Please visit www.melbourneprize.org to register your interest to receive entry information on the Melbourne Prize for Literature 2015 and Awards.

With a prize pool over $100,000, including a new award, all writing genres are eligible. Open to Victorian residents only.

Thames & Hudson has appointed Daniel Watts as Managing Director of Thames & Hudson Australia, succeeding Jodie Spiteri-James who is leaving Thames & Hudson to pursue a career in consultancy.

Daniel was previously the Regional Director for Pan Macmillan India and Asia based in New Delhi and has extensive sales and marketing experience on an international level as well as sound knowledge of the Australian and New Zealand trade.

Watts said: ‘After a two-year study break from publishing in Asia, I’m thrilled and privileged to be joining such a prestigious company as Thames and Hudson back in Australia. THA is the dominant publisher and distributor of illustrated books in ANZ. It has developed a mature trade market, balanced with a growing number of promising new business opportunities. I see this country as a centre of innovative editorial excellence, and I look forward to utilising my Asia experience to further T&H’s emergent strategy in the region. And I especially look forward to collaborating with the impressive ANZ team and working within the warm, creative culture that’s so well supported by the management in London.’

Christian Frederking, Group Sales director at Thames & Hudson in London said: ‘Very many thanks are due to Jodie Spiteri-James for her commitment to Thames & Hudson Australia and her successful management of the company for over the last 3 years. Daniel’s appointment is wonderful news—he brings to THA a wealth of practical experience from his career in both the Australian book trade and internationally, and unbound enthusiasm for his new role. Going forward, I am really hopeful that we can build on the important and very positive development made in recent years at THA, where through the emergence of a diverse and high quality publishing programme coming out of our Melbourne office and through the highly visible and growing success of many of the lists distributed by THA, we are playing an increasingly significant and creative role in the Australian publishing scene.’

Rolf Grisebach, CEO of Thames & Hudson said: ‘I believe that in Daniel we have found a thorough professional who can further develop THA’s publishing and who can continue to work effectively and gain the full potential for the T&H London list and for the lists of all THA’s distributed publishers. He is just the right person to work closely with us in London to grow THA’s sense of identity and involvement with T&H as an international publishing group.’

TASCHEN are pleased to announce the appointment of New Holland Publishers as our new exclusive distributor in Australia. Having worked with New Holland Publishers in New Zealand for a number of years it seemed like the natural decision for them to also look after Australia. New Holland Publishers is now preparing to have their rep teams across the Australian market to start showcasing new and existing TASCHEN product. Product will enter into the United Book Distribution centre in May.

Should you have any questions please let us know and we shall help as best as we can to make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone.New Holland Publishers is excited to be working with such a prestige brand such as TASCHEN and to service the Australian market.

For any enquiries please contact New Holland Publishers on 02 8986 4700 for more information on availability and terms or your local sales representative.

Hachette Australia is very proud to publish Favel Parrett and Maxine Beneba Clarke and are thrilled to see their work recognised in this year’s longlists for the Nita B. Kibble Literary Awards for Women Writers.

Congratulations to Favel (longlisted in the Kibble Literary Award) and Maxine (longlisted in the Dobbie Literary Awards)!

To order copies of Foreign Soil (ISBN: 9780733632426) and When the Night Comes (ISBN: 9780733626586) please contact Alliance Distribution Services customer service on toll-free fax 1800-664-477 or tel (02) 4390 1300.

Lonely Planet will be testing a new inventory management system in early May which may unavoidably impact the delivery window of our May New Releases as communicated on our order form(s) and supplier submissions. To overcome any potential delay of supply we will be dispatching all May New Releases from Monday April 27. As a courtesy we’ll be extending all stores which receive an earlier than expected delivery of May frontlist an extra 30 day payment period on this specific invoice. Thanks for your understanding during this transition.

Hachette Australia is very proud to see the following Hachette authors shortlisted for the 2015 ABIA Awards:

Brooke Davis for Lost & Found (General Fiction Book of the Year and The Matt Richell Award for New Writer); Michael Robotham for Life or Death (General Fiction Book of the Year); Maxine Beneba Clarke for Foreign Soil (Literary Fiction Book of the Year and The Matt Richell Award for New Writer); Favel Parrett for When the Night Comes (Literary Fiction Book of the Year); Connie and Samuel Johnson for Love Your Sister (Biography of the Year) and the Northern Territory News for What A Croc! (Illustrated Book of the Year).

To order copies of Lost & Found (ISBN: 9780733632754), Life or Death (9780751552898), Foreign Soil (ISBN: 9780733632426), When the Night Comes (ISBN: 9780733626586), Love Your Sister (ISBN: 9780733633249) and What A Croc! (ISBN: 9780733633522) please contact Alliance Distribution Services customer service on toll-free fax 1800-664-477 or tel (02) 4390 1300.

The Leading Edge Books Conference 2015, Melbourne 15-17 May, is shaping up as an exciting time for its member booksellers and publishers. The agenda is packed with author presentations and sessions that cover marketing, branding, industry reviews and trends along with member forums and our conference classics, Best Business Ideas and the much anticipated surprise guest!

Some opportunities for sponsorship are still available.  For bookings and satchel insert enquires please contact Ruth: hipwellr@leadingedgegroup.com.au Ph.02 8732 9521

Click HERE to register and view agenda. Early Bird bookings close 17 April.

It is with great pleasure that Walker Books and Black Dog Books congratulate Claire Saxby and Graham Byrne for Emu and Pamela Freeman for Our Stories: Mary’s Australia being short-listed for the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, as well as Robin Cowcher for Little Dog and the Christmas Wish (text by Corinne Fenton) and Leanne Tobin for The Lost Girl (text by Ambelin Kwaymullina) being short-listed for the Crichton Award for New Illustrators. Walker Books Australia and Black Dog Books also congratulate their authors and illustrators with Notable books.

To order copies of these titles, please contact Harper Entertainment Distribution Services: 1800 645 547
www.walkerbooks.com.au

Kazuo Ishiguro’s long-awaited and highly anticipated novel The Buried Giant was celebrated nationwide (and internationally) with beautiful blue and gold window displays. We thank all booksellers who participated in our window display competition. Judging proved difficult, but we would like to congratulate Books Plus Bathurst on their extra special display. We hope you enjoy your cash prize of $1000!