Wollongong Writers Festival to close
3 March 2021
Wollongong Writers Festival has announced it is closing following the loss of Create NSW annual organisations funding. Founded in 2013 by writer Chloe Higgins, the not-for-profit festival received annual funding...
S&S signs three ‘Halifax’ novels
3 March 2021
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (ex Canada) to three novels by television writer and creator Roger Simpson, featuring his Halifax f.p. television character Jane...
Hachette Australia reports record year, revenue up 26%
3 March 2021
Hachette Australia has reported a record year in net sales in 2020, with an increase of 26% on 2019. Hachette UK also reported a record year for sales, while Hachette...
Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2021 shortlists announced
3 March 2021
The shortlists for the 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category, chosen from longlists announced in January, are: Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize...
Griffiths appointed HarperCollins sales director
24 February 2021
HarperCollins has appointed Karen-Maree Griffiths to the position of sales director, replacing Darren Kelly in the role. ‘We are delighted to welcome Karen-Maree back to HarperCollins,' said CEO said Jim...
CBCA 2021 Notable Books announced
24 February 2021
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its list of Notable Books for 2021. The books in each category are: Older readers The F Team (Rawah Arja, Giramondo)...
Australians longlisted for 2021 Walter Scott Prize
23 February 2021
Four Australian authors have been longlisted for the UK's £25,000 (A$44,440) Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. Steven Conte was longlisted for The Tolstoy Estate, K M Kruimink for A...
Inaugural Little Hare Illustration Prize winner announced
17 February 2021
Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing (HGCP) has announced Meg Rennie as the winner of the inaugural 2020 Little Hare Illustration Prize. ‘Meg’s artwork enchanted the judging panel with her vivacious character...
Avery signs four-book deal after Walker Wednesday submission
17 February 2021
Walker Books Australia has acquired world rights to two picture books and two graphic novels by Western Australian author Sean E Avery, after he submitted his manuscripts to Walker Wednesday....
HarperCollins acquires two Foster novels
17 February 2021
HarperCollins Australia has acquired ANZ rights to two new novels by Sara Foster, via Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown in a ‘fiercely contested’ auction. The first title, The Hush, ‘is...
Staff changes at Readings: Kenwood resigns; Ryan appointed Carlton shop manager
17 February 2021
Former Penguin Random House (PRH) publishing manager Louise Ryan has joined Readings as the manager of the company's Carlton shop. Ryan resigned from her role at PRH in December last...
HarperCollins launches new illustrated imprint
10 February 2021
HarperCollins Australia has announced it will launch a new illustrated imprint, Harper by Design. HarperCollins said the ‘design-led' imprint, to be overseen by current head of design Mark Campbell in...
Greaves named inaugural writer in residence at Female Orphan School
10 February 2021
Laura Greaves has been named the inaugural writer in residence at the Whitlam Institute's Female Orphan School in Parramatta, NSW. Greaves was chosen from almost 40 applicants for the $4000...
‘Sorrow and Bliss’ to be adapted for screen
10 February 2021
US production company New Regency has acquired the film and television rights to Meg Mason’s 2020 novel Sorrow and Bliss in a deal brokered by Casarotto Ramsay and HarperCollins Australia....
Inaugural Little Hare Prize for Illustration shortlist announced
3 February 2021
The shortlist for Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing’s (HGCP) inaugural Little Hare Prize for Illustration has been announced. The shortlisted artists are: Jennifer Goldsmith Jake Minton Meg Rennie Hyo Young Yim....
Nat’s What I Reckon wins 2020 Booktopia FAB Award
3 February 2021
Un-cook Yourself: A ratbag's rules for life by YouTube cooking star Nat’s What I Reckon (Ebury) has won the $5000 Booktopia Favourite Australian Book (FAB) Award for 2020. The author...
Thames & Hudson Australia revenue up 47% in 2020
3 February 2021
Thames & Hudson Australia (THA) has reported a 47% increase in revenue in 2020, with overall sales of $17.6 million, as ‘consumer price barriers appeared to come down’ during the...
New Zealand market down 0.3% in 2020
28 January 2021
New Zealand’s book sales fell by less than 1% in 2020, despite a sustained hard lockdown for almost five weeks from late March, in which the nation’s booksellers were unable...
Full Adelaide Writers’ Week program announced
28 January 2021
The full program has been announced for Adelaide Writers’ Week (AWW), which features a total of 147 guests and runs from Saturday, 27 February to Thursday, 4 March 2021. In...
Saleh wins 2021 Peter Porter Poetry Prize
28 January 2021
The Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced Sara M Saleh as the winner of the 2021 Peter Porter Poetry Prize, for her poem ‘A Poetics of Fo(u)rgetting’. The judges said of...
Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2021 longlists announced
28 January 2021
The longlists for the 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category are: Fiction Nothing to See (Pip Adam, Victoria University Press) Bug...
S&S acquires Allira Potter nonfiction title
28 January 2021
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to a book by psychic Allira Potter. Potter, a Yorta Yorta woman, incorporates Indigenous practices and First Nations knowledge into her...
Indie Book Awards 2021 shortlists announced
20 January 2021
Leading Edge Books has announced the shortlists for the 2021 Indie Book Awards. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Fiction All Our Shimmering Skies (Trent Dalton, HarperCollins) The Living Sea...
Givney’s ‘Jane in Love’ optioned by ‘Little Women’ producer
20 January 2021
Rachel Givney’s debut novel Jane in Love (Michael Joseph) has been optioned for film by DiNovi Pictures for Amazon Studios, in a deal brokered by Jerry Kalajian at IPG and...
Watts appointed Thames & Hudson regional managing director: Asia-Pacific
13 January 2021
Thames & Hudson Australia managing director Daniel Watts has been appointed to the newly created role of regional managing director: Asia-Pacific. According to a statement from the company, Thames &...
A&U acquires Xu memoir ‘You’re So Brave’
13 January 2021
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to Vicky Xu’s memoir You’re So Brave at auction, from Benython Oldfield of Zeitgeist Agency. A&U described the book as ‘a coming-of-age...
Open Book publishing internship to launch in 2021
9 December 2020
A new paid internship aimed at increasing cultural diversity in the Australian publishing workforce will launch in 2021 with funding support from the Australia Council and the Copyright Agency’s Cultural...
ALIA to run digital storytime pilot in 2021
9 December 2020
Australian publishers can opt to have new or backlist titles included in an Online Storytime pilot being run by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) in 2021. The one-year...
Indie Book Awards 2021 longlists announced
9 December 2020
Leading Edge Books has announced the longlists for the 2021 Indie Book Awards. The longlisted titles in each category are: Fiction The Tolstoy Estate (Steven Conte, Fourth Estate) All Our...
Online SPN conference a ‘great success’
2 December 2020
The Small Press Network’s (SPN) ninth Independent Publishing Conference was held online on 26–27 November, with organisers hailing the event a ‘great success’. SPN general manager Tim Coronel told Books+Publishing...
