News - Text Publishing

Wyatt wins a Ned Kelly

2010-09-06T00:00:00Z

Congratulations to Garry Disher, whose novel Wyatt is this year’s winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction. A breath-taking ride through the streets of Melbourne complete with failed heists and double crosses, Wyatt marks the first new adventure in a decade for Disher’s master criminal. Wyatt ‘is hard boiled and Disher’s writing is short, dry and fast paced to match.’ West Australian

Garry previously won this award in 2007 with Chain of Evidence.

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards

2010-09-06T00:00:00Z

The shortlists for the 2010 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards were announced at the Wheeler Centre yesterday.

Described by the judges as ‘savage, lyrical and tender,’ Truth by Peter Temple has been shortlisted for the $30,000 Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction. This represents further great recognition for the winner of the 2010 Miles Franklin.

Stupid Money, Gideon Haigh’s account of America’s role in the global financial crisis, has been shortlisted for the Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate. The essay, published in Griffith REVIEW 25: After the Crisis, was described by the judges as a piece in which ‘the prose is always dashing, the tone consistently lively and spiced with wit.’

Congratulations to Peter and Gideon.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday 28 September.

The Inkys longlist has been announced

2010-09-01T00:00:00Z

The Centre for Youth Literature has just announced the longlist for the 2010 Inkys. The Inkys are awards for teenage literature voted for by readers. The longlist consists of 10 Australian books, all vying for the Gold Inky, and 10 International books, one of which will take home the Silver Inky. The longlist was selected by the Centre. A shortlist will be made by a panel of judges before voting opens to readers aged between 12 and 20.

We are thrilled to see two Text titles on the longlist. Will Grayson, Will Grayson, the collaboration by YA superstars John Green and David Levithan, and Kelly Link’s surreal collection of short stories, The Wrong Grave, are both in contention for the Silver Inky.

‘…John Green and David Levithan’s Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a complete romp…the novel is so tightly woven that it begins to feel miraculous…Will Grayson, Will Grayson is so funny, rude and original that by the time flowers hit the stage after Hold Me Closer, even the musical-averse will cheer.’ New York Times

‘Link invests fantasy and fairytale with literary kinks, giving her stories twists that are always quirky and sometimes postmodern. Her work glitters with dark intelligence and a distinctive brand of magic that reminded me of Neil Gaiman at his best…. A wonderful collection that will attract fans, young and old, of imaginative fiction.‘ Age

Important dates:

Shortlist chosen: 12 October
Voting commences: 12 October
Voting closes: 19 November
Winner announced: 25 November

You can read the entire longlist here.

Jay Griffiths in the Alps

2010-08-31T00:00:00Z

In April next year Text will publish the brilliant new book by author and adventurer Jay Griffiths, A Love Letter from a Stray Moon, a novel based on the life of Frida Kahlo and described by John Berger as ‘like a dress that Kahlo invented for herself and wore’. In the meantime, Jay will lead the next course at the Wordmeadow Writing Workshops, in the French Alps, from 24 to 28 October. She will be joined by Paul Henry, the acclaimed Welsh author of seven collections of poetry.

Near the historic village of Samoens and less than an hour from Geneva Airport, Wordmeadow offers the chance to explore new territory on the page and on foot through its residential writing courses. Cocoon yourself in its gorgeous chalet, enjoy delicious organic food, and be inspired through open-air workshops with high-calibre professional writers, skilled at teaching creative writing in a friendly environment. Catch a spark from the current that runs through Jay’s writing, and cultivate your talents in the Wordmeadow.

Your chance to win a copy of An Love Letter from a Stray Moon

Closer to home, we’re on the lookout for lovers of great writing and great art. To spread the word about Jay’s new book, we have three limited-edition advance copies of the amazing A Love Letter from a Stray Moon to give to the first three people that email us with the subject line ‘Jay Griffiths’ and their postal address. Send us a short review when you’ve read the book and it will be posted online.

Update: winners announced

Bronwyn Firman
Ms A Bishop
Bree Edwards

Thanks to everyone who entered.

The winners are in for the Nick Cave newsletter giveaway

2010-08-31T00:00:00Z

Thanks to everyone who responded to the newsletter giveaway for the chance to win a Nick Cave prize pack. We had ten packs, each containing Nick’s new album Grinderman 2 and the audio book of The Death of Bunny Munro, to give away and we were overwhelmed by the number of entries.

Congratulations to the winners:

Taryn Mangelsdorf
Pat Monaghan
Cassandra Ball
Chris Womersly
Christian McQueen
Lilit Thwaites
Elaine Lewis
Jesse Maddison
Juliet Firth
Josh Donellan

If you missed out, there will be more opportunities for our newsetter subscribers to win in the future. If you don’t subscribe to the newsletter, then you are missing out on chances just like this. Sign up to the left of screen to receive monthly updates on all Text news and books.

