Australian government will allow more Perth retailers to extend their shopping hours from January next year. The extended hours will apply to large stores in a so-called ‘tourism...

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 23 November 2009
High-profile male authors have taken over the charts this week with Matthew Reilly's The Five Greatest Warriors coming in at number one in the Bestsellers, James Patterson's I, Alex Cross...

Forthcoming events 

Monday, 23 November 2009
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: ABA Victorian branch 2009 Christmas party, Melbourne, 25 November Inky Awards--winners announced, 26 November Guadalajara...

‘WBN’ Christmas closing list–2 December 

Monday, 23 November 2009
Publishers/distributors are asked to advise WBN of their Christmas closing dates by COB Friday 27 November 2009. A full list will appear once only in WBN on Wednesday 2 December, listing each...

On tour 

Monday, 23 November 2009
Authors on tour from November to March 2010: NovemberSusan Duncan, Random House (A Life on Pittwater)Ben Elton, Random House (Meltdown)Danny Buderus, Random House (Talent is Not Enough)Judy Nunn, Random House...

YABBA award winners announced 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
The winners of this year's YABBA Victorian children's choice book awards have been announced. The winners were: Fiction Years 7-9: Then (Morris Gleitzman, Viking)Fiction Older Readers: Specky Magee And The...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Among the many international booktrade stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:Su Tong wins Man Asia PrizeRandom US sees big increases in ebook salesHarlequin launches...

PIR debate: Dymocks calls for booksellers summit 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Dymocks CEO Don Grover is calling for a booksellers meeting to discuss and launch a campaign for reform to the industry, following the Government's rejection last week of the Productivity Commission's...

In brief 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Australian Children's Literature Alliance website launchedThe Australian Children's Literature Alliance (ACLA) has launched its website at http://www.acla.org.au/. The site features an events calendar of upcoming children's book events, as well as...

REDGroup to launch new ‘A&R Extra’ store concept 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
REDGroup Retail, the owner of Angus & Robertson (A&R), Borders Asia-Pacific and Whitcoulls (NZ), has announced it will launch a new ‘A&R Extra' concept store in Sydney in early 2010. REDGroup managing...

ACT Book of the Year Award shortlist announced 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
The shortlist for this year's ACT Book of the Year Awards has been announced. Twenty-three nominations were received for the $10,000 award, which recognises ‘excellence in quality contemporary literary works...

Rights round-up 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
In rights news this week: Fiction--Fremantle Press has sold Italian-language rights to The Edge of the World (Marcella Polain) to Gingko edizioni.Nonfiction--Murdoch Books has sold German rights to Homestyle Cookies,...

ABA announces 2010 conference dates 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) has announced it will hold its annual national conference next year in Brisbane, from Sunday 11 to Tuesday 13 July. With the theme ‘Connecting the...

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
‘I think it's a shame that a minister makes comments such as "go buy your books overseas"'--Australian Publishers Association CEO Maree McCaskill, responding to comments by Consumer Affairs Minister Craig Emerson,...

Brooks wins US$40,00 Peggy V Helmerich award 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Australian-born author Geraldine Brooks has been announced as the winner of this year's Peggy V Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. The US$40,000 (A$42,800) award will be presented by the Tulsa Library...

NZ book industry alliance formed 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Several New Zealand book industry organisations have formed an alliance to promote books in the country. The National Library of New Zealand, the Publishers Association of New Zealand, Booksellers New...

Pantera Press launches 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Former UNSW Press director John Green has launched the new publishing house Pantera Press. The Press, which will launch its first titles in May next year, will adopt a joint venture...

University of Adelaide launches e-press 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
The University of Adelaide has launched its own e-press. The University, which has published scholarly works under various guises since the 1920s (including the Hassell Press which merged with Griffin...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
The unthinkable has happened--there's not one Stephenie Meyer title in the Bestsellers chart (top ten) nor the top five of the Highest New Entries or Fastest Mover charts this week....

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: ABA NSW & Publishers 2009 Christmas Party, Glebe, NSW, 18 NovemberA Thousand Words Festival--A festival...

Most mentioned: this week in Media Extra 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Barbara Kingsolver, author of The Poisonwood Bible, received all manner of mentions in Media Extra this week. Her new book, The Lacuna, has been keenly awaited as it's her first...

On tour 

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Authors on tour from November to March 2010: NovemberSusan Duncan, Random House (A Life on Pittwater)Ben Elton, Random House (Meltdown)Danny Buderus, Random House (Talent is Not Enough)Judy Nunn, Random House...