Weekly Book Newsletter (end March 2022)
7 January 2015

Please complete our post-Christmas survey x

Books+Publishing is currently conducting its annual post-Christmas survey of booksellers and publishers. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey online. BooksellersIf you are... Read more
 

Government to take $6 million from Australia Council to fund new Book Council x

The Federal Government will provide $6 million over three years to establish the new Book Council of Australia. The funding, which was announced in the... Read more
 

Government whitepaper to examine online GST threshold

Federal assistant treasurer Josh Frydenberg has signalled an upcoming government whitepaper will examine the GST threshold that applies to online overseas sales, in an opinion... Read more
 

WHSmith acquires Supanews newsagency stores x

Supanews has sold its chain of company-owned and franchised newsagency stores to WHSmith, reports the Courier Mail. However, Supanews managing director Adrian Gaskin told Books+Publishing his business... Read more
 

Griffith and Denton top 2014 bestsellers chart

Andy Griffith and Terry Denton’s The 52-Storey Treehouse (Pan) was the highest selling title in Australia in 2014 with 232,900 sales, reports the Sydney Morning... Read more
 

Staff changes at ‘Books+Publishing’

The editorial team that produces the Weekly Book Newsletter, Books+Publishing Daily newsletter and Books+Publishing magazine has undergone some changes. Brad Jefferies has been appointed news... Read more
 

Foley named Victorian Creative Industries Minister x

The recently elected Victorian Labor Government announced Martin Foley as the Minister for Creative Industries in December 2014, and has rebranded Arts Victoria as Creative Victoria.... Read more
 

Australian Romance Readers Awards 2014 finalists announced

The finalists for the 2014 Australian Romance Readers Awards have been announced. Kylie Scott is once again in the running for Favourite Australian Romance Author... Read more
 

Mildura Writers Festival seeks inaugural writer in residence

The Mildura Writers Festival is inviting writers ‘working in any genre’ to apply for its inaugural writers festival residency. The 2015 Mildura Writers Festival Residency... Read more
 

Quote of the week

‘I scour the publishers’ advance catalogues and never fail to be slightly surprised by how many good books are in the pipeline for the coming... Read more
 

Bestsellers this week

This week’s bestsellers chart is full of familiar titles, including a number of cookbooks that have risen up the charts over the festive season. Jeff Kinney’s Long Haul... Read more
 

RiP Lynn Bryan

Lynn Bryan, custom publisher for the University of Queensland Press (UQP), has died, aged 66. UQP writes: ‘Lynn Bryan passed away peacefully on December 23.... Read more
 

UK, US 2014 bestsellers announced

The Fault in Our Stars (John Green, Penguin) was the bestselling book in the UK and US in 2014 in what was a strong year for children’s books... Read more
 

Costa Book Award 2014 category winners announced

In the UK, the Costa Book Award 2014 category winners have been announced. The winners for each award are: How to be Both (Ali Smith,... Read more
 

Macmillan signs new Amazon sales deal

In the US, Macmillan has signed a multiyear sales agreement with Amazon, reports Publishers Weekly. The deal guarantees the publisher’s print and ebooks will be sold... Read more
 

Zuckerberg founds online book club

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has launched an online book club and is being described as ‘this generation’s version of Oprah’, reports TechCrunch. Zuckerberg created the Facebook group page... Read more
 

Debra Oswald’s ‘Useful’

At his nadir, Sullivan Moss stuffs up his own suicide attempt and is forced to reflect on his unreliable, selfish, underachieving ways. He strikes on... Read more
 

ALIA Fellowship awarded to WA State Library CEO

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has awarded an ALIA Fellowship to the State Library of Western Australia CEO Margaret Allen. ALIA Fellowships are... Read more
 

Political memoir, film tie-ins among most borrowed books in ACT libraries

Bob Carr’s Diary of a Foreign Minister (UNSW Press) was among the most borrowed books from ACT libraries in 2014, reports the Canberra Times. Other... Read more
 

In brief

Farm catalogues sought by NLA The National Library of Australia (NLA) is seeking old farm catalogues for its ephemera collection, reports ABC Rural. NLA’s ephemera... Read more
 

International library news

National Digital Library to launch in Russia  The Russian government has announced plans to launch a National Digital Library in 2015 that will give library... Read more
 

What’s coming from page to screen in 2015?

Angelina Jolie’s adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken (Fourth Estate), Clint Eastwood’s take on Chris Kyle’s autobiography American Sniper (HarperCollins), and an adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild... Read more
 

Staff changes at ‘Books+Publishing’ x

The editorial team that produces the Weekly Book Newsletter, Books+Publishing Daily newsletter and Books+Publishing magazine has undergone some changes. Brad Jefferies has been appointed news... Read more
 

Sanders to leave ‘Meanjin’ x

Zora Sanders has resigned as editor of Melbourne-based literary journal Meanjin. (See news.)
 

Hill leaves UQP x

Meredene Hill has resigned from her position as marketing and publicity manager at the University of Queensland Press to take up a role at the... Read more
 

Melbourne City of Literature travel fund briefing x

The Melbourne City of Literature Travel Fund provides up to $3000 to support writers, editors, publishers, librarians, booksellers, or anyone else working in the Victorian... Read more

Maurice Saxby memorial x

A Celebration of the Life of Maurice Saxby AM will be held in the Great Hall, Sydney University at 5pm on Monday 19 January. Speakers... Read more

Call for Entries: Russell Prize for Humour Writing x

The Prize has been made possible by the generous bequest of the late Peter Wentworth Russell, a farmer, businessman and passionate reader. Administered and presented by the State Library of NSW on behalf of the estate, the prize aims to celebrate, recognise and encourage humour writing, and to promote interest in this genre.

Light or dark, fun or farce – published works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry by Australian writers will be considered for the biennial $10,000 prize, with entries now open.

Works nominated for the 2015 Prize must have been first published in between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2014, and commercially available within this period.

Authors whose works are nominated must be Australian citizens or persons holding permanent resident status.

Nominations Close Friday 6 February 2015.
Entry forms and guidelines are available here
Contact: awards.library@sl.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 02 9273 1582 or 02 9273 1770
Web: www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about/awards/humour_award/

 

Bloomsbury to Distribute Conway Publishing in Australia and New Zealand x

Bloomsbury is pleased to announce that they are the new distributors of Conway Publishing in Australia and New Zealand effective immediately. Customers should now direct any orders for Conway Publishing to UBD. All Conway stock held at Harper Entertainment Distribution Services [HEDS] has been transferred to UBD. Any customer backorders recorded and still held by Harper Distribution HEDS will be transferred to UBD. UBD will not accept returns for stock invoiced by Harper Distribution HEDS. Harper Distribution HEDS will accept returns for Conway stock which have been invoiced by HEDS until 31st January 2015. If you have any questions regarding this distribution change, please contact the Bloomsbury Sydney office on 02 8820 4900 or HEDS Customer Service on 1300 551 721.

 

Book Publicist for Hire x

Publishers, distributors and authors, let me help your 2015 work-load and budget with outstanding publicity at an economical, negotiable rate. You get experience after 25 years of freelance work and a career in newspapers, at Random House, Macmillan and A&R. Tel: 03.9374.2188. 0410.518.034 or alandavidsonpublicity@gmail.com.au

 
 
 
 

 

 

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