Tag: News
Frankfurt report from Pantera Press
Pantera Press has been attending the Frankfurt Book Fair since our earliest days, with our first visit back in 2010 with a limited list of books and an even more limited meeting schedule! Nowadays, it is considered an essential part of our Rights strategy, with a full schedule of meetings across four days and an […]
Meet Associate Producer Cai Bardsley
Hello, I’m Cai (they/them), a writer and editor studying at RMIT University. Lucky for me, I get to be part of the team delivering this year’s Independent Publishing Conference. I grew up on the Mid North Coast of NSW on the beautiful bush lands of the Gumbaynggir People. After school I traded the warmth, rivers […]
The Book of the Year Award 2022: Shortlist Announcement
Sponsored by BookPeople and Ingram. The Small Press Network is honoured to announce the shortlist for the 2022 Book of the Year Award (formerly the Most Underrated Book of the Year Award). The award was first presented under its new name in 2020, marking a new direction for the Small Press Network and its membership. […]
Meet Associate Producer Fiona Wallace
My name’s Fiona (she/her) and I’m one of the new Associate Producers for the 2022 Independent Publishing Conference.
Meet Associate Producer Carla Di Maggio
I’m Carla (she/they) and I am so excited to be working with SPN as an Associate Producer for the IPC 2022!
Call for Papers: Publishing Futures
Book publishing is a forward-thinking cultural sector. There is no shortage of articles, Twitter posts, and think pieces discussing emerging publishing trends and speculating about the future of publishing. Predictions over the eventual dominance of eBooks seemed to put the future of the print book at stake. Beyond the ‘format wars’, digital technologies and platforms […]
In Conversation with BOTY shortlisted author: Tanya Vavilova
“I think what I struggle with most is this question of fitting in, of belonging. If you find yourself on the outskirts of society and then on the outskirts of an already marginalized group in that society, what do you do?” Tanya Vavilova, We are Speaking in Code Tanya Vavilova is an award-winning writer, having […]
The Small Press Network Interviews: Anita Heiss
As she finalises her keynote address for the 2021 SPN Independent Publishing Conference, Dr Anita Heiss talks to Emma Kellaway about learning language, challenges within the publishing industry and having confronting conversations. A multi award-winning author of nonfiction, historical fiction, women’s fiction, children’s novels and poetry, Heiss is currently a Professor of Communications at the […]
The 2021 Academic Day: In Conversation with Alexandra Dane and Claire Parnell
In this episode, we chat to Alexandra Dane and Claire Parnell to discuss this year’s Academic Day for the Independent Publishing Conference 2021. This year’s theme is Publishing and the Environment.
The Book of the Year Award 2021: Shortlist Announcement
The shortlist for the Small Press Network 2021 Book of the Year Award is in! Formerly the Most Underrated Book of the Year Award, the BOTY award was first presented under its new name in 2020, marking a new direction for the Small Press Network and its membership. BOTY aims to recognise and award some […]
Meet the sponsor: Ingram Content Group
Introducing Ingram Content Group, one of the sponsors of the 2021 Independent Publishing Conference taking place from Thurs 25–Sat 27 November. Ingram is a global service provider to the book publishing industry, with a catalogue of 19 million print and digital titles that are available worldwide. The company offers print-on-demand services, international distribution, and sales […]
The Small Press Network Interviews: Laura Jean McKay
As she works on her keynote address for the 2021 SPN Independent Publishing Conference, award-winning author Laura Jean McKay talks to Emma Kellaway on animal superpowers, humans’ relationship with them, and why now is a better time than ever to address publishing and the environment. McKay’s debut novel The Animals in That Country (Scribe 2020), […]
Meet Conference Co-ordinator Chloe Hogan-Weihmann
Hi, I’m Chloe! I’ll be the Conference Co-ordinator for 2021. If you speak to me in person, you may recognise the dulcet tones of a Canadian accent. It’s true, I come from way up north, where the lumberjacks leap from tree to tree as they float down the mighty maple syrup rivers of British Columbia. […]
Meet Associate Producer Holly Hendry-Saunders
Hello! I am Holly, one of the Associate Producers for the 2021 Independent Publishing Conference. I’m from Adelaide and moved to Melbourne two months ago to pursue my passion for publishing. I drove over in my trusty hatchback containing all my possessions (mainly books), unsure of what I was getting myself into, knowing only a […]
SPN Book of the Year award 2021
Entries are now open for the 2021 SPN Book of the Year Award (BOTY). Any book published by an SPN member (full or associate) during the 2020 calendar year is eligible. (If you’re not a member of SPN, click here to find out how to join.) The shortlist will be released in September, with the winner […]
2020 Independent Publishing Conference: 26 & 27 November
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING CONFERENCE, 26–27 NOVEMBER 2020 The 2020 Independent Publishing Conference will be held entirely online on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 November 2020. This will be the ninth consecutive year for the conference, the only annual industry-wide event for the book publishing sector in Australia. Ticket sales are now live at https://www.trybooking.com/BMBCB. There are deep […]
MUBA 2019: and the winner is …
The winner of this year’s MUBA was announced as part of the 2019 Independent Publishing Conference. We are very pleased to say that the winner is … Songwoman by Ilka Tampke, published by Text Publishing. Find out more about Songwoman here.
