Books+Publishing has collated company closing dates for the Christmas and New Year holiday period (see table below). The Books+Publishing office will close on Wednesday, 14... Read more

The 11th annual Small Press Network (SPN) Independent Publishing Conference was held last week, 24–26 November, in a hybrid event taking place at Melbourne’s Wheeler... Read more

Berkelouw Books will open a new Harry Hartog-branded store in Penrith in April 2023. The 750sqm Harry Hartog Penrith store will be located at 384... Read more

University of Queensland Press (UQP) marketing and publicity manager Louise Cornegé has been appointed marketing and campaigns manager at the Conversation and will leave UQP on... Read more

Affirm Press has announced the appointment of Jane Hunterland as the publisher’s Queensland account manager. Hunterland, who comes to the role with 12 years’ experience... Read more

Ultimo Press has acquired ANZ and UK rights to two new novels by Katherine Brabon, in a deal via Clare Forster at Curtis Brown. In... Read more

In the UK, Henry Gee has won the 2022 Royal Society Science Book Prize for A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 billion... Read more

Author and poet Antigone Kefala has won the 2022 Patrick White Literary Award, worth $15,000; Booktopia founder and former CEO Tony Nash has been re-elected to the company’s board; and the findings from the 2022 National Survey of Australian Book Authors have been released.

In other awards news, Tessa Piper wins the 2022 SBS Emerging Writers Competition for her story ‘The Usual’, Eleanor Jackson has won this year’s Small Press Network Book of the Year Award, Sar Fegan’s ‘A Fiery Light’ has won the Catalyse Nonfiction Prize, and Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons in Chemistry (Doubleday) was named Dymocks Book of the Year. Also in awards news, the NSW government has announced a new category, the $10,000 Anzac Memorial Trustees Military History Prize, in the NSW Premier’s History Awards; and Australian Book Review editor Peter Rose has raised concerns about the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, including the make-up of the judging panel.

In the UK, a Publishers Association survey has found BookTok is helping young readers discover their passion for reading. Meanwhile in the US, a class action lawsuit accusing Amazon and the Big Five publishers of fixing ebook prices has been re-filed.

Macquarie researchers Jan Zwar, Paul Crosby and David Throsby have released the findings of the team’s National Survey of Australian Book Authors, following on from... Read more

Known for her accessible reporting on complicated issues, journalist and presenter Elfy Scott investigates complex mental health conditions in her debut book The One Thing... Read more

Gina Rushton’s The Most Important Job in the World (Macmillan) is a remarkable book (and I’m not just saying this because she was one of... Read more

Sales Fiction Zeitgeist Agency has sold rights to The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding to five territories: France (Fayard), UK (Legend Press), Romania (Humanitas), Finland... Read more

Top 10 bestsellers Barefoot Kids (Scott Pape, HarperCollins) It Starts with Us (Colleen Hoover, S&S) No Plan B (Lee Child & Andrew Child, Bantam) RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (Nagi... Read more

Kira McPherson’s debut novel Higher Education portrays the turbulence of early adult life. Twenty-year-old student Sam is juggling a lacklustre university degree and family tensions.... Read more

In the lush, comforting Dandenongs, east of Melbourne, primary school teacher Lenny Marks is living a very organised life. She rides her bike to work,... Read more

In an era when psychologists’ waiting lists are months long, navigating mental health can be overwhelming. The New Rulebook by psychologist Chris Cheers is a... Read more

In The One Thing We’ve Never Spoken About, Sydney-based journalist and podcast presenter Elfy Scott uses her talent for explaining complicated issues in accessible ways... Read more

Known for his feature journalism as well as his acclaimed memoir of teenage struggle, Fourteen, Shannon Molloy has turned his keen eye to a more... Read more

Award-winning Tanya McCartney’s Dorrie is a personable, narrative-style biography of author Dorothy Wall and how she came to write the Blinky Bill stories. It’s filled... Read more

A verse novel taking place as Coronavirus takes a grip on Melbourne, Karen Comer’s debut Grace Notes is a lyrical exploration of how two teenagers... Read more

Australian publisher and author Margaret Hamilton has died, aged 81. Brian Cook of The Authors’ Agent, Hamilton’s friend and a former publisher, writes: ‘It is... Read more

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

Jordan Meek will be stepping down from her role as senior rights executive at Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) to join CSIRO Publishing as the... Read more

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival has appointed former Melbourne Writers Festival associate director Gene Smith as its inaugural head of programming, to work alongside festival... Read more

Congratulations to Jessica Irvine, winner of the 2022 Book of the Year at the Australian Business Book Awards.

The overall standard of books this year was amazing, and we thank everyone who entered and congratulate all the category finalists and winners. Also a big shout out to all our judges, who did an incredible job.

Thanks to our sponsors—with their help we have raised $12,000 for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation this year.

For a full list of finalists and winners visit: https://www.businessbookawards.com.au/2022-winners

On the same day every year, everyone around Tommy Llewellyn forgets he exists, and he grows up enduring his own universal Reset. That is until something extraordinary happens: Tommy Llewellyn falls in love . . . Unforgettable, brilliant, moving, and hopeful. Allen & Unwin is excited to publish How to be Remembered in March 2023 by talented new author and hit podcaster Michael Thompson. Brimming with ideas with a strong feel for the zeitgeist, his first novel is a heartwarming, poignant and ultimately inspiring novel about the important things in life. Advance reading copies now available.

Learn more: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Michael-Thompson-9781761067518/

UQP marketing and publicity manager Louise Cornegé has announced she will be leaving her position on 15 December.

Cornegé was appointed in 2019 and subsequently helped position UQP as a leading independent Australian publisher, bringing new vision to the marketing and publicity function and playing a key role in increasing the visibility of UQP titles.

‘Lou has had a significant impact on UQP’s success during the last three years,’ said UQP director Ben James. ‘Her passion, creativity and leadership has enabled our authors to reach new readers across Australia and helped to retain and attract new writers. She has notably increased our media exposure and produced innovative campaigns that have driven sales success. We wish Lou the very best for an exciting future.’

Louise is moving to The Conversation as marketing and campaigns manager.

UQP will advertise the vacancy soon.

Publicist Holly Hendry-Saunders has joined Australian Book Review in a freelance capacity.

Please contact her directly for all ABR-related media enquiries: publicity@australianbookreview.com.au

Are you having trouble finding enough staff to keep your project workflows operating smoothly? Amanda Greenslade is available to typeset and proofread your books.

A graphic designer since 2004 and a professional editor since 2008, Amanda has helped writers and publishers to launch over 600 titles.