Ned Kelly and Davitt winners, PRH global revenue up 9%, Bowerbird Blues selected for NSS
6 September 2023
Riverbend Books owner, and founder of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Suzy Wilson has sold Riverbend to Fiona Stager, co-owner of Brisbane's Avid Reader bookshop; the Canberra Writers Festival reported ‘big...
Booktopia revenue down 18%, Readings YA Prize shortlist announced, Writers for the Voice launched
30 August 2023
Booktopia has reported its revenue was down 18% in the 12 months to 30 June (FY23), with the company's earnings falling 23.7% over the same period, while educational publisher Hawker...
Redundancies at PRHNZ, CBCA Awards, Langshaw named 2023 Rising Star
23 August 2023
Fiction publisher Harriet Allan is among three redundancies of senior staff announced at Penguin Random House New Zealand, according to Newsroom.co.nz; Ubud Writers & Readers Festival has announced its full...
Byron Writers Festival receives $1 million pledge, 2023 NZ Book Awards for CYA, Ngaio Marsh Awards shortlist
16 August 2023
Byron Writers Festival has received a $1 million pledge from the Vasudhara Fund, to ‘contribute to the ongoing viability of the Festival and support the continued presentation of women writers...
Davis joins Hardie Grant; Lloyd, Sandiford join UQP; KRR to acquire S&S
9 August 2023
Hardie Grant has announced the appointment of Simon Davis to the role of food and lifestyle publisher for Hardie Grant Books; UQP has appointed Kate Lloyd as sales and distribution...
Johnson and Ryckmans create new agency; Vincent appointed TWC CEO; new diverse children’s book award
2 August 2023
Lou Johnson and Jeanne Ryckmans have set up a new literary agency; the Wheeler Centre has appointed ABC journalist and producer Erin Vincent as its new CEO, replacing Caro Llewellyn;...
Harris departs PRH; Aotearoa book industry award winners; Classification board upholds ‘Gender Queer’ determination
26 July 2023
Penguin Random House Australia publishing director young readers Laura Harris has chosen to leave the company following a review of the publisher’s local children’s publishing division; Affirm Press has appointed...
National Biography Award shortlist; local authors shocked by US festival cancellation; inaugural Marilyn Lake Prize winner
19 July 2023
The State Library of New South Wales has announced the shortlist for the $25,000 National Biography Award; a delegation of 10 Australian and New Zealand writers that were due to...
Hachette withdraws police memoir; Groom appointed Writing NSW CEO; CWF 2023 program announced
12 July 2023
Hachette Australia has withdrawn a memoir by retired former officer Christophe Glasl after Victoria Police raised concerns about its accuracy; Writing NSW has announced the appointment of Sophie Groom as...
HarperCollins settles and apologises after defamation case; Booktopia ends Nash agreement, Traurig to resign
5 July 2023
HarperCollins Australia has settled a long-running defamation suit brought against it by John Gill, a former doctor from the defunct Chelmsford psychiatric hospital in Sydney; Booktopia has announced it will...
Audiences return to Sydney and NT festivals, WA Prem’s award winners, BookPeople committee change
28 June 2023
Sydney Writers’ Festival audiences returned to this year's festival as a live event in larger than expected numbers, while NT Writers saw a box office record for its festival in...
Miles Franklin shortlist, Kellow steps down at Ultimo, BookPeople award winners
21 June 2023
The shortlist for the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award has been announced, Ultimo Press managing director James Kellow will step down from the position at the end of June, and...
King’s Birthday Honours; Vogel shortlist; Vivendi acquisition approved
14 June 2023
Booksellers and authors were among those recognised in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours; the shortlist for the Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award 2023 has been announced; the Australian Publishers Association (APA) has...
Aurealis Awards, NZ CYA awards, Text Prize shortlist
7 June 2023
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has partnered with State Library of Queensland to support its black&write! editor internship program, and provide free membership to black&write! intern editors for the...
ABIA, ABDA winners announced; Kinokuniya awaits ‘Gender Queer’ classification outcome; black&write! 2023 fellowships
31 May 2023
The winners of the 2023 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) have been announced, with RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (Nagi Maehashi, Macmillan) winning book of the year. The Australian Book Designers Association...
