QBD has unrolled three Australian Geographic kiosks within its stores at Carindale, Chermside and Joondalup as part of its retail partnership with the Australian Geographic... Read more

The Australian Publishers Association (APA) and Australia Reads are hosting a free online roadshow showcasing upcoming releases from independent publishers today, Wednesday, 16 September. The... Read more

In the UK, Australian writer Jacob P Avila has won the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize for Best Unpublished Manuscript for his self-published novel Cave... Read more

Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has acquired ANZ rights to YA novel Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden. The novel’s teenage protagonist Luca Mason has... Read more

The shortlist for the 2020 Booker Prize has been announced. The six books shortlisted for the £50,000 (A$90,000) prize are: The New Wilderness (Diane Cook, Oneworld)... Read more

Hardie Grant has announced the launch of Ultimo Press, a new Sydney-based publishing house to be led by former HarperCollins ANZ CEO James Kellow.

In Victoria, the state government has revealed a $3 billion package to support small businesses affected by the Covid-19 lockdown. This year’s Ubud Writers and Readers Festival will combine with the Ubud Food Festival to create Kembali 2020, a festival that will run mostly online, and PRH has been named ‘master publishing partner’ for Bluey books ahead of the series’ US and UK launches.

In awards news, the winners of the NT Literary Awards, Environment Award for Children’s Literature, SLQ Young Writers Award and the Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award have been announced. Meanwhile, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing has established a new illustration prize, while in the UK, the winners were announced for the Women’s Prize and the Wainwright Prize for nature writing.

Overseas, bookshop.org is launching in the UK, and James Daunt has outlined his plans for the Barnes & Noble chain.

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Writers Catherine Robertson and Jane Arthur will open their new bookshop Good Books in Wellington in early October. Books+Publishing spoke to the pair about venturing... Read more

Jamila Rizvi’s picture book I’m a Hero Too (illus by Peter Cheong, Puffin, November) ‘provides gentle positive reinforcement for children who feel helpless and scared’... Read more

Sales Nonfiction Murdoch Books has sold world Dutch-language rights to Probiotic Drinks at Home (Felicity Evans); world Korean-language rights to Australian Food (Bill Granger); world Korean-language... Read more

Yotam Ottolenghi’s new cookbook has debuted at number one on the Australian bestsellers chart, trailed by Dav Pilkey’s latest ‘Dog Man’ children’s graphic novel at... Read more

Philip Salom has twice been shortlisted for the Miles Franklin, and The Fifth Season will attract serious readers as a result. But this is not... Read more

Everybody needs a special friend—one they can rely on, one who’s there for them—but Anemone is lonely and finding it very difficult. The problem is... Read more

I’m a Hero Too is about a little boy named Arty who’s feeling sad and out of sorts because his parents are acting strangely. Mum... Read more

‘We’ve clearly seen books occupy more time and space with people. The figures are positive versus the same time last year so I feel like books and reading are having a moment, a really positive moment.’—James Kellow, managing director of new independent publisher Ultimo Press, on why now is the right time to be establishing a new publishing house.

Books+Publishing is partnering with US trade news magazine Publishers Weekly to provide our subscribers with exclusive access to the weekly digital edition of PW magazine.... Read more

Each year, The Stella Prize awards one author with a $50,000 prize. Entries to the 2021 Stella Prize are open until Friday October 2nd, 2020. Both nonfiction and fiction books first published in 2020 by women writers, and non-binary writers, are eligible for entry. Further information about the Stella Prize, including entry guidelines, submission deadlines and entry is available via the Stella Prize website.

We’re delighted to announce that Kate Lloyd is now Text’s marketing manager, and that Julia Kathro has joined Text as marketing coordinator. Congratulations Kate, and welcome Julia! kate.lloyd@textpublishing.com.au, julia.kathro@textpublishing.com.au

We’re also thrilled that Emily Meredith has joined Text, as publicist. Welcome Emily! emily.meredith@textpublishing.com.au

Jamila Khodja will be on maternity leave from 18 September. The Text team wishes Jamila every happiness in the coming year, and looks forward to her return in 2021.