Books+Publishing Weekly Book Newsletter
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29 November 2023

Aotearoa publishers receive audiobook funding x

The successful recipients of the first round of funding in the Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage audio publishing seed program in Aotearoa New... Read more
 
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UQP acquires Caldwell nonfiction on sexual empowerment x

University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired ANZ rights to Slutdom by Hilary Caldwell via Tom Gilliatt at Left Bank Literary. Described by UQP as ‘a... Read more
 

An author photograph of Isabella G Mead

 

UWAP acquires Mead poetry collection x

UWAP has acquired world rights to The Infant Vine, a debut poetry collection from Isabella G Mead. The Infant Vine is described by the publisher... Read more
 
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MacInnes wins 2023 Blackwell's Book of the Year

In the UK, In Ascension (Martin MacInnes, Atlantic) has been chosen by booksellers as Blackwell’s Book of the Year 2023, reports the Bookseller. The science fiction... Read more
 

Lynch wins Booker, Arnott wins Voss, Loewenstein wins Walkley x

Earlier this week, Paul Lynch was announced as the winner of the 2023 Booker Prize for Prophet Song (Oneworld); Bloomsbury Australia said that reprinted stock will be available from this Friday. BookPeople also announced its 2024 conference dates this week, as well as the Victoria and New South Wales reps of the year. Meanwhile, Collins has opened a new bookstore in Port Macquarie.

In local awards news, Robbie Arnott won the 2023 Voss Prize for Limberlost (Text), Antony Loewenstein won the 2023 Walkley Book Award for The Palestine Laboratory (Scribe), Fourth Wing (Rebecca Yarros, Hachette Australia) was named the 2023 Dymocks Book of the Year, and Against Disappearance: Essays on memory (ed by Leah Jing Mcintosh & Adolfo Aranjuez, Liminal & Pantera) was awarded the Small Press Network 2023 Book of the Year. This week, the winners of the Woollahra Digital Literary Awards were also announced, alongside the Scarlet Stiletto Award winners, the Best Australian Yarn national short story competition winner, and the recipients of the 2024 Arts NT & Varuna Fellowships.

In the UK, Julia Armfield and Jon Ransom won the 2023 Polari Prizes for Our Wives Under the Sea (Picador) and The Whale Tattoo (Muswell Press) respectively, while Ed Yong won the 2023 Royal Society Science Book Prize for An Immense World: How animal senses reveal the hidden realms around us (Vintage).

 
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Reading into the year ahead: 2024 fiction and poetry preview x

Debuts, historical fiction, crime and thrillers, contemporary fiction, romance and fantasy, literary fiction and shorter works—Australian publishers share their top picks in fiction and poetry... Read more
 

 

Independent Publishing Conference 2023: Conversations and communities x

The Small Press Network (SPN) annual Independent Publishing Conference (IPC) was held from 23 to 25 November at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne, on Wurundjeri Country,... Read more
 

Cover image for Did I Ever Tell You This? by Sam Neill

 

Five key insights from Nielsen BookScan’s SPN market report x

Claire West and Olivia Johansson from Nielsen BookScan opened the Small Press Network’s Independent Publishing Conference industry day on Friday, 24 November, sharing key insights... Read more
 

 

Sharlene Allsopp on 'The Great Undoing' x

Sharlene Allsopp’s debut novel, The Great Undoing (Ultimo, February 2024), ‘is a remarkable book that reaches back into the early 20th century and forwards into... Read more
 

 

Sharlene Allsopp recommends

Burn by Melanie Saward. My favourite writers grip my heart with the reality of grief and loss, but leave me with hope and beauty at... Read more
 

 

ILF workshops create books, explore digital storytelling x

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is well known as the facilitator of the fundraising initiative Indigenous Literacy Day, and for developing books in First Nations languages,... Read more
 

 

Rights round-up x

Sales Fiction Bold Type Agency reports that Vincent and Sien (Silvia Kwon) has been licensed in Lithuania and the Czech Republic; Fire with Fire (Candice Fox)... Read more
 

 

Iron Flame holds on to top spot x

Top 10 bestsellers Iron Flame (Rebecca Yarros, Hachette) The Secret (Lee & Andrew Child, Bantam) Fourth Wing (Rebecca Yarros, Hachette) No Brainer (Diary of a... Read more
 

 

Gawimarra: Gathering (Jeanine Leane, UQP) x

In Gawimarra: Gathering, Wiradjuri poet and educator Jeanine Leane expresses her Country with poetry that overflows with celebrations of culture and acts of Blak resistance.... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

The Great Undoing (Sharlene Allsopp, Ultimo) x

Imagine a completely digital future, with people connected via nanotechnology, attaining ultimate convenience at the price of absolute surveillance—good for people who like where they... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

