Weekly Book Newsletter (end March 2022)
2 December 2015

'Books+Publishing' website upgrade

The Books+Publishing website was upgraded over the weekend and can be accessed from the new domain www.booksandpublishing.com.au. The upgraded website features a new login system,... Read more
 

Please complete our pre-Christmas survey x

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

Christmas closing list 2015

Company Last day of business in 2015 First day of business in 2016 Allen & Unwin Thursday 24 December (Closing 1pm) Monday 4 January Alliance... Read more
 

Christmas closing list: Final chance to submit dates x

Publishers and distributors have one more chance to advise the Weekly Book Newsletter of their Christmas closing dates by 5pm on Friday 4 December. If your... Read more
 

Eighteen jobs to go at PRH Australia

Penguin Random House Australia and New Zealand has cut 18 jobs from its Australian offices, affecting staff in senior management, marketing and publicity, publishing, production... Read more
 

Rogers appointed ASA executive director x

Former Murdoch Books CEO and former president of the Australian Publishers Association Juliet Rogers has been appointed executive director of the Australian Society of Authors... Read more
 

Amazon signs lease for new Sydney HQ

Amazon has signed a seven-year lease for its new Australian headquarters, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. The lease is for more than 9260sqm of office... Read more
 

Harrower wins 2015 Voss Literary Prize

Elizabeth Harrower has won the 2015 Voss Literary Prize for her novel In Certain Circles (Text). The Voss Literary Prize is awarded to the best... Read more
 

‘The Straight Dope’ wins inaugural Australian Sports Book of the Year

The Straight Dope by journalist Chip Le Grand (MUP) has won the inaugural Australian Sports Book of the Year award. Le Grand’s book, which was... Read more
 

Black wins 2015 Ampersand Prize

Melbourne writer Calanthe Black has won Hardie Grant Egmont’s (HGE) 2015 Ampersand Prize for unpublished writers for her untitled YA sci-fi novel. Black’s entry was... Read more
 

Bates launches children’s book publisher ‘About Kids Books’ x

Children’s book author Di Bates has launched a new children’s book publisher, About Kids Books. Bates told Books+Publishing the company will publish fiction for readers... Read more
 

Arthur joins HarperCollins x

HarperCollins has appointed Jaki Arthur as head of marketing communications in its general books division. In the newly created role, Arthur will cover local and... Read more
 

Readings Foundation awards $93,000 in grants for 2016

The Readings Foundation has chosen seven Victorian organisations to share $93,000 worth of grants in 2016. The grant recipients are: 3081 Angels: $10,000 to support... Read more
 

Collins partners with beyondblue in Christmas Reading Guide

Collins Booksellers will donate a percentage of sales of selected books from its 2015 Christmas Reading Guide to the non-profit organisation beyondblue. Ten percent of... Read more
 

Grattan Institute releases PM summer reading list

Australian public policy think tank Grattan Institute has released its annual summer reading list for the Prime Minister. The list contains ‘books and articles that... Read more
 

HarperCollins announces #LoveOzYA anthology

HarperCollins has announced it will publish a young adult anthology in May 2017 inspired by the #LoveOzYA campaign, featuring 10 short stories by a selection... Read more
 

Black joins the Wheeler Centre x

Former Crikey editor Sophie Black has joined the Wheeler Centre as head of programming while Emily Sexton is on maternity leave. Black was most recently... Read more
 

Victorian creative industries taskforce report presented to government

The Victorian creative industries taskforce, chaired by Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) CEO Louise Adler, has presented its first report to the state government. The ‘Creative... Read more
 

New Zealand Book Awards 2016 longlists announced

The longlists for the New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category are: Fiction The Antipodeans (Greg McGee, Upstart Press)... Read more
 

University of Sydney obesity, diabetes centre to award writer $100,000 fellowship

The University of Sydney’s Charles Perkin Centre has announced a $100,000 fellowship for a writer in residence to ‘join the fight against obesity, diabetes and... Read more
 

Radcliffe awarded inaugural Yale Publishing Course scholarship

Potton & Burton managing director Emma Radcliffe has been awarded the inaugural W E and M L Forde Publishing Scholarship to the Yale Publishing Course,... Read more
 

Bertelsmann seeking private equity partner to buy PRH

Bertelsmann is looking for a private equity partner to help it buy out Pearson’s stake in Penguin Random House (PRH), three sources have told Reuters.... Read more
 

Poet McMillan wins ‘Guardian’ First Book Award x

In the UK, Andrew McMillan has won the 2015 Guardian First Book Award for his collection of poetry Physical (Jonathan Cape). McMillan’s book, which focuses... Read more
 

Irish Book Awards 2015 winners announced

The 10th annual Irish Book Awards were celebrated in Dublin on 25 November, with Anne Enright taking out Novel of the Year for The Green... Read more
 

