Local news | Books+Publishing

Spiers Prize winners announced

Thursday, 20 November 2025
UWA Publishing (UWAP) has announced the winners of the inaugural Spiers Prize as Zahina Maghrabi for “The Girl, The Calico and The Soldier” (young adult) and Rebeca Green for “A...

IPEd appoints Macdonald as chair

Thursday, 20 November 2025
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has appointed Catherine Macdonald as chair of the board following the 2025 AGM on 10 November. Macdonald has been on the committee of Editors...

James, Bradley win business book of the year award

Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Glen James and Nick Bradley have won the 7th Australian Business Book Award for The Quick Start Guide to Investing (Wiley). Founders Michael Hanrahan and Andrew Griffiths announced James, Bradley...

Langton awarded inaugural Rechnitz Memorial Award

Wednesday, 19 November 2025
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia has announced academic, author and activist Marcia Langton as the inaugural winner of the Rechnitz Memorial Award, which recognises “excellence in research...

Beale named 2026 NZSA President of Honour

Wednesday, 19 November 2025
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (NZSA) has named children’s and YA author Fleur Beale this year’s NZSA President of Honour. The author of more...

HarperCollins acquires new Whiting novel

Wednesday, 19 November 2025
HarperCollins ANZ has acquired world rights to The Nocturnals, a new novel by journalist and author Frances Whiting. According to the publisher, The Nocturnals tells the story of a close-knit group from...

Metzenthen wins Children’s Peace Literature Award

Tuesday, 18 November 2025
David Metzenthen’s The Truth of It (Ford Street) has won the 2025 Children’s Peace Literature Award, South Australian Psychologists for Peace (SAPP) has announced. The Truth of It, a middle-grade...

Record numbers at 2025 QLF

Tuesday, 18 November 2025
The 11th annual Queenscliffe Literary Festival (QLF), held in the seaside Victorian town from 17 to 26 October, attracted a record 4330 attendees – significantly more than the borough’s population...

Haddad, Walker win 2025 KYD Creative Nonfiction Essay Prize

Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced George Haddad and Sarah Walker as joint winners of the 2025 KYD Creative Nonfiction Essay Prize. “ وجبت wejbet”, Haddad's winning essay, is described by KYD as “anchored...

Atlantic acquires Cornish’s “The Missing Mother”

Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Atlantic Books Australia has acquired ANZ rights to Mali Cornish’s adult novel The Missing Mother in a deal brokered by Martin Shaw at Shaw Literary. The publisher describes The Missing...

Henderson wins 2025 Australian Fiction Prize

Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Troy Henderson has won the Australian Fiction Prize for his unpublished crime thriller River City. The novel follows the violent struggle of “warring factions, loose-cannon allies and a city on the brink”...

Duffy appointed as UQP director

Tuesday, 18 November 2025
The University of Queensland has appointed Madonna Duffy as director of the University of Queensland Press (UQP), with her new role to commence on 1 December. Duffy joined UQP in...

Cunningham announced as 2026 Dahl fellow

Monday, 17 November 2025
The Board of Eucalypt Australia has announced Sophie Cunningham as a 2026 Dahl fellow for her manuscript “Eucalyptus: A story in twenty trees”. According to organisers, Cunningham’s work will investigate...

Wiley acquires Lishman’s next nonfiction title

Monday, 17 November 2025
Wiley has acquired world rights to self-help title Only You by Marny Lishman, via Simone Landes of TLS Talent. According to the publisher, Only You is designed for readers experiencing...

Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival: “a sense of community, intimate spaces, and engaging panel discussions”

Monday, 17 November 2025
The Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival, which ran from 31 October to 2 November, reports that it sold 502 weekend passes, 241 single-day passes, 295 workshop tickets and 2135 single-session tickets...

Readings Prize 2025 winners announced

Friday, 14 November 2025
Readings has announced the winners of the 2025 Readings Prize in each category and the winner of the Gab Williams Prize. The winning titles are: New Australian Fiction Prize I...

PRH Write It fellowship recipients announced

Thursday, 13 November 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH) has announced the recipients of the 2025 Write It Fellowship. Chosen from a shortlist announced in July, the winners are: Dayle Fogarty for “After Dark” Naomi...

Small Press Network partners with IPG UK

Thursday, 13 November 2025
The Small Press Network (SPN) in Australia and the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) in the United Kingdom have established “a new alliance to provide their members with mutual benefits,” said...

Saunders awarded 2026 Peter Blazey Fellowship

Thursday, 13 November 2025
Author and academic Mykaela Saunders has won the $20,000 Peter Blazey Fellowship for her work in progress, “Dear Uncle”. “Dear Uncle” is about Koori artist Kev Saunders (1956–2012), a Dharug...

UQP mentorship prize winners announced

Thursday, 13 November 2025
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has announced the winners of the inaugural UQP Mentorship Prize for under-represented writers. Chosen from a shortlist of 5, the winners are: SD Munawara...

ASA appoints Mills as chair

Thursday, 13 November 2025
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has appointed Jennifer Mills as chair of its board of directors. Mills first became an ASA director in 2022 and has served as deputy...

Wombat acquires Page’s interactive novel

Thursday, 13 November 2025
Wombat Books has acquired world rights to Gabriella Page’s The Nardi Puzzle, an interactive middle-grade story that allows readers to solve puzzles alongside the characters. The novel follows Sebastian Walker’s...

WestWords acquires Lee’s debut novel

Thursday, 13 November 2025
WestWords Books has acquired adult novel Bound by Samantha WL Lee. Set in four countries – China, Malaysia, Britain and Australia – and extending over more than a century, Bound...

A&U acquires Flynn biography

Thursday, 13 November 2025
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Errol Flynn, Patricia A O’Brien’s biography of Australian-born Hollywood actor Errol Flynn, known for his swashbuckling roles and controversial off-screen life....

SLQ fellowship, medal recipients announced

Wednesday, 12 November 2025
State Library of Queensland (SLQ) has announced the 2026 recipients of 6 fellowships, worth $105,000, along with 2 John Oxley Library Medals. The recipients in each category are: John Oxley...

New First Nations metadata standards published

Wednesday, 12 November 2025
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) and Australian publishing staff have contributed to new international metadata standards designed to make First Nations books and publishing more consistently labelled and more easily...

Wiley acquires O’Connell’s “Unscript”

Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Wiley has acquired world rights to broadcaster Christian O’Connell’s personal development book Unscript. Unscript strips away “the ghost scripts that keep us disconnected, through a mix of vibrant storytelling, authentic...