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Myers wins Goldsmiths Prize for Cuddy

Thursday, 9 November 2023
In the UK, Benjamin Myers has won the £10,000 (A$19,200) Goldsmiths Prize for Cuddy (Bloomsbury), a retelling of the story of the hermit St Cuthbert. Cuddy incorporates poetry, prose, play,...

Upswell acquires Jones poetry book 

Thursday, 9 November 2023
Upswell Publishing has acquired world rights to The Empty Grandstand, the first book of poetry by Aotearoa New Zealand author Lloyd Jones. ‘Lloyd Jones was seven years old the first...

New England Illustration Prize 2023 winners announced

Wednesday, 8 November 2023
The New England Writers' Centre has announced the winners of this year’s New England Illustration Prize for Children’s Picture Book Publishing. The winners of the 2023 award are: First prize...

Nature Writing Prize 2023 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 8 November 2023
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Australia has announced the writers shortlisted for the 2023 Nature Writing Prize. The shortlisted writers are: Bonny Cassidy (Chewton Bushlands) for 'A Custodial Species', which 'draws...

Handsel offers Hardie Grant books in gift packs

Wednesday, 8 November 2023
Hardie Grant is selling books in gift packs through its new online gift-giving service Handsel. Created by HGX, the Hardie Grant–owned digital venture studio, Handsel is described as ‘reimagining the...

FTC files ‘long-awaited’ antitrust suit against Amazon

Wednesday, 8 November 2023
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against Amazon on 26 September, reports Publishers Weekly (PW). The FTC’s 172-page complaint—which is supported by 17...

Cathro to leave Campion in 2024 

Monday, 6 November 2023
Campion Education managing director James Cathro will leave his position in late 2024, after over 25 years with the company. In a statement, Cathro said: ‘After more than two decades...

US survey finds drop in reading participation

Monday, 6 November 2023
In the US, a new report from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) found reading rates among adults declined over the past five years, reports Publishers Weekly. The report...

Woollahra Digital Literary Award shortlists announced

Monday, 6 November 2023
The shortlists for the 2023 Woollahra Digital Literary Award have been announced. The shortlisted works in each category are: Fiction  'The Life of a Folk Devil' (Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Meanjin)...

Neilma Sidney Travel Fund recipients announced

Monday, 6 November 2023
Writers Victoria has announced the tenth round of recipients for the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund. The nine successful recipients—who share in a total of $69,761—are: Alana Hicks (NSW), to...

No newsletter on Tuesday

Monday, 6 November 2023
Due to the Melbourne Cup public holiday in Victoria, Books+Publishing will not publish a newsletter tomorrow, Tuesday, 7 November.

Danger Awards 2023 winners announced

Friday, 3 November 2023
The winners of the 2023 Danger Awards have been announced at the BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival. Novelist Chris Hammer, who took out the award for best crime fiction, has...

Walkley Book Award shortlist announced

Friday, 3 November 2023
The shortlist for the Walkley Book Award has been announced. The shortlisted works are: Ghosts of the Orphanage (Christine Kenneally, Hachette Australia) The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel exports the technology of...

Sawyer wins 2023 Richell Prize 

Logo for the Richell Prize, featuring a swooping bird Thursday, 2 November 2023
Alex Sawyer is the 2023 winner of the Richell Prize for Emerging Writers for the manuscript ‘Rat Daniels’, Hachette Australia has announced. Sawyer is a clinical psychologist, volunteer firefighter and...

Hobart named a UNESCO City of Literature

Thursday, 2 November 2023
The United Nations’ cultural arm UNESCO has named Hobart a City of Literature. The Hobart City of Literature Working Group (HCLWG) was formed in January 2023 to present the bid...

PRH UK to cut 38 roles

Thursday, 2 November 2023
In the UK, Penguin Random House (PRH) has proposed removing 38 roles as the publisher faces ‘longer-term’ challenges to profitability ‘in the face of increasing cost pressures’, reports the Bookseller....

Australian Reading Hour to end

Thursday, 2 November 2023
Australia Reads will retire its annual Australian Reading Hour event in favour of 'a practical, unified, and year-round approach to advocating for reading in Australia'. In a statement, Australia Reads...

McNicol Smith to depart Affirm 

Wednesday, 1 November 2023
Affirm Press publicity manager Laura McNicol Smith is departing the organisation. Discussing the move, McNicol Smith said: 'After six wonderful years at Affirm Press, I’ve decided it’s time for a...

Transit Lounge acquires Downes novel 

Wednesday, 1 November 2023
Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to Stephen Downes’ new novel, Mural. Publisher Barry Scott said Mural is 'a haunting "confession" by a psychopath held in a secure facility'. Told...

New S&S imprint Bundyi acquires Walton historical novel 

Wednesday, 1 November 2023
Simon & Schuster Australia imprint Bundyi Publishing has announced its first acquisition, acquiring world rights to I Am Nan’nert’garrook, a historical fiction novel from author and actor Tasma Walton. Walton...

KKR completes S&S purchase

Wednesday, 1 November 2023
Private equity firm KKR has completed its US$1.6 billion (A$2.5b) purchase of Simon & Schuster (S&S) from Paramount Global in an all-cash transaction, reports Publishers Weekly. S&S is a now...

Yumna Kassab on ‘Politica’ 

Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Yumna Kassab is a writer from Western Sydney. She is the author of The House of Youssef (Giramondo, 2019), Australiana (Ultimo, 2022), and The Lovers (Ultimo, 2022). She has been listed...