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Bitto wins Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship

Thursday, 30 November 2023
Emily Bitto has won the 2023 $35,000 Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship, and Kate Mildenhall has been named runner-up, receiving $15,000. Bitto won for her manuscript ‘Reasons to Leave’, ‘a multi-protagonist novel...

Reading into the year ahead: 2024 fiction and poetry preview

Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Debuts, historical fiction, crime and thrillers, contemporary fiction, romance and fantasy, literary fiction and shorter works—Australian publishers share their top picks in fiction and poetry for 2024, from intergenerational family...

Five key insights from Nielsen BookScan’s SPN market report

Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Claire West and Olivia Johansson from Nielsen BookScan opened the Small Press Network’s Independent Publishing Conference industry day on Friday, 24 November, sharing key insights on the overall Australian book...

Independent Publishing Conference 2023: Conversations and communities

Wednesday, 29 November 2023
The Small Press Network (SPN) annual Independent Publishing Conference (IPC) was held from 23 to 25 November at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne, on Wurundjeri Country, and remotely online. Thursday was...

Aotearoa publishers receive audiobook funding

Wednesday, 29 November 2023
The successful recipients of the first round of funding in the Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage audio publishing seed program in Aotearoa New Zealand have been announced by...

UQP acquires Caldwell nonfiction on sexual empowerment

Wednesday, 29 November 2023
University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired ANZ rights to Slutdom by Hilary Caldwell via Tom Gilliatt at Left Bank Literary. Described by UQP as 'a controversial, celebratory and courageous book...

MacInnes wins 2023 Blackwell’s Book of the Year

Wednesday, 29 November 2023
In the UK, In Ascension (Martin MacInnes, Atlantic) has been chosen by booksellers as Blackwell’s Book of the Year 2023, reports the Bookseller. The science fiction book, which was longlisted for...

ILF workshops create books, explore digital storytelling

Wednesday, 29 November 2023
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is well known as the facilitator of the fundraising initiative Indigenous Literacy Day, and for developing books in First Nations languages, but other ILF programs also...

UWAP acquires Mead poetry collection

Wednesday, 29 November 2023
UWAP has acquired world rights to The Infant Vine, a debut poetry collection from Isabella G Mead. The Infant Vine is described by the publisher as ‘a stunning collection exploring...

Sharlene Allsopp recommends

Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Burn by Melanie Saward. My favourite writers grip my heart with the reality of grief and loss, but leave me with hope and beauty at the same time. When I...

Sharlene Allsopp on ‘The Great Undoing’

Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Sharlene Allsopp's debut novel, The Great Undoing (Ultimo, February 2024), 'is a remarkable book that reaches back into the early 20th century and forwards into the future to examine discontinuities...

Arnott wins 2023 Voss Literary Prize

Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Robbie Arnott has won the 2023 Voss Literary Prize for his novel Limberlost (Text). Arnott’s third novel, Limberlost is a coming-of-age story that centres on Ned, who experiences a formative summer...

Arts NT & Varuna Fellowships 2024 recipients announced

Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Varuna, the National Writers’ House has announced nine recipients of the 2024 Arts NT and Varuna Fellowships, with three fellowships taking place in-house at Varuna and six virtual residencies, all...

Affirm acquires Mupotsa-Russell debut thriller

Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to A Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt, the debut thriller from Mark Mupotsa-Russell, via Sarah McKenzie Literary Management. Mupotsa-Russell's manuscript was one of...

Rzechowicz wins first prize in 2023 Scarlet Stiletto Awards

Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Sisters in Crime Australia announced the winners of the 2023 Scarlet Stiletto Awards in a 30th anniversary event in South Melbourne on Saturday night. Canberra author Romany Rzechowicz won the...

Armfield, Ransom win 2023 Polari Prizes

Tuesday, 28 November 2023
In the UK, Julia Armfield and Jon Ransom have won the 2023 Polari Prizes for work that explores LGBTQ+ experience, reports the Bookseller. Armfield won the £2000 (A$3823) Polari Prize,...

Cramond, Burbidge reps of the year, BookPeople 2024 conference dates

Monday, 27 November 2023
The BookPeople reps of the year for Victoria and New South Wales have been announced. The reps of the year, for the second year running, are: NSW Rep of the...

New Collins store in Port Macquarie

Monday, 27 November 2023
A new Collins Booksellers store has opened in Port Macquarie, on the north coast of New South Wales. Located at 64 Clarence Street, the store is the 26th franchise store...

MacDonald wins $50,000 Best Australian Yarn

Monday, 27 November 2023
Jacqueline MacDonald has won first prize, worth $50,000, in the national short story competition, The Best Australian Yarn. MacDonald, from the Tasmanian seaside town of Penguin, won the award for...

‘Against Disappearance’ wins SPN 2023 Book of the Year

Monday, 27 November 2023
The Small Press Network (SPN) 2023 Book of the Year (BOTY) has been awarded to Against Disappearance: Essays on memory, edited by Leah Jing Mcintosh and Adolfo Aranjuez, and published...

Lynch wins 2023 Booker Prize for ‘Prophet Song’, Aus reprint available from Friday

Monday, 27 November 2023
In the UK, Paul Lynch has won the 2023 Booker Prize, worth £50,000 (A$95,670), for Prophet Song (Oneworld). Prophet Song follows scientist and mother-of-four Eilish Stack as she tries to protect...

Fourth Wing wins 2023 Dymocks Book of the Year

Friday, 24 November 2023
Fourth Wing (Rebecca Yarros, Hachette Australia) has been named Dymocks 2023 Book of the Year, and Come Together: Things every Aussie kid should know about the First Peoples (Isaiah Firebrace,...

The Palestine Laboratory wins 2023 Walkley Book Award

Friday, 24 November 2023
Antony Loewenstein has won the 2023 Walkley Book Award for The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel exports the technology of occupation around the world (Antony Loewenstein, Scribe). Loewenstein's book beat shortlisted works Ghosts of...