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Creative Australia announces 2025 VIPs 

Creative Australia logo Monday, 17 February 2025
Creative Australia has announced the 12 international publishers, editors and agents participating in the 2025 Visiting International Publishers (VIPs) program. This year’s participants represent ‘a range of territories; genre specialties;...

Ocean Reeve Publishing declares bankruptcy 

the logo for ocean reeve publishing Monday, 17 February 2025
Ocean Reeve Publishing, a hybrid publisher based in Queensland and in Aotearoa New Zealand, has declared bankruptcy. In a statement, the Reeve family said, ‘websites, emails, [and] social media related...

Keeperton to publish five TL Swan books 

a portrait of TL Swan Monday, 17 February 2025
Arndell, an imprint of Keeperton, has announced it will publish worldwide print editions of The Miles High Club series by author and Keeperton founder TL Swan. The series consists of...

Tasmanian Literary Awards 2025 shortlists announced

Monday, 17 February 2025
The shortlists for the 2025 Tasmanian Literary Awards have been announced. Shortlisted titles in each category are: Premier’s Prize for Fiction ($25,000) The Angry Women’s Choir (Meg Bignell, Penguin) Heartsease...

DANZ Children’s Book Award 2025 longlists announced

Thursday, 13 February 2025
The 2025 longlists for the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) DANZ (Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) Children’s Book Award have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category...

Silcox to depart Canberra Writers Festival 

Photograph of Beejay Silcox Thursday, 13 February 2025
Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) has announced the departure of artistic director Beejay Silcox. Silcox joined CWF in 2023, following the departure of Jeanne Ryckmans in 2022, and oversaw the 2023...

HarperCollins acquires Parker historical novel 

a portrait of Alli Parker Thursday, 13 February 2025
HarperCollins Australia has acquired ANZ rights for Until the Red Leaves Fall by Alli Parker, via Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown. The novel, set in 1957 Melbourne, follows Emmy Darling,...

Bateman acquires Beatnik 

Beatnik logo Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Aotearoa New Zealand publisher David Bateman Ltd (Bateman Books) has acquired independent publisher Beatnik Publishing, effective from 1 February. In a statement, Bateman Books said Beatnik founder and publisher Sally...

Affirm acquires Johnson debut ‘King Tide’ 

Photograph of Luke Johnson Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Affirm has acquired ANZ rights to the debut crime novel King Tide by Luke Johnson, via literary agent Daniel Pilkington. Described by the publisher as a ‘beautiful, exhilarating and exquisitely...

Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize 2025 shortlist announced

a sepia portrait of Gwen Harwood Monday, 10 February 2025
The shortlist for the 2025 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize has been announced. The shortlisted poems, chosen from almost 500 entries, are: ‘Whistling Space’ by Chris Andrews ‘Finding Pan’ by Jonathan...

ASA announces new rates of pay for literary award judges 

Thursday, 6 February 2025
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has launched rates of pay for literary award judges. This new information, specifically for judges of literary awards for published books, has 'been established...

S&S acquires Morgan’s fiction debut 

Thursday, 6 February 2025
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to Rachael Morgan’s commercial women’s fiction debut, in a deal between S&S commercial fiction publisher Cassandra Di Bello and Anjanette Fennell...

UWAP announces Affirm as new sales partner 

UWAP logo Thursday, 6 February 2025
UWA Publishing (UWAP) has announced a new partnership with Affirm Press for sales representation, after 18 years with NewSouth Books. UWAP publisher Kate Pickard said, ‘Affirm Press has earned a...

BookPeople reveals new consumer, member websites 

Tuesday, 4 February 2025
BookPeople has updated the organisation’s web presence with a dedicated membership website and a new consumer-facing site. ‘Each site has been designed with a distinct audience in mind,’ BookPeople operations...

Clunes Booktown Festival 2025 program announced 

Tuesday, 4 February 2025
Clunes Booktown Festival has announced its 2025 program. Festival director Suzi Cordell said this year’s program will explore the art of storytelling in all its diverse forms, with panels on...

MUD Literary Prize 2025 shortlist announced

Tuesday, 4 February 2025
The shortlist for the 2025 MUD Literary Prize, worth $10,000, has been announced. The shortlisted works, selected from 31 submissions, are: Translations (Jumaana Abdu, Vintage) The End and Everything Before...

Bundyi Publishing announces unpublished manuscript prize

bundyi logo Monday, 3 February 2025
Simon & Schuster imprint Bundyi Publishing has announced the Bundyi Writing Prize, which will be awarded to an outstanding unpublished manuscript of adult fiction by an emerging Aboriginal and/or Torres...

Vale Michael Webster

Photograph of Michael Webster. Credit: Debora Webster-Bain Friday, 31 January 2025
Publisher, editor and academic Michael Webster has died. Webster had a long and distinguished career in the Australian publishing industry, with roles as a publisher, academic, and board member. He...

Martin selected for Bologna illustrator exhibition 

a portrait of Marc Martin Thursday, 30 January 2025
Melbourne-based illustrator, artist and book maker Marc Martin has been selected for the 2025 Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF). Of 4374 total applications, 77 illustrators from...

Ockham 2025 longlists announced

Thursday, 30 January 2025
The longlists for the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category are: Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction (NZ$65,000) All That We...

IPEd announces student editor prize shortlist 

IPEd logo Thursday, 30 January 2025
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 IPEd Student Prize. The shortlisted editors and their projects are: Portia Abbott (RMIT University), for her essay...

Text discontinues Michael Gifkins Prize 

text logo (a black underlined letter t in a black circle) Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Text Publishing has announced that the Michael Gifkins Prize for unpublished manuscripts in Aotearoa New Zealand has ceased. Established in 2017, the prize honoured the late literary agent, writer, critic...