Copyright Agency acknowledges the passing of Uncle Lionel Fogarty, a proud Mununjali man of the Yugambeh Nation, an award-winning poet, activist and valued member of our community. Over more than four decades, Uncle Lionel made a significant contribution to Australian literature. From his first collection Kargun (1980) to Harvest Lingo, his fourteenth collection, his work […]
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Three first-time nominees are among the six talented writers shortlisted for the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award. They are joined by two previously shortlisted authors and a two-time winner. Announced today by Perpetual as Trustee, alongside Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, the 2025 shortlist is: Chinese Postman by Brian Castro (Giramondo Publishing) Theory & Practice by […]
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Four first-time nominees are among the six talented writers shortlisted for the 2024 Miles Franklin Literary Award. They are joined by former winner Alexis Wright and twice shortlisted author Gregory Day. Announced today by Perpetual as Trustee, alongside Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, the 2024 shortlist is: Only Sound Remains by Hossein Asgari (Puncher & Wattmann) […]
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Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund is delighted to announce this year’s recipients of our three writing fellowships for a total of $170,000. The Copyright Agency’s Fellowships provide timely and crucial financial support to authors to create new work for publication. The direct support to authors through the Cultural Fund, which is the philanthropic arm of the […]
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Shankari Chandran has won the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, published by Ultimo Press. On winning the award, Chandran said: “It’s such an honour to win the Miles Franklin Literary Award, honestly, I’m still in shock. To be recognised among my Australian writing peers in this way […]
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Five first-time nominees, including a debut author, are among the six talented writers shortlisted for the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award. Announced today by Perpetual as Trustee, alongside Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, the authors will be competing for one of the most prestigious literary prizes in Australia, with the winner receiving $60,000. The 2023 Miles […]
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We pay tribute to Gabrielle Carey, renowned Australian author and Copyright Agency member, who has passed away. She was a prolific writer who made a significant contribution to the Australian literary scene. While still teenagers, Gabrielle and her best friend, Kathy Lette, became famous for their largely autobiographical novel, Puberty Blues, which was published in […]
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We’re saddened to hear of the passing of John Tranter, renowned Australian poet, editor, critic, reviewer, broadcaster, and valued Copyright Agency member. One of Australia’s greatest poets, Tranter published 22 collections of poetry, received many fellowships and grants, and won numerous literary awards – including both the Kenneth Slessor Prize and the Grace Leven Prize […]
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The Australia Council has today released a summary of the 2022 National Survey of Australian Book Authors, which provides valuable insights into the conditions faced by authors. The survey was conducted by Paul Crosby, David Throsby and Jan Zwar from Macquarie University and supported by funding from the Australia Council and the Copyright Agency’s Cultural […]
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Indigenous Literacy Day aims to raise awareness and funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF), which supports remote Communities across Australia to shape their children’s literacy future. This year’s theme is Celebrating Stories, Cultures and Languages, highlighting the importance of sharing knowledge through First Nations storytelling and language, and of keeping 65,000 years of culture […]
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Tim Winton is one of Australia’s most critically acclaimed authors, selling more than two million copies of his 29 books over a 40-year publishing career. To celebrate this milestone, 18 of his titles are being re-released with brand new covers, giving his wide-ranging backlist a bold and cohesive new look.
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The annual My Place Competition for creative writing – jointly presented by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF), ABC Education and Copyright Agency’s Reading Australia – was inspired by the acclaimed ABC television series of the same name. It tells the story of one Australian community through the eyes of the children who live there, starting in 2008 and going back decade by decade to before colonisation.
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The Copyright Agency today announced the appointment of Matthew Ricketson to its Board, filling the casual vacancy for the Author Member. Dr Ricketson has worked as a journalist with the Age, the Australian, the Sunday Herald and other press publications. He has taught journalism at RMIT, was a Professor of Journalism at the University of […]
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Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund is supporting three sessions at this year’s Byron Writers Festival. Josephine Johnston, CEO of the Copyright Agency, will attend the festival to introduce our 2021 Author Fellow Robert Drewe. Drewe will be talking about his new novel Nimblefoot with journalist, novelist and media trainer Russell Eldridge (10:15am on Friday 26 August). […]
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National Poetry Month Gala August is Poetry Month and what better way to celebrate contemporary Australian poets and their craft than with Red Room Poetry’s inaugural National Poetry Month Gala! Supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, the Gala showcases a rich feast of contemporary poets such as Eunice Andrada, Kirli Saunders, Jacqui Malins and […]
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Jennifer Down has won the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel, Bodies of Light,
published by Text Publishing. As one of the youngest authors to be honoured with the Award in its 65-
year history – the youngest being Randolph Stow for To the Islands in 1958 at 23 – Jennifer Down
has established herself as a potent voice in the new generation of Australian writers.
In 1974 Frank was one of a small band of determined volunteers campaigning for respect and financial recognition for Australian creators. His legacy lives on today ensuring that creators are fairly remunerated for their work in a digital environment that provides millions of students with access to high quality educational material. Frank generously gave permission […]
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Diana Reid ‘s Love and Virtue (Ultimo Press) has won Book of the Year at the 2022 Australian Book Industry Awards, held on Thursday 9 June at the ICC Sydney .The prestigious award was this year presented by Lisa Wilkinson.
