Tuesday, 1 July 2008
The Lost Dog by Michelle De Kretser (A&U) has been named the winner of this year's Australian Literature Society (ALS) Gold Medal for an outstanding literary work. The award has...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Leading Edge Books, the buying group of independent booksellers, has announced further details of its new ‘Indie Prize'. The prize, which will ‘honour an Australian author for best book of...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Margaret Gee, the Sydney-based literary agent, has announced the creation of a speakers' bureau. The bureau, which draws on Gee's authors, includes such personalities as Derryn Hinch, Don Burke, Barry...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
New Zealand's Paper Plus chain stores are in the process of unveiling a new look. The multimillion-dollar overhaul began in Tauranga last week, as reported by The Dominion Post. The...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Here Lies Arthur (Philip Reeve, Scholastic) and Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears (Emily Gravett, Macmillan) have won this year's CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, respectively. The Carnegie Medal...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
The Canberra Writers' Festival, held from 18 to 23 June, attracted large numbers, particularly to seminars and workshops, reports festival director Anne-Maree Britton. Seminars focussing on writers' needs were attended...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
The 32nd annual Galley Club Awards for Excellence in Book and Magazine Production were presented in Sydney on 27 June. Awards included Australian Printed Book of the Year, which went...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
The shortlisted titles for this year's Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing have been announced. Presented each year by the Australian Publishers Association (APA), and sponsored by Ligare Book...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Salman Rushdie, whose novel The Satanic Verses famously resulted in a fatwa being placed on the author, has been knighted for his services to literature. Rushdie was knighted by Queen...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Following a story about the 2008 Books Alive list in last week's WBN, Books Alive has clarified the information provided on publisher representation. The break-down of titles on the list...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
The shortlist for the 2008 Australian Christian Book of the Year awards has been announced. The shortlisted titles, chosen from more than 50 titles submitted by 27 Australian publishers, are:...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Atwood wins top Spanish literature prizeCanadian author Margaret Atwood has been awarded Spain's prestigious Prince of Asturias Prize for literature, beating 32 nominees from 24 countries. Described as ‘one of...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Stephanie Plum, heroine of numerical proportions comes in at number one in the Bestsellers and Highest New Entries chart with Fearless Fourteen, Janet Evanovich's latest book in the series. 4...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: Closing date for Max Afford Playwright's Award, 4 JulyTo view these and more forthcoming events,...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Irina Baronova, ballerina and author of Irina: Ballet, Life and Love (Penguin) has died. Penguin Australia writes: 'Her many friends at Penguin were saddened by the news that Irina Baronova...

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Children's author, BlueCatBooks publisher and mentor Leone Peguero has died.

Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:Amazon/Hachette UK stand-off continuesPenguin UK to consult on firm-sale movesFaber website relaunchCape Town Book Fair a successChinese...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Jane McGrath, wife of cricketer Glenn McGrath with whom she wrote A Love For Life, passed away this week, aged 42.  

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
CAL (Copyright Agency Limited) has reported that it and the Victorian government have 'entered into a six-year retrospective agreement woth almost $3 million'.The agreement covers the photocopying of copyright works...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Allen & Unwin New Zealand has appointed Nicola McCloy to the newly created role of commissioning editor. The appointment means that New Zealand titles currently produced out of Sydney in...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
As reported in a WBN special bulletin on Thursday night, The Time We Have Taken by Steven Carroll (Fourth Estate) is the winner of the 2008 Miles Franklin Literary Award....

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
While the list cannot be published here until the campaign kicks off on 27 July, most booksellers should now be aware of the 50 books featured in this year's new-look Books...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
John Wiley & Sons has announced that revenue for the fiscal year 2008 ‘increased 36% over the previous year to US$1.7 billion' (A$1.78 billion). Revenue from Blackwell, which the company...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Legislation introduced to the South Australian parliament aims to ban most lightweight plastic bags from supermarkets and other shops by May next year. The proposed legislation comes after a meeting...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Costco, the US wholesale chain, has announced that it will open its first Australian outlet in Melbourne's Docklands by mid-2009. The arrival of the retailer in Australia has been mooted...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Two industry superannuation funds, Print Super and Just Super, have announced they will merge on 1 July to create the new industry fund Media Super. The friendly merger will create...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Dymocks debate raises funds for literacyThe Dymocks Literacy Foundation held its annual fundraiser last Thursday, at a debate event where guests Adam Spencer, Rob Carlton, Julia Morris, Chris Cheng, Rebecca...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Stephanie Meyer's books are by far and away the quickest off the mark this week with Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse taking first, second and third positions respectively in the...

Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: Closing date for the Blake Poetry Prize, 27 JuneWriting for children/YA at the NSW Writers'...