Survey finds low ebook take-up among Japanese readers

A new poll on reading preferences in Japan has found 94% of readers prefer paper books over ebooks, reports the Bookseller. The Cross Marketing poll... Read more
 

‘The Bookseller’ identifies UK publishing’s ‘movers and shakers’

The Bookseller has released its seventh annual list of ‘movers and shakers’ in the UK book trade, noting a ‘marked generational shift’ towards ‘book trade... Read more
 

UK publisher insolvencies on the rise

UK publisher insolvencies have risen 58% over the past year, according to research from accountancy firm Moore Stephens reported in the Independent. In the 2014-15... Read more
 

Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 winners announced

The winners of the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Books of 2015 have been announced. The winners include: Go Set a Watchman (Harper Lee, William Heinemann)... Read more
 

Morrissey wins 2015 Bad S-x in Fiction Award

English singer and writer Morrissey has won the 2015 Bad Sex in Fiction Award for his debut novel List of the Lost (Penguin). Morrissey’s novel... Read more
 

Rights round-up x

Nonfiction—Exisle has sold Polish rights to Younger Skin in 28 Days (Karen Fischer); Japanese rights to The Happiness Trap; and Italian rights to Mindfulness for... Read more
 

Bestsellers this week x

Guinness World Records 2016 (Guinness World Records) has climbed to second spot on the top 10 bestsellers chart this week, sitting behind Old School: Diary of... Read more
 

Leanne Hall’s ‘Iris and the Tiger’ x

‘Twelve-year-old Iris Chen-Taylor is on a mission from her parents: she’s been sent to visit her Great Aunt Ursula in Spain to discover who will... Read more
 

Quote of the week

‘The PIRs should finally be abolished, buried and cremated so they don’t rise like zombies in a quite different future’former Wiley MD Peter Donoughue argues for the repeal of parallel importation restrictions on books in Australia. For a different perspective, read the responses from Black Inc.’s Sophy Williams and Hachette Australia’s Justin Ractliffe and Louise Sherwin-Stark on the issue here

 

Curry, Ferguson appointed to Copyright Agency board

Ventura Press publisher Jane Curry and journalist Adele Ferguson have been appointed to the Copyright Agency’s board. Curry and Ferguson replace Eleanor Curtain and Malcolm Knox... Read more
 

ACT libraries to trial anti-cyberbullying program

Libraries ACT is trialling a six-month pilot program to tackle cyberbullying and improve online safety for young people. The eSafe spaces pilot program is offered... Read more
 

International library news x

US study finds low levels of digital borrowing In the US, a new report from the Book Industry Study Group and the American Library Association... Read more
 

Black Inc. and Hachette: how the removal of PIR will affect our business

The federal government’s recent announcement that it plans to remove parallel importation restrictions (PIRs) on books has been heavily criticised by the publishing industry. Books+Publishing... Read more
 

Rogers appointed ASA executive director x

Juliet Rogers has been appointed executive director of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) from January 2016. Rogers replaces Angelo Loukkakis in the role. (See news).
 

Arthur joins HarperCollins x

Jaki Arthur has been appointed head of marketing communications at HarperCollins General Books. (See news.)
 

Black joins the Wheeler Centre x

Former Crikey editor Sophie Black has joined the Wheeler Centre as head of programming while Emily Sexton is on maternity leave. (See news.)
 

Kobayashi joins MWF x

Hiroki Kobayashi has been appointed multicultural program officer at the Melbourne Writers Festival.
 

Publishers required for 15-minute Macquarie Uni survey; chance to win $2000

Publishers who are current and former members of the Australian Publishers Association and the Small Press Network are encouraged to take part in Macquarie University’s... Read more

HEDS closed 4 December afternoon x

Harper Entertainment Distribution Services [HEDS] will be closed on the afternoon of Friday 4 December. All orders received up to and including Thursday 3 December will be processed and despatched on the morning of Friday 4 December. All orders received during Friday 4 December will be despatched on Monday 7 December, which is in accordance with our normal despatch timetable. For price and availability of titles, please visit www.harperhq.com.au – www.harperhq.co.nz or www.titlepage.com.au.

 

Sourcebook acquire rights to ‘1-2-3 Magic’ by Thomas Phelan PhD x

NewSouth Books will be distributing the bestselling parenting series of books by Thomas Phelan PhD from 1st January 2016. A new edition of 1-2-3 Magic, Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 (9781492629887) will be available in April with the backlist of existing editions available from mid-January. A full list of titles can be found on the NewSouth website.

 

HarperCollins General Books announces the appointment of Jaki Arthur as Head of Marketing Communications x

HarperCollins General Books is pleased to announce the appointment of Jaki Arthur to the newly created role of Head of Marketing Communications—HarperCollins General Books.