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Today, the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, alongside award trustee Perpetual, announced the 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist featuring five exceptional titles. The announcement was broadcast nationally.
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As autumn is now in full swing, what better time is there to dive further into reading; whether it’s curling up alone with a new book for self-care time, joining your local library, hitting up your independent bookshops or starting a book club with your friends?
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Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2022! If you missed the in-person festival, which finished on 8 May, you can engage with their online series. Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund is again supporting the online Author/Editor Series and a new Author-Illustrator Series (together with Booktopia). The successful ten-part Author/Editor series is a partnership […]
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Copyright Agency is partnering with Macquarie University and the Australia Council for the Arts on a new national survey of Australian authors. The findings will be released later this year. All published Australian authors are eligible to fill out the survey and we invite you to have your say. Copyright Agency CEO Josephine Johnston, says […]
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Macquarie University, the Australia Council for the Arts and the Copyright Agency are excited to announce that a national survey of Australian authors is now open. All published Australian authors are eligible to fill out the survey and we invite you to have your say. To complete the survey, visit www.mq.edu.au/authors-survey. The survey will remain […]
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The media industry’s night of nights gave recognition to Australia’s best journalists, photographers, editors and more for their incredible coverage of the year that was 2021.
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World Poetry Day, which falls on 21 March, celebrates the humble poem – whether read, written or spoken – as a unique and powerful mode of expression. Poetry has the power to capture and transform audiences in many different ways through the imaginative use of words and language, phonetics, punctuation, design and more. This World […]
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Hazel Edwards OAM, author of the much-loved children’s book series There’s a Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake amongst over 200 other books, has recently released her memoir,
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The 2021 finalists have been revealed for the 66th Annual Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
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The popularity of Australian children’s books overseas, the strength of the Chinese language market, and increasing interest in Australian adult fiction have been driving the success of Australian books overseas. The research, Success Story: International rights sales of Australian-authored books 2008–2018, was conducted in partnership between the Australia Council for the Arts, Macquarie University and […]
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Authors Bri Lee (Eggshell Skull, Beauty) and Anwen Crawford (Live Through This) were both holders of the New Writer Fellowship, in 2020 and 2018 respectively.
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Dr Terri Janke is a Wuthathi/Meriam woman, and an expert in Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP). She started her law firm, Terri Janke and Company over 20 years ago.
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Acclaimed Tasmanian author Amanda Lohrey has been awarded Australia’s prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel The Labyrinth, published by Text Publishing.
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Last week, the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, alongside award trustee Perpetual, announced the 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist, featuring six books by a mix of debut, early career and established authors.
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The Walkley Foundation’s mid-year awards celebrate excellence in Australian journalism, honouring the year’s best engaging stories, investigative skills and voice diversity.
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Three directly-elected positions on the Copyright Agency’s Board come up for election this year – that of Author Director, Artist Director and Publisher Director.
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The 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award Shortlist.
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The 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist includes a mix of acclaimed Australian authors and new voices showcasing the richness of Australian literature.
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Julia Baird’s Phosphorescence: On Awe, Wonder & Things that Sustain You when the World Goes Dark has won Book of the Year at the 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards, held on Wednesday night at Carriageworks in association with the Sydney Writers’ festival. The prestigious award was this year presented by screen star Cate Blanchett via […]
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The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has awarded three fellowships totalling $240,000 as the creative industries continue to call for critical financial support of Australia’s writers and artists. The Fellowships have been awarded to authors Rodney Hall and Krissy Kneen and visual artist Khaled Sabsabi, with each receiving $80,000 to write and create important new works. […]
Read MoreAustralia’s most prestigious literary award, the Miles Franklin, has been awarded to Wiradjuri author Tara June Winch for The Yield, published by Penguin Random House Australia. For the first time in the Award’s history, Perpetual announced the winner via a live YouTube presentation, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chosen from a shortlist showcasing a powerhouse […]
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The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, alongside award trustee Perpetual, has announced the 2020 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the shortlist announcement was made via a live YouTube presentation. The 2020 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist is: The White Girl by Tony Birch (University of Queensland Press): This novel describes the […]
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Times are tough for our creative industries, but there are still good news stories to be found. In addition to our latest funding recipients and the winners of the ABIAs, here are some other positive announcements coming out of the arts sector. 2020 Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist Ten authors have been longlisted for Australia’s […]
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Not even the COVID-19 pandemic could stop the book industry’s night of nights, as the 2020 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) were announced via live-stream on Wednesday 13 May. The virtual event was supported by a who’s who of presenters, including APA President Lee Walker, prolific author and proud Wiradjuri woman Anita Heiss, and former […]
