Weekly Book Newsletter (end March 2022)
18 February 2015

New website to sell books on Tasmania direct from authors

A new online bookshop selling print books about Tasmania directly from the authors has been launched. Tasmanian Books, which was launched in January by local author Andrew... Read more
 

Stella Prize 2015 longlist announced

The longlist for the third Stella Prize has been announced. This year’s longlisted titles are: Foreign Soil (Maxine Beneba Clarke, Hachette) The Strays (Emily Bitto,... Read more
 

APA reaches out-of-court settlement with Sydney print shop over alleged copyright breaches x

The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has reached an out-of-court settlement with a Sydney print shop following allegations the store was selling photocopied textbooks to students. Sirius... Read more
 

Penguin increases price of Black Classics range x

The recommended retail price (RRP) of Penguin’s Black Classics series, as well as some titles in its Drop Cap and Classics Deluxe series, are set to increase. The... Read more
 

Reading Matters program announced x

The Centre for Youth Literature at the State Library of Victoria has announced the program for its biennial youth literature conference Reading Matters, which runs from 29-31 May. International... Read more
 

WA Premier’s Book Awards move to biennial format x

The State Library of WA (SLWA) has announced the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards are moving to a biennial format, with the next awards to... Read more
 

Van Tiggelen appointed editor of ‘Meanjin’ in 2016, ‘influential Australians’ to guest edit in 2015

Journalist John van Tiggelen has been appointed editor of Melbourne-based literary journal Meanjin from February 2016. Van Tiggelen, who has previously worked as a staff... Read more
 

Exisle appoints US publicist as it expands into North American market x

Exisle Publishing has appointed Jennifer Prost to the new position of US publicist. Prost, who is based in New Jersey, will promote Exisle’s list of... Read more
 

Asialink 2015 arts residencies announced

The University of Melbourne’s Asialink program has announced the recipients of its 2015 Arts Residencies, supported by the Australia Council for the Arts. Writers and... Read more
 

ILF appoints Bryce as new patron

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) has appointed former Australian governor-general Quentin Bryce as its 2015 patron. Bryce, who was governor-general from 2008-2014, said in a statement... Read more
 

Inaugural Historical Novel Society conference to be held in March

The inaugural Historical Novel Society of Australasia (HNSA) conference will be held in Sydney from 20-22 March. The conference opens with a reception and a... Read more
 

Ditmar Awards ballot announced

The shortlisted works for the Ditmar Awards ballot have been announced and voting has commenced. The shortlisted works include: Best Novel The Lascar’s Dagger (Glenda... Read more
 

HarperCollins acquires rights to Tim Cahill autobiography

HarperCollins has acquired the rights to the autobiography of Australian soccer player Tim Cahill. Cahill has played over 80 games for Australia and is the country’s top goal... Read more
 

Quote of the week

‘The downgrading of the Premier’s Book Awards from an annual to a biennial event could be seen as Western Australia losing its literary AAA rating in... Read more
 

Rights round-up x

Sales Nonfiction—HarperCollins has sold radio broadcast rights to This Way of Life (Sumner Burstyn); and German rights to Instant Entertaining (Donnay Hay). Children’s—The Frances Plumpton... Read more
 

Bestsellers this week

The titles in the top 10 bestsellers chart remain largely unchanged this week, with the film tie-in to American Sniper (Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen & Jim DeFelice,... Read more
 

Faber ends affiliation with Farrar, Straus and Giroux

US-based Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) and UK’s Faber and Faber have ended their 17-year affiliation, reports Publishers Weekly. FSG will no longer publish titles under the... Read more
 

Bertelsmann to increase investments in Brazil, China and India

Multinational media company Bertelsmann, the majority owner of Penguin Random House, has announced it will increase investments in its operations in Brazil, China and India. The company... Read more
 

Foyles reports rise in sales, drop in profits

UK independent bookseller Foyles has reported a £600,000 (A$1.18m) loss in the 2013/14 financial year despite a 2.2% rise in sales, reports the Bookseller. The bookseller,... Read more
 

Waterstones relaunches website with individual shop pages

UK bookselling chain Waterstones has relaunched its website offering a ‘simpler and more pleasurable experience’ for customers, reports the Bookseller. The new website, which is... Read more
 

Chicken House partners with Altitude to develop book and film projects

In the UK, children’s publisher Chicken House and film production company Altitude have partnered to develop book and film projects simultaneously, reports the Bookseller. Chicken... Read more
 

S&S reports losses in revenue, operating income

In the US, Simon & Schuster’s (S&S) parent company CBS Corporation has released its full-year results, which reveal a fall in revenue and operating profits for the publisher in... Read more
 

Hachette UK net sales drop 4.6% in 2014

Hachette UK net sales in 2014 dropped 4.6% compared to the previous year, reports the Bookseller. Parent company Lagardere attributed the drop to the ‘exceptional success’ of... Read more
 

Ramona Koval’s ‘Bloodhound: Searching for My Father’

Journalist Ramona Koval has carved a reputation as a consummate book critic and interviewer. Her passion for storytelling and sharp analysis is turned inwards in... Read more
 

Varuna announces shortlisted manuscripts for Publisher Introduction Program

Varuna, the Writers’ House, has announced the shortlisted manuscripts for its Publisher Introduction Program (PIP). Thirty-four manuscripts by emerging Australian writers have been sent to... Read more
 

Joint Australia-New Zealand library conference announced

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) have announced they will hold a joint library conference in Australia... Read more
 