This is an important new role in the General Books division which encompasses local and international fiction and non-fiction as well as our agency businesses.  Jaki will work closely with Publishing Director Shona Martyn in developing a strategic vision for this important list and with the Campaign Managers and Publicity team to execute world-class marketing and publicity campaigns. The General Books MarComms team will report in to Jaki.

HarperCollins General Books Publishing Director Shona Martyn says: ‘I am thrilled that Jaki is bringing her energy, experience and creativity to HarperCollins. Jaki has worked closely with us recently managing major publicity projects such as the David Walliams tour and was also an impressive contributor to our recent author workshops in Sydney and Melbourne. I am looking forward to her being part of our team.’

Jaki Arthur says: ‘I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the HarperCollins General Books team and their wonderful stable of authors and books. I really couldn’t be happier. I have the chance to do what I love with a team I respect and admire.’

Jaki will start in her new role in late January.

 

HarperCollins congratulates Ross Coulthart, Darleen Bungey and Judith Rossell, shortlisted for 2015 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards x

We are delighted to congratulate Ross Coulthart, Darleen Bungey and Judith Rossell, whose books have been shortlisted for the 2015 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.

Ross Coulthart’s Charles Bean, a timely biography of the iconic Australian war correspondent, is shortlisted in the Australian History category. It has just been released in B format (ISBN 9780732297886 rrp $22.99). Darleen Bungey’s landmark biography John Olsen is shortlisted in the Nonfiction category and was also shortlisted for The Nib Literary Award 2015 (ISBN 9780733331138 rrp $59.99). Judith Rossell’s Withering-By-Sea is shortlisted in the Children’s Fiction category (ISBN 9780733333002 rrp $19.99). Withering-By-Sea was awarded the Children’s and YA Indie Award and was also shortlisted for the CBCA awards, ABIAs and Aurealis Awards.

 

Hardie Grant Egmont congratulates Melbourne author Calanthe Black on winning the 2015 Ampersand Prize x

Black’s debut novel, an untitled YA sci-fi thriller, tells the story of a 15-year-old stowaway called Tam who is caught in a war between humanity and a brutal alien race of ‘crowpeople’. It will publish in September 2016.

 

HarperCollins is proud to announce that Colleen McCullough’s first novel ‘Tim’ is being republished after decades out of print x

Shona Martyn, Publishing Director says: ‘All of us at HarperCollins were proud of our long association with Colleen McCullough and deeply saddened by her death earlier this year. She was one of the best storytellers Australia has produced – and The Thornbirds made her our first international bestseller. The opportunity to put Tim back into print is hugely exciting; many people remember only the movie starring Mel Gibson. This book has stood the test of time and the new edition introduces it to a brand new readership.’

Colleen’s original publisher at Angus & Robertson, Richard Walsh recalls: ‘Years before anyone had heard of The Thorn Birds, I was excited to be publishing Colleen McCullough’s first novel, Tim. She seemed like a young author who might go far.’

Tim was first published in 1974 and will now be available in print (ISBN: 9781460751497; rrp: $24.99) and ebook.

 

Timmy Failure wows Australian middle grade readers with meteoric rise onto the best-seller list x

Timmy Failure, CEO of Total Failure Inc., has won the hearts and minds of readers across Australia. Created by award-winning cartoonist Stephan Pastis, the series has sold over 100,000 books in Australia since February 2014. Over four installments to date, Timmy and his 1500 pound polar bear sidekick Total have cemented themselves as firm favourites for readers aged 9+. For more information, click here.

 

Constable & Robinson and Black Dog & Leventhal distribution move to Alliance Distribution Services x

Hachette Australia announces that from 1 January 2016 distribution of titles for Constable & Robinson and Black Dog & Leventhal will move to Alliance Distribution Services (ADS) from United Book Distributors (UBD).

Hachette Australia would like to thank all the Allen & Unwin, Murdoch Books and UBD staff for the excellent service provided to Constable & Robinson and Black Dog & Leventhal and the relationships built over the years.

Orders: All orders should be placed with UBD until 29 December 2015 after which orders should go to ADS. EDI order feeds will automatically be switched to ADS on 31 December 2015.

Dues: All outstanding dues will be transferred to ADS by 13 January 2016.

Credit Control: Customers should make payments for accounts due to the originating distributor.

Returns: Authorised returns relating to orders placed prior to 1 January 2016 should be sent to UBD. The cut off date for returns being sent to UBD is 31 March 2016

Please address any queries to:

Hachette Australia
Level 17/207 Kent Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Telephone: (02) 8248 0800
Fax: (02) 8248 0810
Email: orders@hachette.com.au
Web: www.hachette.com.au

ADS
9, Pioneer Avenue
TUGGERAH NSW 2259
Telephone: (02) 4390 1300
Fax: (02) 4390 1333
Email: adscs@alliancedist.com.au

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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