Weekly news | Books+Publishing

Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Weekly news >

Hamad’s ‘White Tears/Brown Scars’ sold to US

Friday, 1 March 2019
North American rights to journalist and academic Ruby Hamad’s forthcoming book White Tears/Brown Scars (MUP) have been sold via auction to US publisher Catapult. Rachel Crawford at MacKenzie Wolf sold...

NSW Premier’s Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced

Thursday, 28 February 2019
The shortlists for the 2019 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are: Christina Stead Prize for Fiction ($40,000) Man Out of Time (Stephanie...

‘Penguin Bloom’ adaptation receives Screen Australia funding

Thursday, 28 February 2019
A feature film adaptation of Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive's nonfiction book Penguin Bloom (ABC Books) has received production funding from Screen Australia. Set on Sydney's Northern Beaches, Penguin...

Amazon Australia creates 500 permanent jobs after criticism of casual workforce

Thursday, 28 February 2019
Amazon will create 500 permanent jobs in its Australian fulfilment centres following criticism about the insecure casual employment of its labour hire workers, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. The permanent...

Affirm focuses on children’s/YA manuscripts in 2019 mentorship award

Thursday, 28 February 2019
This year’s Affirm Press Mentorship Award will focus exclusively on young adult and middle-grade fiction submissions, says the publisher. Writers of the three winning submissions will receive a week-long residency...

CBCA 2019 Notable Books announced

Wednesday, 27 February 2019
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its list of Notable Books for 2019. The books in each category are: Older readers Between Us (Clare Atkins, Black Inc.)...

‘Cardinal’ available in Victoria after suppression order lifts

Wednesday, 27 February 2019
After court suppression orders relating to the trial of Cardinal George Pell were lifted yesterday, 26 February, ABC journalist Louise Milligan’s book Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell...

Overland announces Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize shortlist

Wednesday, 27 February 2019
The shortlist for Overland’s Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize for travel-themed short fiction has been announced. The shortlisted entries are: ‘Kátharsis’ (George Haddad) ‘Folie à Deux’ (Mairead O’Neill) ‘Paper boats’ (Angela...

Skrzypczak awarded 2019 Kat Muscat Fellowship

Wednesday, 27 February 2019
Writer and educator Liana Skrzypczak has been awarded the 2019 Kat Muscat Fellowship. Skrzypczak, who was adopted from Korea into an Australian family, will use the fellowship to travel to...

Rockel wins UWAP Dorothy Hewett Award for an unpublished manuscript

Tuesday, 26 February 2019
Tasmanian author Angela Rockel has won the 2019 UWA Publishing (UWAP) Dorothy Hewett Award for an unpublished manuscript for her manuscript, ‘Rogue Intensities’. Rockel was chosen from a shortlist of...

James appointed director of UQP

Tuesday, 26 February 2019
Ben James has been appointed director of the University of Queensland Press (UQP), effective from 25 March. James will replace Jill Eddington, who retired from the position of CEO in...

Overland announces Judith Wright Poetry Prize shortlist

Tuesday, 26 February 2019
The shortlist for the 2018 Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize for new and emerging poets has been announced. The shortlisted poems are: ‘Surfing at black fellas’ (Ross Belton) ‘Post (c)...

ABR announces Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2019 shortlist

Monday, 25 February 2019
The shortlist for the 2019 Australian Book Review (ABR) Peter Porter Poetry Prize has been announced. The shortlisted poems are: 'Dancing with Stephen Hawking' (John Foulcher) 'The Mirror Hurlers' (Ross...

Dalton wins 2019 MUD Literary Prize for debut fiction

Monday, 25 February 2019
Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe (Fourth Estate) has won the 2019 MUD Literary Prize, awarded to a debut novel. Dalton receives a cash prize of $3000, which will be presented...

Australian Romance Readers Awards 2018 winners announced

Monday, 25 February 2019
The winners of the 2018 Australian Romance Readers Awards, presented by the Australian Romance Readers Association (ARRA), have been announced, with Kylie Scott named favourite Australian romance author. Scott’s novel...

PRH announces new fellowship program for underrepresented writers

Friday, 22 February 2019
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has established an annual fellowship program that aims to ‘find, nurture and develop’ unpublished writers with a focus on underrepresented sections of the community. Modelled...

Readings Children’s Book Prize 2019 shortlist announced

Friday, 22 February 2019
The shortlist for the Readings Children’s Book Prize for 2019 has been announced. The shortlisted titles are: Ice Wolves: Elementals Book One (Amie Kaufman, HarperCollins) The Orchard Underground (Mat Larkin, Hardie...

Melbourne couple wins at 2019 Prix Sorcières

Thursday, 21 February 2019
Picture book Petit Soldat (Editions du Seuil), by Melbourne-based couple Pierre Jacques Ober and Jules Ober, has been awarded at the 2019 Prix Sorcières in France. Due to be published...

Inaugural crime fiction festival in Tasmania announces first guests

Thursday, 21 February 2019
A new biennial festival focused on crime fiction has announced the first guests for its inaugural program. Taking place in Cygnet and locations around Tasmania’s Huon Valley over Halloween (31...

Aurealis Awards 2018 finalists announced

Thursday, 21 February 2019
The finalists for the 2018 Aurealis Awards, presented for science fiction, fantasy and horror writing in Australia, have been announced. The finalists are: Best science fiction novel Scales of Empire...

Jennings, Colpoys longlisted for Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals

Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Australian children's author Paul Jennings and illustrator Allison Colpoys have been longlisted for the UK's 2019 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals respectively. Jennings' novel A Different Boy (A&U), illustrated by Australian artist...

UQP acquires Khatun, Whittaker, Elvery

Wednesday, 20 February 2019
UQP has announced a number of acquisitions made by publisher Aviva Tuffield across the publisher’s trade, scholarly and poetry lists. Tuffield acquired ANZ rights to Australian-Bangladeshi historian Samia Khatun’s Australianama:...