NSW library to host international picture book exhibition x

Gosford City Library’s Erina branch in NSW will exhibit an international collection of 300 favourite picture books from 36 countries, as voted by librarians. The... Read more
 

ALIA launches poll for Australia’s most borrowed books

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) is asking its members to participate in a survey to identify Australia’s most borrowed books. The voting categories... Read more
 

International library news

Patterson the most borrowed author as lending drops in UK libraries James Patterson was the most borrowed author in UK libraries in 2014 according to data from the... Read more
 

What to expect when you’re expecting in publishing

Why is such a female-dominated industry as publishing not leading the way when it comes to parental leave? Matthia Dempsey spoke to several publishers about paid... Read more
 

Van Tiggelen appointed editor of ‘Meanjin’ x

Journalist John van Tiggelen has been appointed editor of Melbourne-based literary journal Meanjin from February 2016. Each issue in 2015 will be edited by an ‘influential Australian’... Read more
 

ILF appoints Bryce as new patron x

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation has appointed former Australian governor-general Quentin Bryce as its 2015 patron. (See news.)
 

ABIA nominations open 23 February x

The nominations for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) opens on Monday 23 February and closes on Monday 9 March. Nominations are sought for ten categories including two... Read more

Registration for 2015 Leading Edge Conference to open this week x

Registration for the 15th annual Leading Edge Books (LEB) Conference will open this week. The 2015 conference will be held at the Rydges Hotel in... Read more

Registration opens for 2015 ABA Conference x

Registration is now open for the 91st Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) Conference, to be held on 17-18 May at the State Library of Victoria in... Read more

Readings Children’s Book Prize shortlist to be announced at Children’s Book Festival x

The Readings Children’s Book Prize will announce its shortlist on Sunday 22 March at the Children’s Book Festival in Melbourne. The prize celebrates books that... Read more

Affirm Press Congratulates Emily Bitto on ‘The Strays’ Nomination for the 2015 Stella Prize and the 2015 Indie Book Awards x

A brilliant 2014 for Affirm Press has been capped off with the nomination of Emily Bitto’s engaging debut novel The Strays, for both the 2015 Stella Prize and the 2015 Indie Book Awards.

The Strays is one of 12 titles longlisted for the 2015 Stella, and one of four titles shortlisted in the Indie Books Awards Debut Fiction category. ‘I couldn’t be happier with the support The Strays has received from readers and booksellers. Being on the Indies shortlist and the Stella longlist is the icing on the cake!’—Emily Bitto

To order copies of The Strays (ISBN: 9781922213211) please contact Random House Australia customer service on Phone: 1800 222 444, Fax: +61(03) 9753 4151 or Email: customerservice@randomhouse.com.au

 

Hachette Australia Congratulates Our Longlisted Authors x

Hachette Australia is thrilled to congratulate our longlisted authors, Maxine Beneba Clarke for Foreign Soil and Inga Simpson for Nest, in the 2015 Stella Prize.

We also congratulate Shaun Tan on Rules of Summer being longlisted in the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal.

To order copies of Foreign Soil (ISBN: 9780733632426), Nest (ISBN: 9780733632341) and Rules of Summer (9780734410672) please contact Alliance Distribution Services customer service on toll-free fax 1800-664-477 or tel (02) 4390 1300.

 

Tim Cahill Signed to HarperCollins x

HarperCollinsPublishers is proud to announce it will publish the autobiography of Australia’s greatest soccer player, Tim Cahill, at the end of this year.

Coming off the back of the Socceroos victorious 2015 AFC Asian Cup campaign, Cahill, 35, is Australia’s top goal scorer of all time. He has also scored the most goals by an Australian at World Cups, with five to his name, including a jaw-dropping left foot volley against The Netherlands in Porto Alegre at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Cahill, who grew up in suburban Sydney, has had a stellar international and club career. In 1997 he went to English club Millwall on a free transfer from Sydney United and then moved to Premier League team Everton in 2004, where he was the top scorer and named the fans’ Player of the Season in his first year at the club. After 226 appearances and 56 goals for Everton, Cahill left England in 2012 and moved to the US and the New York Red Bulls. There he set a record for the fastest goal in Major League Soccer history when he scored seven seconds into a game against the Houston Dynamo. More recently he has announced that he will be joining Shanghai Shenhua for the 2015 Chinese Super League season.

HarperCollins Publishing Director Shona Martyn says: ‘It will be a privilege to publish the story of Tim Cahill, one of the most admired Australian sportsmen of all time. Tim’s international achievements are immense and as a player and role model he is inspiring both a legion of fans and a new generation of players around the world. I know his book will ride high on the bestseller lists this Christmas.’

Tim Cahill says: ‘I’m excited to be at the point in my career where I can reflect on my experiences as a professional footballer so far, and the experiences and influences that have shaped who I am. I’m looking forward to sharing my perspective on some of the key moments of my life both on and off the park, and giving an insight into what keeps me going and wanting to improve myself.’

Cahill’s autobiography will track the journey from his childhood, growing up in Western Sydney with his Samoan mum, English dad and three siblings; his early years at soccer clubs in Sydney to his 15 years playing in England; his moves to the US and China; and, of course, his extraordinary international career with the Socceroos. Importantly, it will provide exclusive insights into the life of an elite sportsman.

The as-yet untitled autobiography will be published by HarperCollins around the world.

For more information please contact:
Nicola Woods, Campaign Manager—NonFiction, HarperCollins
Nicola.Woods@harpercollins.com.au
Tel. 02 9952 5004/0434 602 622

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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