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 […]
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Melissa Fyfe has won the 2019 Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing with her article ‘Getting Cliterate’, published in the Good Weekend, which celebrates the Australian scientist who almost single-handedly shed light on the anatomy and physiology of the female sex organ. The $7000 winner’s prize was presented by UNSW Science Dean, Professor Emma Johnston […]
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The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has awarded three life-changing Fellowships, valued at $80,000 each, in support and celebration of Australia’s writers and visual artists and the creation of new Australian works. The Fellowships have been awarded to writers Stephen Orr and James Bradley, and artist Danielle Freakley. Copyright Agency CEO Adam Suckling says, “Our Cultural Fund […]
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Copyright Agency has issued its 2018-19 Annual Report at its AGM held in Sydney on 20 November 2019. The report provides the audited financial results of the company and reports on achievements in the last financial year. 2018-19 was a strong year with many gains for our members. Highlights include: Strong financial results We generated revenue of around $150m and paid […]
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The Copyright Agency announced the appointment of two new Board Directors at its AGM on 20 November 2019 and released its end of financial year results. Copyright Agency Chairman Kim Williams welcomed the Deputy Chair of the Australian Society of Authors, Anne Maria Nicholson as an author director, and Managing Director of McGraw-Hill Education Cath […]
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This story, first published last year, is reproduced by popular demand. Could it be possible that the Will had set things right at last, and that Richard and Ada were going to be rich? It seemed too good to be true. Alas, it was! “Mr Kenge,” said Allan, appearing enlightened all in a moment. “…Do […]
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The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund continues to invest in Australia’s arts future, announcing more than $500,000 in grants for the support of 25 projects in the first of two rounds of funding for 2019. Applications for the Cultural Fund’s three Fellowships (each worth $80,000) for two authors and an artist, are open for application until […]
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One of the Copyright Agency’s stakeholders, Australian Book Review has created an Indigenous issue, which is out this month. To celebrate, ABR is providing Creative Licence readers with 100 free annual subscriptions to the digital edition. Catherine Ferrari asked the Editor and CEO of ABR, Peter Rose, about the special issue and the creation of […]
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The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund supports Australia’s literary community in myriad ways and sometimes, serendipitously, creates connections that go far beyond expectations. Our support for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award has helped introduce new audiences to the award-winning author Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad, who was shortlisted for The Lebs (Hachette Australia). Each shortlisted writer receives […]
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A two-time winner and three first-time nominees are among the talented Australian authors shortlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award, announced on Tuesday 2 July at the Mitchell Library of NSW – the “literary home” of Miles Franklin. The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, alongside award trustee Perpetual, announced six authors – three men and […]
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The Copyright Agency is calling for applicants for its annual round of CREATE grants, which close next month on 19 August. CREATE grants offer opportunities for mid-career and established writers and visual artists to create and develop new work. Grants are allocated in $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 amounts. Author Josephine Rowe received $10,000 last August for […]
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The trustee of Australia’s most prestigious literary awards, Perpetual, has announced 10 talented authors who have been included in the 2019 longlist for the Miles Franklin Award. The Miles Franklin Literary Award was established by prolific author and feminist Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, now best known for her first novel My Brilliant Career. First […]
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Eight authors and three artists have received a total of $46,440 from the Cultural Fund’s IGNITE grants program. The grants, ranging from $1900 to $5000, support the individuals through structured mentorships, residencies and study, some of which involves international travel. The authors are: NSW: Winnie Dunn, Adele Dumont, Ellen O’Brien and Michele Freeman. VIC: Janine […]
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The 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) were announced on Thursday 2 May at a red carpet Oscars-for-the-bookish event in the Grand Ballroom of Sydney’s International Convention Centre. Debut novelist Trent Dalton cleaned up this year for his literary bestselling triumph Boy Swallows Universe (HarperCollins Australia). Boy Swallows Universe won four Awards – the first book ever to do so; an ABIAs record – […]
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The Cultural Fund has once again funded Express Media’s Toolkits 12-week mentoring program for writers under 30, underway now in three genres, and seeking applications in early June for two further streams: Poetry and Digital Storytelling. Toolkits helps young writers develop their skills in a unique online environment, with facilitators and guest authors Zoya Patel, Mira Schlosberg,Jennifer […]