And look out for the stunning new edition of The Death of Bunny Munro coming in November.

An amazing month for literary festivals

2010-08-30T00:00:00Z

The Melbourne Writers Festival has already begun and this year includes a stellar line-up of Text authors. With over 30 authors appearing (you can see the full list here) you are sure to be able to see some of your favourites. Visit the MWF site to see the program and purchase tickets.

Two other great festivals kick-off this week as well. Both the Brisbane Writers Festival and the Christchurch Writers Festival begin Wednesday. Elif Batuman, Steph Bowe, Stephen Daisley, Garry Disher and Jessica Rudd will take to the stage in Brisbane, while Emily Maguire, Richard Newsome and Kirsten Reed will be making the trip to Christchurch.

Tickets are sure to sell fast so make sure you don’t miss out on your opportunity to attend.

Addition to hit the big screen

2010-08-27T00:00:00Z

Text Publishing is pleased to announce that Buon Giorno Productions and Bruna Papandrea have acquired the film rights in Toni Jordan’s novel Addition.

Cristina Pozzan of Buon Giorno Productions and Bruna Papandrea will co-produce the film.

Cristina Pozzan produced the critically acclaimed feature film Return Home, while Bruna Papandrea’s producer credits include Milk, Better Than Sex and the upcoming All the Good Things.

‘Toni has created a female character that is so wonderfully complex. I have no doubt that a movie audience will be as emotionally drawn in and entertained as I was,’ said Bruna Papendrea.

Cristina Pozzan believes this ‘beautifully witty and perceptive novel… promises to be a highly original and sophisticated romantic comedy.’

Both author Toni Jordan and publisher Michael Heyward were thrilled to have found the right partners for this project, with Toni adding that she was ‘so delighted to have finally found the right filmmakers to take care of Grace because I’d really hate to be on her wrong side’.

Addition was shortlisted for Best Fiction book and Newcomer of the Year at the 2008 ABIA awards and was awarded Indie Book of the Year award for fiction. Text will release Toni’s new book, Fall Girl, in November this year.

Follow Wildgirl and Wolfboy into Shyness

2010-08-24T00:00:00Z

Twelve months ago Leanne Hall drew the team at Text into the dark city of Shyness, when she won the 2009 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing with her novel This Is Shyness. Now it’s out and you too can follow Wolfboy and Wildgirl into the eternal night.

Check out this amazing atmospheric trailer for what is sure to be a cult classic.

This great YA novel has the blogosphere talking, with posts on Hey! Teenager of the Year, Of Ceiling Wax and Cabbages and The Book Gryffin all raving.

So step into the dark, it may just change your life.

Griffith REVIEW Father's Day gift ideas

2010-08-24T00:00:00Z

Stuck for gift ideas for Father’s Day? Griffith REVIEW has two options that are sure to please the thinking dad this year:

For the serious father who considers the big issues, the Thinking Man’s 4-pack includes recent timely editions featuring essays shortlisted for major prizes. This gift pack contains the bestselling Edition 27: Food Chain; Edition 28: Still the Lucky Country; the current Edition 29: Prosper or Perish; and the inaugural fiction issue Stories for Today. That’s over $99 in value for just $60! You can also choose to continue the love and save even more by bundling this gift pack with a year’s subscription to Griffith REVIEW for only $130.
For the father who’s a dreamer and storyteller, select the Father’s Fiction Subscription Package. This includes a FREE copy of Edition 26: Stories for Today with a one-year subscription to Griffith REVIEW, starting with the current Edition 29: Prosper or Perish and continuing with the highly-anticipated second annual fiction edition in November, plus two more editions in 2011.

PLUS the first three people to subscribe with the promo code DAD2010 will also get a bonus Text Publishing book bundle, worth an additional $86, with the following titles:
– Campaign Ruby by Jessica Rudd. The funniest book about Australian politics you’ll read this year.
– An Exclusive Love by Johanna Adorján. An unsentimental memoir of family life and death.
– The Third Man Factor by John Geiger. The secret to survival in extreme environments.

To take advantage of these offers subscribe online at www.griffithreview.com.

Awards news from Western Australia

2010-08-20T00:00:00Z

The WA Government has announced the 2008 and 2009 shortlists for the revamped Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards. We were thrilled to be notified that three Text titles had been chosen on the shortlists.

The 2008 shortlist features Kate Grenville’s The Lieutenant and Helen Garner’s The Spare Room. Both these best-selling novels are vying for the Fiction Award.

Lia Hills' wonderful debut novel exploring a teenage boy’s philosophical journey to cope with his mother’s death, The Beginner’s Guide to Living, is shortlisted for the 2009 Young Adult Award.

Congratulations to Kate, Helen and Lia. We will be barracking for you come the announcement of the winners on Wednesday, 1 September.

