Union action at bookshops, Pilkington departs Hachette

A majority of staff at the Readings bookselling chain have voted to negotiate an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, while in Sydney, union members at Better Read Than Dead are undertaking a ballot to determine whether they will strike.

Hachette Australia has announced that sales director Daniel Pilkington is leaving the company after more than 10 years in various roles. Byron Writers Festival has revealed the full program for its 2021 event, which runs from 6–8 August, while poet, writer and critic Sarah Holland-Batt has been awarded the University of Sydney’s $100,000 Judy Harris Fellowship.

The winners of this year’s ABDAs have been revealed, as have the winners of IPEd’s Rosie award and the CBCA’s Nan Chauncy Award, while the longlist for the Colin Roderick Award and the latest recipients of the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund were announced earlier this week. Three Australians were shortlisted for the international Desperate Literature Prize, while also overseas, Ali Smith and Joshua Yaffa won this year’s Orwell Prizes.

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Category: This week’s news