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Book City to rebrand as Collins Booksellers 

Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Collins Booksellers has announced that its Book City stores will re-brand to Collins Booksellers, commencing in June. ‘At this year's conference, Collins Booksellers announced the group would adopt a single...

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 28 April 2009
‘They see [the book] as the petrol in the car, while we see it as the wine in the bottle'--Victoria Barnsley, publisher and CEO of HarperCollins UK, speaking at LBF,...

Quality not quantity at this year’s London Book Fair 

Tuesday, 28 April 2009
WBN correspondent Lachlan Jobbins reports: While fair organisers have yet to release attendee numbers, stand holders at this year's London Book Fair (LBF) generally felt that numbers were slightly down...

Thanks for your patience 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
WBN apologises for the delay in delivering this week's newsletter. This was due to unforeseen technical difficulties. We appreciate your patience--WBN

Bestsellers this week 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Some big names (and none ending in Meyer) are out in force on the top of the charts this week. Wilbur Smith, he of many a swashbuckling tome, has hit...

Forthcoming events 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair, 17-26 April World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April Buenos...

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
‘Whatever authors want, this is old-fashioned protectionism that helps producers by penalising consumers. The book industry is lucky the Productivity Commission was uncharacteristically kind. End of story'--editorial in the Australian.

Miles Franklin shortlist announced 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
As reported in a WBN special bulletin last week, the shortlist for the Miles Franklin award has been announced. The shortlisted titles are: Breath (Tim Winton, Penguin) Ice (Louis Nowra,...

New Dan Brown in September 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Random House Australia has announced the publication date of Dan Brown's new novel The Lost Symbol as 15 September, 2009. The announcement was made yesterday by Sonny Mehta, chairman and...

Children’s authors protest outside Dymocks 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Children’s authors took to the streets in Brisbane last week on Thursday 16 April, in protest against the ‘Coalition for Cheaper Books’, and its stance on an open market being...

LBF: ‘better than expected’ so far 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
WBN correspondent Lachlan Jobbins reports: Despite grim economic forecasts and slightly lower registrations (The Bookseller reported registrations down by 2% on last year), the Australians at London Book Fair mostly...

Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
FictionScribe Publications' fiction acquisitions editor, Aviva Tuffield, has acquired actor Katie Wall's debut novel I Say Tomato, a romantic comedy about an Australian actress trying to make it in the...

In brief 

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Readings to open at SLVAs reported in a WBN special bulletin last week, Readings Books, Music & Film announced that it is to open a bookshop in the foyer of...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Among the many items added to our Around the World blog in a big update this week:firebombers plead guilty to attacking publisher's housePulitzer Prize winnersUK retailers discount Dan Brown by...

RiP J G Ballard 

Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Novelist J G Ballard has died, aged 78. His novels included Crash, Empire of the Sun, The Wind from Nowhere and The Drought.

RiP James D Houston 

Tuesday, 21 April 2009
US author James D Houston author of Continental Drift, Snow Mountain Passage and Farewell to Manzanar has died, aged 75.

Australians at LBF guide 

Wednesday, 15 April 2009
As Australian attendees prepare for the 2009 London Book Fair (LBF), which starts next Monday, Bookseller+Publisher magazine continues to support them with our annual guide to Australian participants at this key international rights...

APA critical of Prod Comm ’roundtables’ 

Tuesday, 14 April 2009
APA CEO Maree McCaskill has criticised last week's 'roundtables' held by the Productivity Commission to discuss its draft report on parallel importation.'In all my years of doing this sort of...

Productivity Commission: final submissions due Friday 

Tuesday, 14 April 2009
As Friday's deadline approaches, trade bodies are busily preparing their final submissions to the Productivity Commission and encouraging their members to do likewise. The APA is continuing to inform and...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:Is it okay for a library to lend a Kindle?'Gay writing' falls foul of Amazon ranking systemAmazon...

Children’s authors to picket Dymocks 

Tuesday, 14 April 2009
A group of children's authors has announced that it plans to stage a protest outside Dymocks' central Brisbane store tomorrow (Thursday), protesting against the chain's support for an open market....

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 14 April 2009
‘The publishers and authors defending the status quo are the victims of a truly incredible mass hysteria the likes of which I've never seen in my 35 years of publishing....

In brief 

Tuesday, 14 April 2009
The Indie Award calls for submissionsSubmissions for the 2009 Indie Award, administered by Leading Edge Books, are now open, with a closing date of Friday 8 May. The Indie Award...