Kintsugi (Marie O'Rourke, Fremantle) x

Marie O’Rourke’s book of memoir essays, Kintsugi, shortlisted for the 2022 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, takes its title from the Japanese art of repairing... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

A Thousand Wasted Sundays (Victoria Vanstone, Pantera) x

Since quitting alcohol in 2018, Queensland-based writer Victoria Vanstone has been sharing sobriety advice as a blogger and as co-host of the Sober Awkward podcast.... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

We All Lived in Bondi Then (Georgia Blain, Scribe) x

We All Lived in Bondi Then is the last publication of new work by Georgia Blain. This collection comprises nine previously unpublished stories written between... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

Andromache Between Worlds (Gabriel Bergmoser, HarperCollins) x

Andromache Between Worlds is the middle-grade fiction debut from prolific adult and young adult writer Gabriel Bergmoser. Andromache is the 14-year-old daughter of two celebrity... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

The Beehive (Megan Daley, illus Max Hamilton, Walker) x

The Beehive is a new informational picture book by teacher-librarian and author Megan Daley and CBCA-shortlisted illustrator Max Hamilton. The two have combined their talents... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

Birdy (Sharon Kernot, Text) x

In Birdy, a compelling YA verse novel by CBCA award-winning author Sharon Kernot (The Art of Taxidermy), we meet Maddy, who began experiencing selective mutism... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

Nova’s Missing Masterpiece (Brooke Graham, illus Robin Tatlow-Lord, EK Books) x

It’s Nova’s dad’s birthday, and she has made him a special masterpiece drawing as his present. It’s nearly time for the party, but she can’t... Read more

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

Read the latest Publishers Weekly x

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
 

Holt appointed IPEd chair x

The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has appointed Stephanie Holt chair of the IPEd board. Holt replaces Ruth Davies, who was appointed in May 2020... Read more
 

Ryan joins Affirm x

Affirm Press has appointed Ariane Ryan to the role of publicist. Ryan was most recently publicist at Text Publishing, following working as sales coordinator at... Read more
 

Zilla & Brook Publicity secures major coverage for Little Bont’s Brave Play

Boutique arts and culture publicists, Zilla & Brook entered the world of book publicity recently in several exciting ways. Firstly, senior publicist Sallie Butler joined the team. A seasoned arts and media professional with previous roles at Black Inc. Books, the Wheeler Centre and Hardie Grant Books, Sallie took the reins when Affirm Press approached Zilla & Brook to manage the publicity campaign for Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli’s second children’s book, Little Bont’s Brave Play. Written with Fiona Harris and illustrated by Megan Higgins, the book tells a light-hearted story about courage, family and of course, a little bit of footy.

Zilla & Brook secured Marcus interviews on ABC News Breakfast, Channel 7’s Sunrise, 3AW, ABC Radio National, ABC Melbourne Mornings with Raf Epstein, KIIS FM’s Jase & Lauren Show, SEN Breakfast, Triple M’s Marty Sheargold Show, and Australia’s leading parenting and lifestyle site, Kidspot, during three days of press.

Zilla & Brook’s clients include festivals, events, film, music and the arts such as Midsumma, Darebin Arts Speakeasy, Linden New Art, Art Gallery Ballarat, St Kilda Festival, St Kilda Film Festival, Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF), Indian Film Festival (IFFM), National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA), Circus Oz, Melbourne Holocaust Museum, Open House Melbourne, Abbotsford Convent and more.

Martin Hughes, Affirm Press’ CEO and Publishing Director said “Z&B looked after the publicity campaign for Little Bont’s Brave Play and it was a specky! Great coverage and everyone was happy.”

If publishers need freelance publicists for upcoming campaigns, please think of Zilla & Brook and get in touch.

www.zillaandbrook.com.au

 

Bloomsbury Australia congratulates Paul Lynch, winner of the 2023 Booker Prize

Bloomsbury Australia is delighted to congratulate Paul Lynch and Oneworld Publications on winning the 2023 Booker Prize for Prophet Song.

Reprinted stock of Prophet Song (9780861546862) will be available from United Book Distributors on Friday, 1 December.

 

Clan Destine Press to distribute Vanda Symon in Australia

Clan Destine Press is now the Australian distributor of the Sam Shephard series (Orenda Books UK) by Kiwi crime writer, Vanda Symon. Five titles available now are: Overkill, The Ringmaster, Containment, Bound, and Expectant.

 

Submissions open: The Age Book of the Year Awards

The Age Book of the Year Awards are open for entries. The award categories are fiction and nonfiction, and books must be published between 1 March 2023 and 31 December 2023. Publishers are allowed to enter a maximum of three titles per category. Self-published titles will not be considered. Entries must be received by 19 January 2024.

Please send entries promptly to: Jason Steger, The Age, 717 Bourke Street, Docklands, Victoria 3008.

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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