Your chance to meet Jessica Rudd

2010-08-20T00:00:00Z

Jessica Rudd’s debut novel, Campaign Ruby, has been grabbing its share of the limelight during this election campaign. Already having appeared on programs such as Sunrise, Mornings with Kerri-Anne and ABC’s Life Matters, Jessica has been out and about promoting this wonderfully funny novel that some have labelled ‘Bridget Jones meets The West Wing’.

If you are in Queensland this weekend you have the chance to meet Jessica in person and have her sign a copy of the book for you. Jessica will be at Riverbend Books (193 Oxford St, Bulimba) from 10am tomorrow, Saturday, 21 August. Please contact the store for details.

AFFECTION shortlisted in the QLD Premier's Literary Awards

2010-08-17T00:00:00Z

Congratulations to Krissy Kneen, whose memoir Affection has been shortlisted for the QLD Premier’s Literary Awards in the Non-Fiction category. Previous winners in this category include Chloe Hooper, Craig Sherborne and Margaret Simons.

Affection is an open-hearted and frankly expressed account of one woman’s determination to express her sexuality in all its dimensions. It is a moving, compelling feat of story-telling that left Kate Holden declaring Affection to be ‘absorbing and beautifully written’, while John Birmingham found it ‘confronting, hilarious and amazingly honest’. A new edition with a stunning new cover will hit shelves in October.

The QLD Premier’s Literary Awards have been supporting and rewarding writers since 1999 and have grown to offer prize money of $225,000 over 14 categories. You can see all the shortlists here. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, 31 August.

Good luck, Krissy.

THE BILLIONAIRE'S CURSE wins the Esther Glen Award

2010-08-17T00:00:00Z

Text Publishing congratulates Richard Newsome on winning the Esther Glen Award for his debut novel, The Billionaire’s Curse.

The Esther Glen Award is the oldest and one of the most prestigious literary awards in New Zealand. It recognises a distinguished contribution to literature for children aged 0-15, and past winners include Bernard Beckett, Elizabeth Knox, Margaret Mahy, Kate de Goldi, Maurice Gee and Tessa Duder.

This is the first time an Australian resident has ever been honoured: Richard, who was born in Wanganui, now lives in Brisbane.

The shortlist for the 2010 award included an impressive list of titles such as Joy Cowley’s Friends: Snake & Lizard and the winner of the 2010 NZ Post Book Award for Young Adult Fiction, The Crossing by Mandy Hager.

The Billionaire’s Curse is already an award-winner, having taken out the inaugural Text Prize in 2008. Its gripping sequel, The Emerald Casket, is out now.

Award shortlistings for CAPITAL and WYATT

2010-08-13T00:00:00Z

Capital, Kristin Otto’s vibrant account of Melbourne’s time as Australia’s capital city, has been nominated for another award. This time it has received recognition in the Victorian Community History Awards. The awards are the result of a partnership between Information Victoria and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, and have been implemented to recognise ‘the importance of local and community history’.

The winner will be announced at a private ceremony on Thursday 19 August.

In other awards news, the master of crime Garry Disher has been shortlisted for Australia’s crime writing awards, the Ned Kellys, for Wyatt, his highly acclaimed novel about the eponymous master criminal. Wyatt was released in February this year, marking over a decade since this cagey character had appeared in a new novel, and his return prompted Graeme Blundell in the Weekend Australian to comment that ‘Wyatt is so compelling it simply has to be read in one sitting.’

Garry won the 2007 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction with Chain of Evidence.

The winners in the various Ned Kelly categories will be announced at the Melbourne Writers Festival on Friday 3 September.

The Indigenous Literacy Project—how we all can help

2010-08-13T00:00:00Z

For a large proportion of the population, having the skill to read is something we take for granted. Sadly, for some in our community this is not the case. In some Indigenous communities many people face life without the necessary literacy skills to meet real-life challenges such as reading road signs or the directions on a medicine label. The Indigenous Literacy Project aims to raise levels of literacy in Indigenous communities and with it improve the lives and future opportunities of Indigenous people.

The Indigenous Literacy Project has many programs and events in place to raise funds and awareness. Two upcoming events in which you can participate and contribute to this cause are the Songs for Stories concert and the I Heart Art auction.

Songs for Stories is on Sunday 22 August at the Melbourne Town Hall and will feature acts such Dan Sultan, Megan Washington and Shane Howard. You can book via the Melbourne Writers Festival.

I Heart Art is an auction of work from some of Australia’s premier illustrators. The auction, held at the Arthouse Hotel in Sydney on Wednesday 25 August, will feature such talents as Shaun Tan, Bob Graham and Leigh Hobbs. For more information visit here.