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23 April is a date when many prominent writers have both entered (Halldór Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov) and departed from (Cervantes, Shakespeare) the world. This makes it the perfect candidate for UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day: a global tribute to books and authors, their contributions to social and cultural progress, and of course the pleasure […]
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At the recent Perth Festival Literature and Ideas Weekend, the Copyright Agency’s Nicola Evans presented the 2020 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript to author and Copyright Agency member Karen Wyld for her manuscript, Where the Fruit Falls. The prize includes $10,000 provided by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and a publishing contract with UWA […]
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Hazel Edwards’ beloved children’s book There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2020. Drawn to life in 1980 by illustrator Deborah Niland, the lovable Hippo has starred in seven picture books, a junior chapter book, classroom play scripts, a musical and a short film. The books have also been […]
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The Board of the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation, comprising leading representatives from the children’s book industry, have appointed multi-award winning author Ursula Dubosarsky as the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2020–2021. The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has supported the Australian Children’s Laureate program since 2011, providing a stipend to support each laureate for two years. Ursula […]
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Bri Lee, author of the award-winning and bestselling memoir Eggshell Skull, has been announced as the 2020 Copyright Agency UTS New Writer-in-Residence. “The significance of this opportunity to me is clear,” she says. “I can focus on doing precisely and exclusively the writing I want to for the entire rest of the year.” Bri is […]
Read More![Peggy Frew [Photo courtesy of Scribe Publications]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2016/08/Peggy-Frew-sq-350x175.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Scribe Publications
Read More![Myfanwy Jones [Photo courtesy of Allen & Unwin]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2016/08/Myf-Jones-sq-350x175.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Allen & Unwin
Read More![A.S. Patric [Photo courtesy of Transit Lounge]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2016/08/Author-Image_AS-Patric_Black-Rock-White-City-350x175.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Transit Lounge
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Author A. S. Patrić has won the prestigious 2016 Miles Franklin Literary Award for his debut novel, Black Rock White City. The award, announced at the opening night of the Melbourne Writers Festival tonight, has delivered Mr Patrić $60,000 in prize money from the Miles Franklin Trust, managed by Perpetual. As one of the five […]
Read More![Lucy Treloar [Photo courtesy of Pan Macmillan]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2016/08/Lucy-Treloar-sq1-350x175.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Pan Macmillan
Read More![Charlotte Wood [Photo © Tobias Andreasson]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2016/08/Charlotte-Wood-sq2-350x175.jpg)
Photo by Tobias Andreasson
Read More![Alice Pung [Photo © Olivia Tran]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2016/03/IMG_5996-as-Smart-Object-1-as-Smart-Object-1-350x175.jpg)
Artists spend so long creating their work and attempting originality, to have this taken away easily is an insult to their craft.
Photo by Olivia Tran
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South Australian author Dr Cath Kenneally has been awarded $30,000 as the first Copyright Agency J.M. Coetzee Writing Fellow at the University of Adelaide. Made possible with funding from the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, the fellowship will provide Dr Kenneally a six-month residency at the J.M. Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice (at the University of […]
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As a writer, the challenge is always to find the right form and structure.
Read More![Lachlan Philpott [Photo © Bryan Sun]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2015/07/LACHP6-profile-banner-350x175.jpg)
…I am such a strong advocate of supporting writers to connect to their own voice. It’s very different from emulating other people’s work. The significance of a writer’s own voice is an important thing to preserve…It is not only worth nurturing and supporting, it is worth protecting.
Photo by Bryan Sun
Read More![Keith Austin [Photo © Bryan Sun]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2015/07/KEITHAUS-Profile-350x175.jpg)
I like telling stories, I like creating people and worlds and situations that people enjoy reading…It always seemed such a magical thing to do – to tell stories that wormed their way into people’s hearts and brains. What better way to spend your life!
Photo by Bryan Sun
Read MoreI find this distillation process – the writing – to be the most exciting part because I am turning a million dry facts into pages which will hopefully educate, entertain and inspire the reader.
Read MoreYou might be a lousy speller, but if you have the gift of being able to create amazing stories you’re more likely to be published than someone who writes well, but has no flair for narrative.
Read MoreEvery journalist worth their salt writes to make a difference.
Read More![Hazel Edwards [Photo © Bryan Sun]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2015/05/HAZELEDWARDS_Profile-350x175.jpg)
To be a successful author, you need to be business-like about your rights, and gain ‘authorpreneurship’ skills.
Photo by Bryan Sun
Read More![Judith Rodriguez [Photo © Bryan Sun]](https://static-copyright-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2015/04/judith-rodriguez-350x175.jpg)
I’m continually surprised by the way ideas flower, change, form something living and new as you word them. I think it’s what I do best. You’ve got to give something to the world – poetry is my offering.
Photo by Bryan Sun
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Because writing for a living is a craft. Ideas may drop from the sky, but unless you craft them for your audience they risk languishing lifelessly on your laptop. It is a craft learned with practice, experience and endless feedback from generous friends and mentors.
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My view of the world when I was young was that it was a place of adventure. This remains true. I write because I imagine, hear or see things that I feel someone could benefit from me writing about them. Egotistical and irrational, of course, but that’s the fiction writer’s curse.
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Working out ways to share resources and acknowledge the contributions of peers and competitors are all important strategies for the future success of publishing in its myriad formats.
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I want to create resources that encourage young Aboriginal people to read. I think it’s important Aboriginal people today can see themselves in the Australian literary landscape.
Photo by Helen Kassila
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