Features | Books+Publishing

Sara Haghdoosti on ‘Sunburnt Veils’

Tuesday, 23 February 2021
Sara Haghdoosti's debut YA novel Sunburnt Veils (Wakefield, April) follows protagonist Tara as she navigates relationships, racism and political activism during her first year of university. Reviewer Mischa Parkee said...

Mothers and daughters: Jacqueline Maley on ‘The Truth About Her’

Wednesday, 17 February 2021
Jacqueline Maley's debut novel The Truth About Her (Fourth Estate, April) follows Suzy, a journalist and single parent who's blamed for the suicide of a young wellness blogger and drawn...

Meet Scholastic Australia rights manager Claire Pretyman

Wednesday, 17 February 2021
As the pandemic keeps rights sellers from meeting face-to-face, Books+Publishing is shining a regular spotlight on the work of Australian rights agents. Today, we hear from Scholastic Australia rights manager Claire Pretyman. How...

Christmas 2020 survey results

Wednesday, 17 February 2021
Over the past week, Books+Publishing has published the results from its latest annual Christmas survey of booksellers and publishers. The survey included feedback from over 60 bookshops around Australia, with...

Christmas 2020: Strong sales across all categories

Monday, 15 February 2021
Most booksellers surveyed by Books+Publishing were pleased to report that sales were spread across all sections of their shops, with this reflected in the most mentioned titles spanning a diverse range...

The state of accessible publishing in Australia

Wednesday, 10 February 2021
Last year, Sydney University's Agata Mrva-Montoya undertook research into the issues affecting the production of accessible books in Australia. Mrva-Montoya conducted surveys aimed at Australian publishers and disability organisations involved...

A year of transformation: The industry reflects on 2020

Wednesday, 3 February 2021
The challenges of 2020 affected the Australian publishing in myriad ways, from accelerating digital transformation to disrupting the book supply chain. Here, five industry figures reflect on the ways the...

March reviews round-up

Tuesday, 2 February 2021
March looks to be a strong month for nonfiction, with a couple of big-name releases receiving glowing write-ups from Books+Publishing's (B+P) reviewers. Sarah Krasnostein's follow-up to her juggernaut biography The...

Starting small: Emily Riches on Aniko Press

Thursday, 28 January 2021
Sydney-based writer and editor Emily Riches started Aniko Press—a new literary small press that includes a biannual print magazine and online book reviews—in early 2020, and has plans to begin...

Meet Pantera Press rights manager Katy McEwen

Wednesday, 20 January 2021
As the pandemic keeps rights sellers from meeting face-to-face, Books+Publishing is shining a regular spotlight on the work of Australian rights agents. Today, we hear from Pantera Press rights manager Katy McEwen. How...

February reviews round-up

Wednesday, 9 December 2020
Looking ahead to February 2021, two forthcoming crime novels, The Silent Listener (Lynn Yeowart, Viking) and The Second Son (Loraine Peck, Text), garnered glowing reviews from Books+Publishing’s crime aficionados, while...

Debut fiction you might have missed in 2020

Wednesday, 9 December 2020
For all those readers who spent this year's lockdowns catching up on classics or re-reading comforting favourites, never fear—Australia’s independent booksellers have voted for the best debut fiction of 2020...

A Christmas message to European bookshops

Wednesday, 9 December 2020
Dearest bookshops of Europe, This time last year I was sitting on the train in the dark en route to the cosiest place in London. I feel the only way...

From inertia to action: Zeitgeists, decolonisation and structural change in publishing

Wednesday, 9 December 2020
In her final column for Books+Publishing, Veronica Sullivan looks at the positive changes towards diversity and inclusion brought by 2020, and how publishers can ethically navigate the demand for representation...

Lessons from the past: Lorraine Marwood on ‘Footprints on the Moon’

Wednesday, 2 December 2020
Lorraine Marwood's middle-grade verse novel Footprints on the Moon (UQP, February) follows Sharnie as she navigates beginning high school during the tumult of Australian society in 1969. Reviewer Erin Wamala...

Publishing’s meritocracy myth

Wednesday, 2 December 2020
This year’s Beatrice Davis Fellow Radhiah Chowdhury spoke to a range of BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) publishing professionals in the UK about what one respondent identified as the...

How did picture book sales fare during lockdown?

Monday, 30 November 2020
In her final op-ed as Books+Publishing’s Junior columnist for 2020, Adele Walsh looks at how the sales of new picture books—the most tactile of reading experiences—fared during lockdown, and recommends a few...

Art work: Fiona McGregor on ‘Buried Not Dead’

Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Reviewer Cher Tan describes Fiona McGregor's essay collection Buried Not Dead (Giramondo, February), which brings together art criticism, memoir and reportage written over 25 years, as a 'lively and unpretentious' work...

A window on the world: Stephanie Smee’s career journey

Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Stephanie Smee is a Sydney-based French translator who worked as a lawyer before pivoting to literary translation. She has recently translated books including Hannelore Cayre's Dagger Award–winning crime novel The...

Book it in: 2021 children’s and YA preview

Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Alongside a slate of new books by established children’s authors, next year looks to be a year of firsts, featuring books by debut authors, established authors trying their hands at...

Meet Hachette Australia head of rights Sarah Brooks

Wednesday, 18 November 2020
As the pandemic keeps rights sellers from meeting face-to-face, Books+Publishing’s Think Australian publication is shining a regular spotlight on the work of Australian rights agents. Today, we hear from Hachette Australia...