Davis to retire, SMH young novelists, Dank sweeps NSW Prem’s
24 May 2023
Hardie Grant has announced chief operating officer Andrew Davis will retire at the end of this financial year, the Institute of Professional Editors has announced Kerry Davies as the winner...
George Robertson winners, Dunn joins ADS, WA Prem’s shortlists
17 May 2023
The Australian Publishers Association has announced the winners of the 2023 George Robertson Awards, which recognise long and distinguished service to the publishing industry, Riikka Dunn has been appointed distribution...
Fagan resigns, MUP to replace Hollier; Winton, Berryman inducted into ABIA Hall of Fame
10 May 2023
Melbourne University Publishing CEO Nathan Hollier has left the publisher, and Allen & Unwin has announced publisher Kelly Fagan has resigned. Author Tim Winton and HarperCollins children's publisher Lisa Berryman...
Stella, Calibre and Thomas Shapcott winners, Fagan files suit, Open Book recipients
3 May 2023
Sarah Holland-Batt has won the 2023 Stella Prize, worth $60,000, for The Jaguar (UQP), Tracy Ellis has won the 2023 Australian Book Review (ABR) Calibre Essay Prize for her essay...
BookPeople shortlists, Writing NSW departures, record year for UK publishing
26 April 2023
Shortlists have been announced for BookPeople's Book of the Year Awards, ABDA's Australian Book Design Awards and the Institute of Professional Editors' Rosanne Fitzgibbon Editorial Award. At Writing NSW, CEO...
Walker Books announces manuscript prize, Age Book of the Year shortlists revealed
19 April 2023
This week, children's publisher Walker Books announced the establishment of a new biennial manuscript prize to coincide with the company's 30th anniversary in Australia, while the 12 books shortlisted for...
Johnson joins Ultimo, new Master of Publishing scholarship for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, LBF rescheduled
12 April 2023
Ultimo Press has appointed Andrea Johnson as marketing and community manager, and the University of Sydney is offering a new scholarship in the Master of Publishing postgraduate degree for Aboriginal...
Government to fund Trove, Heiss to curate Bundyi, Stella shortlist announced
5 April 2023
The National Library of Australia has welcomed the federal government's commitment to funding the library's digital archive, Trove; the federal government has also extended the deadline for new title claims...
Rubbo to retire, Agius leaves Welbeck, De Kretser wins Folio Prize
29 March 2023
Mark Rubbo has announced he is planning to retire from the position of managing director at Readings in June, but will remain chair of the board, and in other personnel...
Indies winners announced, SWF program released, Open Book expands
22 March 2023
The program for the 2023 Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF), which runs 22–28 May, has been announced, as has a draft of program for the 2023 a BookPeople conference and trade...
Llewellyn steps down; Bell named Hazel Rowley fellow; 2023 VIPs announced
15 March 2023
The Wheeler Centre CEO Caro Llewellyn has announced her resignation and will vacate the role at the end of her contract in July this year, to focus on writing and...
‘Grimmish’ removed from NSW Prem’s shortlist, Stella longlist announced, Lien wins MUD prize
8 March 2023
BookPeople has released its industry sustainability report, Towards a Sustainable Bookselling Future, outlining key areas of concern for booksellers including carbon emissions from freight and printing, as well as issues related specifically...
Record year for S&S Australia, ‘A Kunwinjku Counting Book’ recognised in US
1 March 2023
Simon & Schuster Australia recorded a ‘record year of sales, profit, and market share’ in 2022, with print sales were up 35.5%, ebooks up 21.6% and audio up 51%. A...
Racklyeft awarded 2023 SCBWI Bologna Scholarship, Aus authors longlisted in Walter Scott Prize, Nielsen Books and Consumer pilot report
22 February 2023
In the lead-up to the Bologna Book Fair, Melbourne-based author and illustrator Jess Racklyeft has won one of the two Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators International Bologna Scholarships...
Reid departs PRH, Five Mile Press in administration, MUD Literary Prize shortlist
15 February 2023
Penguin Random House’s launch title director Karen Reid has resigned from the company after 30 years; Five Mile Press owner Regency Media has entered administration; and the MUD Literary Prize...
