S&S acquires Holmes debut
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired global rights for Australian journalist Tracey Holmes’s debut book, Not A Female Sports Reporter. The first woman to present ABC sports program Grandstand,...
HarperCollins acquires four Peter Cheong graphic novels
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
HarperCollins Children’s Publishing has acquired world rights via auction to four graphic novels by author and illustrator Peter Cheong in a deal brokered by Paige Terlip at Andrea Brown Literary...
CBCA 2025 shortlists announced
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its shortlist for the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. The shortlisted books in each category, selected from the 2025...
A&U acquires new Delaney nonfiction
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to The Seeker and the Sage by Brigid Delaney in a deal brokered by Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown. ‘Whereas Reasons Not...
ABIA 2025 shortlists announced
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Books+Publishing, in partnership with the Australian Publishers Association, has announced the 2025 shortlists for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs). The shortlisted titles in each category are: Audiobook of the...
Macmillan signs Blabey in seven-book deal
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Macmillan has acquired rights to seven new titles from internationally bestselling author Aaron Blabey. The deal, worth eight figures, encompasses seven titles in two new middle-grade series, to be published...
Larrikin House acquires Mather picture book
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Larrikin House has acquired world rights to Otto's INKcredible First Day of School by Rory H Mather, with illustrations by Rebel Challenger. The story follows Otto, an octopus who sprays...
MidnightSun acquires Burge sequel ‘Dirt Trap’
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
MidnightSun has acquired world rights to Dirt Trap by Michael Burge. A sequel to Burge’s rural noir debut, Tank Water, Dirt Trap is set two decades on from the events...
Beer’s ‘Thunderhead’ optioned for film
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Thunderhead (Sophie Beer, A&U) has been optioned by LateNite films, in a film and television deal negotiated by Annabel Barker Agency. Beer’s first middle-grade novel, Thunderhead draws on the author’s own...
A&U acquires Wallace debut novel ‘Ash’
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world English (ex NZ) rights to debut novel Ash by Louise Wallace, in a deal brokered by Martin Shaw at Shaw Literary. North American...
Bundyi acquires two Morison novels
Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Simon & Schuster imprint Bundyi Publishing has acquired world rights to two novels by Judi Morison. Morison’s debut, Secrets, ‘touches on many of the issues we are still grappling with...
S&S acquires new Matthews fiction
Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to The House on Tinker Street by Amy Matthews in a two-book, six-figure deal via Sarah Younger at Nancy Yost Literary...
S&S acquires Reid memoir
Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired ANZ rights to Destination Moon, a memoir by former Formula One aerodynamicist and Lune Croissanterie founder Kate Reid, via Tara Wynne at Curtis...
Australia Reads announces LitUp
Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Australia Reads has announced LitUp, a new live literature initiative for author events. The program will offer funding and support for 20 communities to host live literature events with writers...
UWA Publishing announces Spiers Prize
Wednesday, 12 March 2025
UWA Publishing has announced the establishment of a new national children’s fiction manuscript prize in honour of Australian primary school teacher and philanthropist Gail Spiers. Announced to coincide with UWA...
Transit Lounge acquires Fyfe novel
Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to The Cross Thieves by Alan Fyfe. The Perth-based author’s second novel is ‘tough, poetic and truly beautiful’, said publisher Barry Scott. ‘It is the...
Black Inc. asks authors to sign opt-in AI contract addendum
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
Black Inc. has sent an addendum to existing contracts, seeking consent from authors for their work to be used to train artificial intelligence, reports the Guardian in an article published...
PRH acquires Laguna novel
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) Australia has acquired ANZ rights to The Underworld by Sofie Laguna; PRH publisher Meredith Curnow acquired the rights from Grace Heifetz at A4 Literary. PRH described...
‘Amma’ longlisted for 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
In the UK, Sri Lankan Pākehā writer Saraid de Silva’s novel Amma has been longlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Published in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand by...
Kat Muscat Fellowship 2025 shortlist announced; final year in current structure
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
Express Media and the Kat Muscat Fellowship Committee have announced the shortlist for the 2025 Kat Muscat Fellowship. The shortlistees are: Liana Black Adalya Nash Hussein Cat Williams. The Kat...
Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2025 finalists announced
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
The finalists for the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category, chosen from longlists announced in January, are: Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize...
Victorian Community History Awards shortlist announced
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
The shortlist for this year‘s Victorian Community History Awards has been announced. A total of 39 publications and projects were shortlisted for 10 prizes ranging from $500 to $2000 each,...
Stella Prize 2025 longlist announced
Tuesday, 4 March 2025
The longlist for the $60,000 Stella Prize for women and non-binary writers has been announced. The longlisted books are: A Language of Limbs (Dylin Hardcastle, Picador) Always Will Be (Mykaela...
Open Book program expands in 2025
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
In 2025, the Open Book Internship Program will host four paid internships, including one dedicated Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identified role. Initially run as a pilot project with two...
Atria acquires Thompson horror-romance debut
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Atria Books Australia, the new imprint from Simon & Schuster (S&S), has acquired world English rights for How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson in a...
CBCA 2025 Notable Books announced
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its list of Notable Books for 2025. The list acts as the longlist for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards....
Ricketson named ABR Rising Star
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Australian Book Review (ABR) has named Jonathan Ricketson its Rising Star for 2025. Ricketson is currently undertaking a PhD at Monash University on true crime writing and its ethical and...
A&U acquires Petraitis novel
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to The Stolen, a crime novel by Vikki Petraitis, via Andrew Taylor of More Talent. The Stolen features the detective Antigone Pollard,...
Hachette acquires two crime novels from Papathanasiou
Wednesday, 19 February 2025
MacLehose Press, an imprint of Hachette imprint Quercus, has acquired world rights to two new crime novels by Peter Papathanasiou in a deal brokered by Martin Shaw at Shaw Literary....
Summit Books acquires new Lee fiction
Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Simon & Schuster (S&S) imprint Summit Books has acquired ANZ rights to Bri Lee’s second novel, Seed, from agent Grace Heifetz at a4 Literary. The novel introduces Mitchell and Frances,...