Most Underrated Book Award 2019: Shortlist Announcement
The Small Press Network is pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2019 Most Underrated Book Award. The Most Underrated Book Award is sponsored by the Australian Booksellers Association and aims to uncover and celebrate the hidden gems of Australian publishing. The 2019 shortlisted titles are: Brontide by Sue McPherson (Magabala Books) Antidote to a Curse by James Cristina […]
Meet the new MUBA judges
We’re very pleased to introduce you to the new judging panel for the Most Underrated Book Award (MUBA). Melissa Cranenburgh is a writer, broadcaster, editor and educator. She spent more than a decade in senior editing roles, including associate editor and acting editor of The Big Issue, and co-editor of the magazine’s annual fiction edition. She now […]
MUBA18 Spotlight: ‘Living in Hope’ by Frank Byrne with Frances Coughlan and Gerard Waterford
Warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Peoples, this content contains images and voices of deceased persons. Living in Hope, by the late Frank Byrne with Frances Coughlan and Gerard Waterford, is the next book in our MUBA18 shortlist spotlights. Living in Hope by Frank Byrne is ‘more than just a story of surviving’. A child of the […]
MUBA18 Spotlight: ‘Plane Tree Drive’ by Lynette Washington
Plane Tree Drive by Lynette Washington is the next book to feature in our 2018 Most Underrated Book Award shortlist spotlights. Lynette Washington’s Plane Tree Drive is a collection of short stories, each providing a glimpse into the lives of the residents of Plane Tree Drive. Themes of isolation and connection colour the interwoven stories of […]
MUBA18 spotlight: ‘Gwen’ by Goldie Goldbloom
The Small Press Network is pleased to name Gwen by Goldie Goldbloom as one of the shortlisted books for the 2018 Most Underrated Book Award. Gwen tells the story of Gwendolen Mary John, the lesser known sister of artist Augustus John. After an encounter with famed artist Auguste Rodin, Gwen makes a pilgrimage from London to […]
Most Underrated Book Award 2018: shortlist announcement
The Small Press Network is pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2018 Most Underrated Book Award. The Most Underrated Book Award is sponsored by the Australian Booksellers Association and aims to uncover and celebrate the hidden gems of Australian publishing. The 2018 shortlisted titles are: Gwen by Goldie Goldbloom (Fremantle Press) Living in Hope […]
2018 SPN Christmas catalogue out now!
The 2018 Small Press Network Christmas Catalogue is out now! SPN Christmas Catalogue 2018 features over 70 fresh titles from 30 SPN member publishers across all genres. Copies have been distributed to bookshops and libraries around the country, thanks to our partners the Australian Booksellers Association, Leading Edge Books and ALS Library Services. Ask your […]
2018 Independent Publishing Conference: program announced
The program for the seventh annual Independent Publishing Conference, to be held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne from Thursday 22 to Saturday 24 November, is now live. As in previous years, the conference will feature a Research Day on Thursday 22 November, at which presenters will share their research in various aspects of publishing; […]
Six writers secure a place on the Hungerford Award shortlist in bumper year of great Western Australian writing
Yuot Alaak, Zoe Deleuil, Alan Fyfe, Holden Sheppard, Julie Sprigg and Trish Versteegen are in the running for $12,000 in prize money from the City of Fremantle and a publishing contract with Fremantle Press. The six new Western Australian writers are shortlisted for the 2018 City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award.