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Sydney artist Evert Ploeg has been illustrating book covers for children’s author, poet and publisher Geoffrey McSkimming since the late 1980s but had only spent limited time with the Cairo Jim chronicles author. When his daughters were around 9 and 6, “we started going to book launches” as they were into McSkimming’s Phyllis Wong books […]
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Audiences at the recent Perth and Adelaide Writers’ Weeks heard from an incredible array of speakers, including several sessions supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. In Perth in late February, the sponsored panels were: Other Lives, Other Bodies – chaired by Copyright Agency CEO Adam Suckling – Sydneysiders and Aesthetics, Arguments & Anthills. The Cultural Fund […]
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The Australian Society of Authors has joined with similar organisations in the UK and America to condemn the Internet Archive’s Open Library project, which aims to digitise and distribute books for free. A recent examination of the project by the ASA found that the site was hosting scanned copies of in-copyright books by Australian authors […]
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The Wheeler Centre’s Hot Desk Fellowships are back for 2019 – once again made possible by the generous support of the Readings Foundation. Twenty writers will be offered fellowships throughout the year. For the third year, an additional Playwright Hot Desk Fellowship will be offered to an emerging female playwright, which is supported by the […]
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The longlist for the 2019 Stella Prize, worth $50,000, was announced last Thursday in Sydney. Each of the twelve finalists receives $1,000 from the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund in recognition and support of their achievement. The longlist contains seven works of fiction and five of non-fiction – including the work of two authors who have […]
Read MoreThe Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has partnered with the Australia Council for the Arts to support Macquarie University’s research examining the international rights sales and export of Australian books over the last decade. Both organisations will contribute $30,000 to the study. In a first, the university study will collect data on the extent and nature […]
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Magabala Books is delighted to partner with the State Government of Western Australia and the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund to announce The Daisy Utemorrah Award, a national award open to Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writers. The Daisy Utemorrah Award is a new unpublished manuscript award for a work of junior and YA fiction, […]
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The distinguished Australian poet and human rights advocate Judith Rodriguez sadly passed away on 22 November 2018 at the age of 82. She had been a valued Copyright Agency member since 1992 and wrote in this member profile, “You’ve got to give something to the world – poetry is my offering.” Tributes have flowed for the late […]
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Preethika Mathan from Santa Sabina College, NSW, won this year’s Bragg Student Prize for her essay ‘i-Care’. The Bragg Student Prize celebrates excellence in science writing by Australian high school students in years 7 to 10, and is supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. The two student runners-up were Coco Dwyer and Ruby Mumford from […]
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Copyright Agency author member and teacher Kelly Evans was recently awarded a 2019 NSW Premier’s Teacher Scholarship supported by the Cultural Fund. Ms Evans, who teaches at Pambula on the NSW far south coast, was chosen to receive the $15,000 NSW Premier’s Copyright Agency Creativity across the Curriculum Scholarship to research teaching methods that promote […]
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Author Kirstie Parker was the winner of the Cultural Fund-sponsored David Unaipon Award at last month’s Queensland Literary Awards. The award, for an unpublished Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander writer, celebrated 30 years in 2018. Kirstie received a cash prize of $15,000 and publication with UQP for her work, The Making of Ruby Champion, and […]
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The overall winner of the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award is Beth Spencer for her short story collection, The Age of Fibs. Beth Spencer receives $3,000 in prize money. Judged by renowned Australian author Carmel Bird, the award offered cash prizes and digital publication by Australian publisher, Spineless Wonders to the overall winner as […]
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It comes as no surprise that reading books can be good for you, but did you know that reading can reduce stress more quickly than having a cup of tea? According to a study from the University of Sussex 1, reading can reduce stress by as much as 68% and it works faster than other […]
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The Copyright Agency is currently accepting applications from writers and artists for three of its annual Fellowships, each worth $80,000. There are two new fellowships in 2018 – for non-fiction writing and visual art – as well as the existing author fellowship. Applications close on 24 September. To find out more and to apply click […]
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Michelle de Kretser has won the 2018 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel The Life to Come, published by Allen & Unwin. This win makes her the third woman in the Award’s 61-year history to win the top prize more than once. Michelle’s previous win was in 2013 for her novel Questions of Travel. Michelle […]
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Copyright Agency is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for our Commercial Licensees to gain a one-year individual subscription to the digital edition of the Australian Book Review for free! As one of Australia’s leading cultural magazines, an ABR Online subscription provides access to original essays, commentaries, new reviews, creative writing and interviews, as well […]
