NT Literary Awards 2015 finalists announced
The Northern Territory Library has announced the finalists for the Northern Territory (NT) Literary Awards.The 2015 finalists are:Short stories ‘Stranger in Paradise’ (Barbara Eather) ‘It’s a Privilege to Live in...
‘Radar Gunner’ wins Chief Minister’s NT History Book Award
Dick Dakeyne’s self-published book Radar Gunner has won the 2015 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award.Radar Gunner tells of Dakeyne’s experience as a member of the Royal Australian Air...
Quote of the week
‘We couldn’t believe the overwhelming feedback we had from Perth readers when we were closing. Even with the doors shut last week, the amount of people trying to get in...
Rights round-up
SalesFiction—MidnightSun has sold US rights to An Ordinary Epidemic (Amanda Hickie) to Little, Brown. Nonfiction—Exisle has sold Korean rights to What Makes You Happy (Fiona Robards); and Slovakian rights to...
Ngaio Marsh Award 2015 shortlist announced
Five books have been shortlisted for the 2015 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel by a New Zealand writer. The shortlisted titles are: Five Minutes Alone (Paul Cleave, Penguin...
New Zealand Book Awards announces prize changes
The New Zealand Book Awards will return in 2016 with a new structure, judging process and an annual NZ$50,000 (A$44,595) prize for fiction, with the winners to be announced at...
National Biography Award 2015 shortlist announced
The State Library of NSW has announced the shortlist for the 2015 National Biography Award for biographical writing and memoir.The shortlisted titles are: An Unsentimental Bloke: The Life and Work of...
Henderson joins Affirm Press
Affirm Press has appointed Fiona Henderson as its new publisher following the departure of Aviva Tuffield.Henderson has worked in publishing for more than 20 years, including senior roles at Random...
Bestsellers this week
E L James’ Grey (Arrow) has enjoyed a second week at number one on the overall bestsellers chart, while Johanna Basford’s two colouring books Enchanted Forest and Secret Garden (Laurence King...
Draft guidelines released for National Program for Excellence in the Arts; Arts Minister to approve all funding
The Ministry for the Arts has released the draft guidelines for the National Program for Excellence in the Arts, which indicates that all funding proposals will need to be approved...
Speech Pathology Australia book awards 2015 shortlists announced
The titles shortlisted for this year’s Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards have been announced.The shortlisted titles in each category are:Three to five years Bridie’s Boots (Phil Cummings...
Mad Hatters Bookshop opens in Brisbane
The Mad Hatters Bookshop has opened in the Brisbane bayside suburb of Manly. The new store is run by Anne-Marie Finn and Kaylene Hobson, who purchased TLC Books from Tanya Cauce in...
RiP Michael Zifcak
Michael Zifcak, former chairman of Collins Booksellers and Hill of Content Publishing, has died, aged 96.Zifcak was the chairman of Collins Booksellers and its publishing division Hill of Content, which he...
Robotham shortlisted for CWA Gold Dagger
Life or Death by Australian author Michael Robotham (Sphere) has been shortlisted for the 2015 Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Gold Dagger award for best crime novel in the UK.Life or...
2015 Gourmand Awards for cookbooks and wine and drink books announced
The 2015 Gourmand Awards for the ‘Best in the World’ cookbooks and wine and drink books have been announced.Five Australian titles came in first place in their respective categories:Best Authors...
Rights round-up
SalesFiction—A&U has sold US and UK & Commonwealth (ex ANZ) rights to To Name Those Lost (Rohan Wilson) to Europa Editions US and UK, respectively; Norwegian and Swedish rights to...
Quote of the week
‘While total NZ-published sales increased, NZ Fiction decreased by just over 50% in both volume and value—no titles have replaced the impact that The Luminaries had on NZ Fiction sales’—Nielsen...
Editia wins Walkley Grant for Innovation in Journalism
Digital-first publisher Editia has won a $5000 Walkley Grant for Innovation in Journalism. The grants offer seed funding for innovative projects that will benefit Australian journalism, with funding from Google Australia and...
Bestsellers this week
Following reports of its record-breaking sales overseas, E L James’ Grey (Arrow), a retelling of Fifty Shades of Grey (Arrow) from the character Christian Grey’s perspective, has debuted at number...
Cohen wins inaugural Russell Prize for Humour Writing
Bernard Cohen’s The Antibiography of Robert F Menzies (HarperCollins) has won the inaugural Russell Prize for Humour Writing. The book was chosen for the $10,000 biennial prize from a shortlist...