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‘The Memory Room’ wins Waverley award 

Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Christopher Koch has been awarded the 2008 CAL Waverley Library Award for Literature (‘The Nib') for his novel The Memory Room (Vintage). This is the first time in seven years...

In brief 

Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Dymocks Camberwell moves into new centreDymocks Camberwell has moved into the new retail centre The Well in Burke Road, Camberwell in Melbourne. The retail complex, which officially opened last week,...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 25 November 2008
It's that time of year again when that hefty tome, the Guinness World Records (2009) boldly makes its first appearance on top of the charts. Not just the Bestsellers either,...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: ABA (Victoria) and Thorpe-Bowker Christmas party, Melbourne, 26 November Moscow International Book Fair, 26-30 November Closing date...

Berkelouw Books opens Newtown store 

Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Berkelouw Books held a soft opening for its newest Sydney store last Thursday. The Newtown store, in Sydney's inner west, is the eighth outlet in the growing privately owned chain.‘We've...

RiP Donald Finkel 

Tuesday, 25 November 2008
American poet Donald Finkel has died aged 79. His volumes of poems included A Joyful Noise, What Manner of Beast and Not So the Chairs: Selected and New Poems.

WBN Christmas closing list – 3 December 

Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Publishers/distributors are asked to advise WBN of their Christmas closing dates by Friday 28 November 2008. A full list will appear once only in WBN on 3 December, listing each...

WBN Christmas closing list–3 December 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Publishers/distributors are asked to advise WBN of their Christmas closing dates by Friday 28 November 2008. A full list will appear once only in WBN on 3 December, listing each...

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
'As such a dominant player in the online world, Google will now occupy a unique gateway position that, if abused, could easily create a de facto monopoly. A situation where...

Collins to open Hill of Content in Sydney 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
A Sydney version of Melbourne's well-known Hill of Content bookstore will be opened by Collins Booksellers in Balmain in early December. Collins Booksellers managing director Daniel Jordon sees it as...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Among the many stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week: Initial court approval for Google settlementPrepare for the 'either/and' world, says Ingram head 'Bytes not...

In brief 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Book and newspaper sales up 20.5% on 2007Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures for September indicate books are bucking the flat national retail trend. While retail trade figures for the...

YABBA winners announced 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
The YABBAs (Young Australian Best Book Award) were announced this week in Victoria. Best picture storybook went to Uno's Garden (Graeme Base, Viking); fiction for younger readers went to Just...

SLV Summer Read program launched 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
The State Library of Victoria has launched the Summer Read program for 2008. A selection of 20 titles which celebrate the diversity of Victorian writing were chosen by a panel...

Pattrick wins Mansfield Prize 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
The 2009 New Zealand Post Mansfield Prize has gone to Jenny Pattrick. The prize is worth NZ$100,000 (A$85,000) and involves travel and accommodation in France for six months, allowing the...

Chamberlin to retire 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Hachette Australia has announced the retirement of Helen Chamberlin, publisher of the Lothian Children's Books imprint. Chamberlin, who has been with Hachette since Lothian Books was acquired by the company...

Productivity Commission announces submission deadline 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Following the release of the terms of reference for its parallel importation study the Productivity Commission has announced a deadline of 20 January 2009 for submissions. Any interested individuals or...

Hughes longlisted for inaugural Warwick Prize 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Australian author John Hughes is one of 20 authors longlisted for the inaugural Warwick Prize, worth £50,000 (A$115,000). The prize, run by the University of Warwick, is an ‘international cross-disciplinary...

Australian and New Zealand authors on IMPAC longlist 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Australian and New Zealand authors are well represented on this year's International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award longlist. Among those listed are Steven Carroll; J M Coetzee, Matthew Condon, Nicholas Drayson,...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
A familiar street name (to Melbournians at any rate) and now book is atop the Highest New Entries chart this week--Lygon St by Michael Harden. This bustling thoroughfare in the...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: ABA (NSW)/publishers Christmas party, 19 NovemberMoscow International Book Fair, 26-30 November ABA (Victoria) and Thorpe-Bowker...

RiP Fred Newman 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Fred Newman, co-founder of Publishing News and the British Book Awards has died, aged 76.

RiP Ivan Southall 

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
(8/6/1921 - 15/11/2008) Penguin Group Australia writes:'His many friends and admirers at Penguin Group (Australia) noted with sorrow the passing of Ivan Southall in Melbourne on 15 November. 'Ivan was...

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 11 November 2008
'Never in all of the years I've been in business have I seen a worse outlook for the economy. And never in all my years as a bookseller have I...

Egmont UK increases HGE shareholding to 50% 

Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Egmont UK has increased it shareholding in Hardie Grant Egmont (HGE) to 50%, the company announced in a statement. Egmont UK has been a minority shareholder in HGE since the...

NCELTR ceases publishing, titles to Macmillan Ed 

Tuesday, 11 November 2008
The National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR) publications has announced that it has ceased trading after 20 years of publishing. ‘NCELTR  is pleased to announce that Macmillan...

Borders Xmas catalogue prices some titles above RRP 

Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Borders has irked some publishers by pricing some books in its Christmas catalogues in Australia and New Zealand above recommended retail price (RRP). The New Zealand Herald quotes an unnamed...