Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

Weekly news >

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 13 July 2015
E L James’ Grey (Arrow) is at the top of the Australian bestsellers chart for the third consecutive week, while the rest of the top 10 features a mix of...

Massey University Press appoints first publisher

Monday, 13 July 2015
Former Random House New Zealand publisher Nicola Legat has been appointed as the first publisher of Massey University Press, following the press’ launch in February 2015.Legat, also a former editor...

Bray to head up Better Reading Kids

Friday, 10 July 2015
Book recommendation site Better Reading is launching a children’s offshoot, headed up by former Allen & Unwin (A&U) children’s book director Liz Bray.Better Reading Kids will offer children’s reading recommendations and...

Marinov promoted to books manager at Leading Edge 

Friday, 10 July 2015
Leading Edge Books buyer and marketing manager Galina Marinov has been promoted to national group manager of the books division.Leading Edge Group general manager Josh Zarb said in a letter...

Success for Australian self-published colouring books 

Friday, 10 July 2015
Australian small publisher Colourtation’s anti-stress colouring books have found success as one of the few locally authored and published adult colouring titles in the growing genre.The three volumes of Colourtation...

Australians among 2015 World Fantasy Awards finalists

Friday, 10 July 2015
Australian authors and publishers are among those nominated for the 2015 World Fantasy Awards, for works published in 2014. Kaaron Warren is a finalist in the short fiction category for...

‘Drones and Phantoms’ wins ALS Gold Medal

Thursday, 9 July 2015
Jennifer Maiden’s poetry collection Drones and Phantoms (Giramondo) has won the 2015 Australian Literature Society (ALS) Gold Medal.  Maiden’s book was chosen from a shortlist of five titles. Announced at the...

NT Literary Awards 2015 finalists announced

Thursday, 9 July 2015
The Northern Territory Library has announced the finalists for the Northern Territory (NT) Literary Awards.The 2015 finalists are:Short stories ‘Stranger in Paradise’ (Barbara Eather) ‘It’s a Privilege to Live in...

Ngaio Marsh Award 2015 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Five books have been shortlisted for the 2015 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel by a New Zealand writer. The shortlisted titles are: Five Minutes Alone (Paul Cleave, Penguin...

Rights round-up 

Wednesday, 8 July 2015
SalesFiction—MidnightSun has sold US rights to An Ordinary Epidemic (Amanda Hickie) to Little, Brown. Nonfiction—Exisle has sold Korean rights to What Makes You Happy (Fiona Robards); and Slovakian rights to...

Quote of the week

Wednesday, 8 July 2015
‘We couldn’t believe the overwhelming feedback we had from Perth readers when we were closing. Even with the doors shut last week, the amount of people trying to get in...

Myer reappointed Australia Council chair

Tuesday, 7 July 2015
The Australian government has announced that Rupert Myer has been reappointed chair of the Australia Council.The retailer and philanthropist was first appointed to the role in June 2012. Australia Council...

New Zealand Book Awards announces prize changes

Tuesday, 7 July 2015
The New Zealand Book Awards will return in 2016 with a new structure, judging process and an annual NZ$50,000 (A$44,595) prize for fiction, with the winners to be announced at...

OUP reports local turnover and profit growth 

Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Oxford University Press (OUP) Australia and New Zealand has recorded a 2% turnover growth and 54% profit growth in the 2014-15 financial year.OUP Australia and New Zealand managing director Peter...

Tasmanian Writers Festival announces authors, venue

Tuesday, 7 July 2015
The Tasmanian Writers and Readers Festival will be held at Hadley’s Orient Hotel in Hobart from 11-13 September, with Don Watson, Helen Garner and Bob Brown among the guests.The biennial...

Reading Australia website relaunched, new content added

Monday, 6 July 2015
The Copyright Agency has relaunched its Reading Australia website with a new design and new content.The website, which provides free resources for teachers to promote Australian literary works, now includes...

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 6 July 2015
E L James’ Grey (Arrow) has enjoyed a second week at number one on the overall bestsellers chart, while Johanna Basford’s two colouring books Enchanted Forest and Secret Garden (Laurence King...

Henderson joins Affirm Press 

Monday, 6 July 2015
Affirm Press has appointed Fiona Henderson as its new publisher following the departure of Aviva Tuffield.Henderson has worked in publishing for more than 20 years, including senior roles at Random...

National Biography Award 2015 shortlist announced

Monday, 6 July 2015
The State Library of NSW has announced the shortlist for the 2015 National Biography Award for biographical writing and memoir.The shortlisted titles are: An Unsentimental Bloke: The Life and Work of...

MidnightSun signs first international rights deals

Monday, 6 July 2015
Adelaide-based small press MidnightSun Publishing has signed its first three international rights deals.The publisher has sold US rights to Amanda Hickie’s thriller An Ordinary Epidemic to Little, Brown in a...

RiP Michael Zifcak

Friday, 3 July 2015
Michael Zifcak, former chairman of Collins Booksellers and Hill of Content Publishing, has died, aged 96.Zifcak was the chairman of Collins Booksellers and its publishing division Hill of Content, which he...

Mad Hatters Bookshop opens in Brisbane 

Friday, 3 July 2015
The Mad Hatters Bookshop has opened in the Brisbane bayside suburb of Manly. The new store is run by Anne-Marie Finn and Kaylene Hobson, who purchased TLC Books from Tanya Cauce in...

Robotham shortlisted for CWA Gold Dagger

Thursday, 2 July 2015
Life or Death by Australian author Michael Robotham (Sphere) has been shortlisted for the 2015 Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Gold Dagger award for best crime novel in the UK.Life or...

CSIRO launches children’s publishing program 

Wednesday, 1 July 2015
CSIRO Publishing has launched a children’s book publishing program and will release its first title in September.The press, which has been publishing science and technology books for more than 20 years, is...