One campaign has been run and won, and the winner takes home a copy of Jessica Rudd's CAMPAIGN RUBY

2010-08-12T00:00:00Z

We received a great response to our call for your pollie stories. As with that other campaign currently underway, there can be only one winner. And that winner is…drum roll, please…Alyssa Lynch. Alyssa receives a free copy of Campaign Ruby by Jessica Rudd for her tale of a bogan on a phone, a Lord Mayor on a tram, and a lost vote.

I get the South Melbourne tram on its way to the city every morning and Robert Doyle, former Victorian Liberal Party leader and now 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, is sometimes on board. At first it was kind of exciting seeing him getting to work on public transport like everybody else, and there’s no doubt Doyle likes the attention when people recognise him. But one day an excited young bogan spotted Doyle. He loudly rang his girlfriend to tell her he was on the tram sitting two rows down from the Mayor. A smiling Robert Doyle interrupted the conversation to correct the guy. ‘It’s Lord Mayor’, he told him.

Well, I’m reconsidering my vote, Lord Mayor!

Alyssa Lynch

Well done Alyssa and thanks to everyone for participating.

Campaign Ruby is now in stores everywhere.

Here's your chance to WIN during this election

2010-08-06T00:00:00Z

As you may have read in the newspapers, Text is launching an exciting debut novel this month: Jessica Rudd’s energetic, very funny political rom-com, Campaign Ruby.

Set during an Australian election campaign, the novel introduces the world to lovable, calamity-prone Ruby Stanhope—fashionista and accidental political advisor. It’s being described as Bridget Jones meets the West Wing, and it makes terrific election-time reading!

We’re celebrating Jessica’s literary debut with a launch party in the author’s hometown, Brisbane, on Tuesday 17 August, and Campaign Ruby is out in bookshops now.

And here’s your chance to win a copy!

In 150 words or less, send us your best behind-the-scenes pollie moment. Did you run into Barnaby at the annual Boolba Wool and Craft show or hold the reflector for Julia’s magazine shoot? Perhaps you handed Tony a water bottle during a triathlon. We want to hear it all.

Email us here with your 150-word story by 6pm Wednesday. We’ll put the best entry on our website on Thursday and send a copy of Campaign Ruby to the winner.

FIVE PARTS DEAD launches during an historic week

2010-08-05T00:00:00Z

This week the Transport Accident Commission launched a month-long campaign to mark the 40-year-anniversary since Victoria became the first jurisdiction in the world to introduce compulsory seat belts. Since the introduction in 1970, the road toll has reduced dramatically from over 1,000 deaths annually to less than 300 last year. However, there are still far too many people, and in particular young men, dying on our roads every year.

This week also marks the launch of Tim Pegler’s outstanding YA novel, Five Parts Dead. Tim deals frankly with the issue of teen deaths in cars and the trauma that is left behind. This gripping story is a must-read for all teenagers about to sit behind the wheel, and for the parents who are about to hand over the keys.

Five Parts Dead will be launched by Sally Rippin at The Little Bookroom in Carlton North on Saturday 21 August. Proceedings will begin at 4pm. Come along and help send this important, highly readable novel into the world.

Please email Stephanie Stepan for more details or to RSVP.

Newsletter subscriber giveaway

2010-08-04T00:00:00Z

Thank you to all who entered our newsletter subscriber giveaway for Leanne Hall’s fabulous debut This Is Shyness. This Is Shyness, which Simmone Howell calls ‘a world-tilting romance full of comic-strip cool’, was the winner of the 2009 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing.

The winners of the giveaway have now been notified and are listed below. If you didn’t win on this occasion, never fear, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.

If you are not a subscriber to the newsletter then you are missing out on wonderful opportunities to keep up-to-date with all Text news and new releases, and, of course, to win upcoming Text titles. You can sign up just to the left of screen.

The winners:

Lucy Treloar
Stephanie Little
Doreen Sullivan
Lea McInerney
Louise Pine
Tessa Brierley
Elisa Terpos
Chris Miles
Betty Kostevski
Ian See

On tour with Richard Newsome

2010-07-28T00:00:00Z

Richard Newsome, the author of The Billionaire Trilogy, has been receiving the rockstar treatment from kids up and down the east coast.

The first instalment in the series, The Billionaire’s Curse, won the inaugural Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing and the second book, The Emerald Casket, has just hit the shelves. Nine to twelve year olds all around the country are already hanging out for the final book, to be published in 2011.

Richard has been in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne visiting schools and bookstores such as Riverbend Books, Coaldrakes, Pages & Pages, Shearer’s and The Little Bookroom. Along the way he’s tangled with the tough questions (‘What’s a villain?’) and been given the heads up on the next big thing in kids' fiction: ‘Owls—possibly even skeleton owls that fly and rattle in the night and scare the bejeesus out of people.’

Richard will be attending the Christchurch Writers' Festival in September, and we know there are many NZ readers eagerly awaiting their chance to meet Richard too.