Introducing: Associate Producer Ellen Stephens
In the lead up to the 2018 Independent Publishing Conference, I am excited to be assisting the network that advocates for diverse and independent publishing. The books published by members of the Small Press Network have fuelled my imagination and inspired me to pursue a career in publishing. Before coming to the conclusion that publishing […]
Indie Publishing Forums: Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney
SPN is very happy to announce the Indie Publishing Forums, a new initiative created in partnership with Ingram Spark, Books+Publishing and the Australian Society of Authors, supported by the Australian Booksellers Association, the Queensland Writers Centre, Writers Victoria and Writing NSW. The inaugural forums will be held in the evenings, in Melbourne on 31 July […]
Independent Publishing Conference 2018: Call for papers
The Laws of Publishing Deadline: Friday 29 June 2018 The complex systems of rules, conventions and traditions that underpin publishing practice are inextricably linked to the production, reception and consumption of texts. They range from formally consecrated legislation and official industry and organisational codes of conduct, through to unofficial traditions ‘learned on the job’: passed on […]
Free childcare at the 2017 Independent Publishing Conference
As part of our ongoing efforts to make the Independent Publishing Conference accessible and welcoming to everyone, the Small Press Network is providing free childcare. If you would like to use this service, please let us know when you book your tickets. There is an option to do so when booking online, or you can […]
Opportunity: Associate Producer Internship Program
After its success last year, we are again running our Associate Producer internship program to support the delivery of this November’s Independent Publishing Conference. Our Associate Producers work closely with Conference Manager Sarah Jansen and SPN General Manager Matthia Dempsey to deliver the 2017 conference and MUBAs. There are three positions available; all are voluntary. The program is designed […]
Announcement: Industry Research Day Keynote Speaker
The Independent Publishing Conference team is thrilled to announce our keynote speaker for the Industry Research Day. Associate professor Katherine Bode will explore the intersection of two forms of publishing: one endemic to the nineteenth century, the other to the twenty-first. She will take us through how Australian fiction publishing has from its origins been […]
Independent Publishing Conference 2017: Call for Papers
Legacies of Publishing Deadline: Thursday 29 June 2017 Extended: 14 July 2017 All accepted presenters will be invited to submit papers for possible publication by Monash University Publishing in a book of essays resulting from the conference. Click here to download a PDF of this Call for Papers. Every book leaves a legacy; every publisher inherits one. […]
Most Underrated Book Award 2016 shortlist announced!
The Small Press Network (SPN) is delighted to announce the four titles shortlisted for the fifth annual Most Underrated Book Award (MUBA), sponsored by Booktopia. The shortlisted titles are: A Man Made Entirely of Bats by Patrick Lenton (Spineless Wonders) Clancy of the Undertow by Christopher Currie (Text Publishing) Creating Cities by Marcus Westbury (Niche […]
Job opportunity at SPN
The Small Press Network (SPN) seeks to appoint an experienced event organiser, ideally with knowledge of the publishing industry, to prepare the 2016 Independent Publishing Conference, to be held 9 to 12 November at the Wheeler Centre. The role will be one day a week commencing early June and will report to SPN’s general […]
Small publishers produce twice as much ‘Australian literature’ as the major publishers
A new paper, ‘Small Publishers and the Emerging Network of Australian Literary Prosumption’, in the Australian Humanities Review, by former Small Press Network president Emmett Stinson, has found that ‘large publishers are no longer the primary mediators of Australian literature’. Stinson’s survey of 2012 titles demonstrates that small publishers UQP, Puncher & Wattman, Giramondo, UWA […]
Author and publisher, almost strangers, embark on a month-long odyssey to the exotic South Atlantic island of Lanzarote
After a twenty-six year absence, author Isobel Blackthorn returns to the
volcanic desert island of Lanzarote to promote her novel, The Drago
Tree, accompanied by her publisher, Michelle Lovi at Odyssey Books.
The island used to be Isobel’s home, and after two decades working and
rearing her children, she’s created her own way of going back. Although
she admits the adventure wouldn’t be happening without her publisher.
Meet the Publisher: Duncan Felton, Grapple Publishing
When and how were you established? After many years of semi-organised pondering and planning, Grapple Publishing started late in 2013, making itself known to the world with a call-out for submissions to The Grapple Annual No. 1. At that point it was just me sitting at my computer with some ideas, some savings and a […]
A New Appointment at Margaret River Press
We are delighted to announce that Laurie Steed has been employed as Project Manager at Margaret River Press…
Fremantle Press launches new website
Fremantle Press launched a new e-commerce website in August. The website has been revamped to include specific sections for teachers and book clubs, while making it easier for customers to engage with authors.