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Yumna Kassab recommends 

Tuesday, 31 October 2023
I think the standout book for 2023 has to be Only Sound Remains by Hossein Asgari. The writing has great clarity, and it evokes such a strong sense of place....

Ottley wins at World Fantasy Awards

Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Australian author, visual artist and composer Matt Ottley has been recognised in the category of special award—professional in the 2023 World Fantasy Awards for his book The Tree of Ecstasy...

Lim, Sworder on 2024 IBBY Honour List

A combined image of the covers of Tiger Daughter and My Strange Shrinking Parents Tuesday, 31 October 2023
IBBY Australia has announced its 2024 selection for the biennial IBBY Honour List: for writing, Rebecca Lim’s Tiger Daughter (A&U, 2021), and for illustration, Zeno Sworder’s My Strange Shrinking Parents...

Hearts ‘reignite’ for 20th Ubud program

Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) recorded over 15,000 festival attendees for its 20th-anniversary festival program, held from 18–22 October 2023 in Ubud, Indonesia. Festival director Janet DeNeefe said, ‘We...

Shaw sells US and Canada rights to Adam novel 

Monday, 30 October 2023
Martin Shaw from Shaw Literary has sold North American rights to Aotearoa New Zealand author Pip Adam's latest novel, Audition. Audition was acquired in the US by Coffee House Press...

HarperCollins acquires Almond debut novel 

Author photo of Alexandra Almond Monday, 30 October 2023
HarperCollins has acquired ANZ rights to Alexandra Almond's debut fantasy novel, titled Thoroughly Disenchanted, via Abigail Nathan at Alex Adsett Literary. Described by the agent as a ‘cosy fantasy’, Thoroughly...

HarperCollins acquires debut crime novel The Wolf Tree 

Thursday, 26 October 2023
HarperCollins has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to Laura McCluskey’s debut novel The Wolf Tree in a two-book deal. HarperCollins fiction publisher Anna Valdinger and HarperCollins UK publisher,...

Crawford wins inaugural Walker Books Manuscript Prize

An author photograph of Ange Crawford Thursday, 26 October 2023
Melbourne-based writer Ange Crawford has won the inaugural Walker Books Manuscript Prize for her YA novel, How to Be Normal. The shortlist was judged by authors Sally Murphy, Jared Thomas...

Scholastic to end controversial diverse stories collection

Thursday, 26 October 2023
In the US, Scholastic will stop offering its diverse stories collection—Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice—following accusations its rollout aided censorship at book fairs, reports Publishers Weekly. In a letter...

Master, Liang, Lien win 2023 Readings Prizes

Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Readings has announced Maryam Master, Ann Liang, and Tracey Lien as the 2023 winners of the Readings Prizes at an event at Readings Emporium, Melbourne, on 25 October. The winning...

Ultimo acquires A Postcard from the Future 

Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Ultimo Press has acquired ANZ rights to Ben Hamer's A Postcard from the Future, a nonfiction book which envisions the next twenty years, via Jane Novak. The book will imagine...

Over 100,000 trade visitors attend Frankfurt

Wednesday, 25 October 2023
About 105,000 trade visitors from 130 countries attended this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF), which ran from 18–22 October, reports Publishers Weekly. FBF director Juergen Boos said the fair had...

ADS adds Border Express 

Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Alliance Distribution Services (ADS) has announced it has added Border Express as a secondary freight carrier 'to support operations through the 2023 peak book-selling season and into 2024'. ADS said...

Production begins on Runt film adaptation

Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Craig Silvey has announced that production of the feature film adaptation of his novel Runt (A&U) begins next week in Western Australia, ‘where the Wheatbelt shire of York will be...

UQP acquires Gíslason nonfiction book 

Kári Gíslason with Madonna Duffy, standing in front of some Australian bushland. Wednesday, 25 October 2023
UQP has acquired world rights to Running with Pirates, a nonfiction book from Kári Gíslason, via Grace Heifetz of Left Bank Literary. With dual narratives separated by thirty years, Running...

Sara M Saleh on ‘The Flirtation of Girls’ 

Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Sara M Saleh is an award-winning human rights lawyer and author. She follows her debut novel, Songs for the Dead and the Living (Affirm, 2023), with her first published poetry...

HarperCollins acquires Fedler novel 

Author photograph of Joanne Fedler Tuesday, 24 October 2023
HarperCollins has acquired ANZ rights to The Whale’s Last Song, a novel from Joanne Fedler, via Lou Johnson of Key People Literary Management. In this novel, described by the publisher...

Carbis shortlisted for international poetry award

Tuesday, 24 October 2023
The poetry collection I Have Decided to Remain Vertical (Puncher & Wattmann) by Melbourne poet and creative writing teacher Gayelene Carbis has been shortlisted for the Welsh-based Poetry Book Awards. The shortlist...

Ultimo acquires Wolhuter novel 

Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Ultimo Press has acquired Louise Wolhuter’s novel Shadows of Winter Robins. The novel follows Winter Robins, a young child from the north of England who’s sent to live in Western...

SPN Book of the Year shortlist announced

Monday, 23 October 2023
The Small Press Network has announced the shortlist for the 2023 Book of the Year (BOTY) award. The shortlisted titles are: Against Disappearance: Essays on memory (ed by Leah Jing...

Skovron wins 2023 Patrick White Award

Monday, 23 October 2023
Victoria-based author Alex Skovron is the winner of this year’s $20,000 Patrick White Award. The award recognises Skovron’s achievements as a poet and fiction writer. Born in Poland, Skovron lived briefly...

Jones, Mellor win Historical Novel Prize

Friday, 20 October 2023
Gail Jones has won the $50,000 ARA Historical Novel Prize in the adult category for Salonika Burning (Text), while Amelia Mellor has won the $30,000 children and young adult (CYA) category...