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New arts hub to open in Hobart 

Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Advice on arts funding, professional development, and commissioning services, plus an exhibition space are all part of a new arts hub in Hobart. The arts hub at the old Bridges...

Food Media Awards winners announced 

Tuesday, 30 September 2008
The winners of the 2008 Australian Food Media Awards were announced on Friday September 26 in the Parkside Ballroom of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, to an audience of...

Around the world 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
It's been a bumper week for international news about publishing! Among the many stories added to our Around the World blog:Penguin looks to growth through globalisationScholastic pulls Bratz in US...

Quote of the week 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Even among my friends who don't read (which, unfortunately, are the majority), they will still read in subject areas that interest them. It's finding the books in the areas we...

In brief 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Ubud Writers' and Readers' festival program onlineThe Ubud Writers' and Readers' Festival is getting closer, and the full program is now available. From 14 to 19 October an international set of...

Aravanis leaves the ABA 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Niki Aravanis, project manager at the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA), has been made redundant following an internal review.‘The role of Project Manager within the organisation has been made redundant and...

‘Brisingr’ sells 35,000 on launch weekend 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Random House is ‘very pleased' with the weekend launch of Christopher Paolini's Brisingr, Random House sales director Gavin Schwartz told WBN. Schwartz says that early figures stand at around 35,000...

ETA opposes increasing study of Australian literature 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
The English Teacher's Association (ETA) of NSW has opposed the move to strengthen the teaching of Australian literature in schools.The ETA objects to ‘the selective nomination of some types of text...

A&R launches POD ‘Espresso Book Machine’ 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Angus & Robertson Whitcoulls (ARW) has launched the first retail ‘Espresso Book Machine' (EBM) in Australia at its Melbourne Bourke Street store. The machine, which prints a book in seven...

McFarlane sells shares in HGE 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Susannah McFarlane has confirmed that she has ‘reluctantly sold her 25% shareholding in Hardie Grant Egmont', the children's publishing company she ran and built since its inception in 2002. McFarlane...

High rent forces ReadeR’s Books to close 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
ReadeR's Books in Westpoint Shopping centre, Blacktown, is closing after one year of business due to high rental rates. Howard and Preetha Joseph told WBN that the business is not...

Walker Books celebrates 15 years 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Walker Books Australia celebrated 15 years of publishing for children last Tuesday, 16 September with a party at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum. Attending the party were Walker Books staff and supporters, including...

BWF 2008 an ‘unparalleled success’ 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
This year's Brisbane Writers' Festival was an ?unparalleled success', festival director Michael Campbell told WBN. Initial figures indicate more than 30,000 attended the festival, which is 20% up on last...

Aust/NZ/Canada summit at Frankfurt 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has joined forces with the Book Publishers Association of New Zealand (BPANZ) and the Association for the Export of Canadian Books to co-host a half-day...

Bookseller+Publisher online ‘e-magazine’ launched 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Bookseller+Publisher magazine and its supplements are now available as online ‘e-mags' at the Bookseller+Publisher Online website. To see the latest issue of the magazine online, click the ‘inside this issue' box...

Vogel winner announced 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
A novel set in the Cold War era in Australia is this year's Australian/Vogel Literary Award winner. Andrew Croome receives $50,000 as prize and advance for his winning manuscript Document...

Thorpe-Bowker to sell and market PacStream 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
From 1 October 2008, Thorpe-Bowker will assume responsibility for all sales and marketing activities of the PacStream e-commerce service in both Australia and New Zealand, including customer relationship management and...

Thorpe-Bowker strengthens BookNet relationship 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Thorpe-Bowker will assume responsibility for all sales and marketing of UniLink's BookNet retail point-of-sale (POS) solution, along with customer relationship management and support, ‘in order to allow the retail software...

Bestsellers this week 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
The Bestseller charts are heavy with a swathe of Stephenie Meyer books--Twilight coming in at number three--while both 4 Ingredients, 2 and the original frugal recipe book are in first...

Forthcoming events 

Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Trade events coming up over the next week, as shown on our events calendar, include: Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) information session – Adelaide, 30 SeptemberCopyright Agency Limited (CAL) information sessions...

Lonely Planet appoints new global marketing director 

Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Lonely Planet has announced the appointment of Dominic Rowell to the newly created role of global marketing director. Rowell, who is originally from London, will be based in Melbourne and...

Around the World 

Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Among the stories added to our Around the World blog in the past week:Bonnier acquires TemplarSony e-reader a big hit in UKBooker tokenism?Is this the end, my beautiful friends?How fat...

In brief 

Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Dymocks holds second RadiothonThe Dymocks Literacy Foundation and Radio 2UE are hosting a second Radiothon on Wednesday 24 September to raise money for beneficiaries to buy books. ‘Charities, schools, hospitals...

After 32 years Mudgee Bookcase for sale 

Tuesday, 16 September 2008
After 32 years in the business, having established their bookshop and music centre in 1977, John and Jill Novak of Mudgee Bookcase have decided to sell due to Jill Novak's...

Whitley Awards announced 

Tuesday, 16 September 2008
The winners of this year's Whitley Awards have been announced. Presented by the Royal Zoological Society of NSW, the awards are for ‘outstanding publications that deal with the promotion and...

Inky Awards shortlist announced 

Tuesday, 16 September 2008
The titles shortlisted for this year's teen book choice Inky Awards have been announced. Voting has opened to determine the winner in an Australian category (the Golden Inky) and international...