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Three $80,000 Fellowships are currently available from the Copyright Agency, including the new Fellowship for Non-Fiction Writing and Fellowship for a Visual Artist. These grants provide important, sustained financial support to authors and visual artists to create a new body of work that will resonate with, and enrich Australian audiences. “These Fellowships invest in the future […]
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The Walkley Foundation named its Young Australian Journalist of the Year, two new Arts Journalism Awards, a Women’s Leadership in Media Award and the Jacoby-Walkley Scholarship at its mid-year awards in Sydney on 18 August. The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund supported the Arts Journalism Award and the Walkley-Pascall Award for Arts Criticism, providing $5,000 to […]
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A diverse group of Australian creatives will receive a share of $50,000 to develop their professional practice as the recipients of the Cultural Fund’s 2018 IGNITE Grant. IGNITE funding aims to equip those working in the writing, publishing and visual arts sectors with world-class skills to grow Australia’s distinctive voice on the world stage. A […]
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Three directly-elected positions on the Copyright Agency’s Board come up for election this year – that of Publisher Director, Author Director and Visual Artist Director. The three incumbents, publisher Jane Curry, journalist Adele Ferguson and visual artist Dr Oliver Watts, have all indicated they will nominate again for the positions. Members can also nominate for […]
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The winner of the Miles Franklin Award in 2017, Josephine Wilson, spoke at the recent Australian Parliamentary Friends of Books and Writers event at Parliament House Canberra on Monday 18 June 2018. The event, which was co-chaired by Senator Linda Reynolds and Graham Perrett MP, introduced four of the six authors who have been shortlisted […]
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The announcement of the shortlist for the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award 2018 includes two former winners, Kim Scott and Michelle de Kretser, and four other authors, all of whom have received literary accolades and are strong contenders to receive the $60,000 literary prize in August. On Sunday 17 June trustee of the award, Perpetual, […]
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Hazel Edwards explores how authors need to multi-task to create value for themselves and their readers. Why are you writing? To live more intensively? To earn a living? To keep learning? To avoid boredom? To share little known worlds? As an excuse for travelling? Justifying the way a life has been lived? Fame, and especially […]
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More than 40 students and staff members from Trinity Grammar School in Sydney have shared the books that mean the most to them in individual videos to support the Copyright Agency’s This Book Changed My Life social media campaign. The videos have been compiled by the School’s AV department into a short feature film, which will […]
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The Australian Publishers Association has announced the winners of the 2018 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs). Nevermoor picked up three awards including the major award of the night, the Gold ABIA for the Book of the Year, along with the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year and Book of the Year for Younger Readers. The inaugural Rising Star of […]
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The Copyright Agency has awarded two Publisher Fellowships at the Australian Book Industry Awards in Sydney. The Fellows, Spineless Wonders Publisher Bronwyn Mehan and Monash University Publishing’s Nathan Hollier will investigate what local publishers can learn from international business models in publishing in the United States and Asia. Copyright Agency CEO, Adam Suckling, said, “The […]
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Being a teenager can be exhilarating, harrowing, passionate and confusing all at the same time. They face hurdles like academic stresses, parental expectations, peer pressure and body image issues. Sometimes they must come to terms with more serious problems, like illness, addiction, poverty and death. Young people can find comfort and guidance in books that explore […]
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Prize-winning Australian authors, Charlotte Wood, Alexis Wright, Fiona Wright and Richard Flanagan, are currently in China for the 11th Australian Writers Week, which is supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. The event, from 15-24 March, forms part of the new Australian Writers Series – the Australian Embassy’s initiative to bring more Australian literary voices […]
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From Helen Garner to Machiavelli, from Drusilla Modjeska to Leo Tolstoy, audiences at the recent Perth and Adelaide Writers’ Weeks were thrilled to discover the books that changed the lives of some of our leading authors – including Miles Franklin winners Josephine Wilson and Sofie Laguna, Stella Prize winner Heather Rose and former Foreign Minister […]
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On Tuesday 13 February, the second Parliamentary Friends of Australian Books and Writers gathering was held at Parliament House, Canberra for the the launch of Library Lover’s Day. Graham Perrett MP and Senator Linda Reynolds were on hand to hear authors, Alison Lester and Aunty Joy Murphy, illustrator Lisa Kennedy and education expert Laureate Professor John Hattie, highlight […]
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“This diary shows [her] urge to write sustained Miles not only through her brilliant career but through her entire life.” – Margaret Francis, relative to Stella Maria Miles Franklin. You can read the fascinating story of how this diary has resurfaced after more than 30 years as it appeared in The Age newspaper on 7 March, 2018 here.
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The Copyright Agency is thrilled that well-loved children’s writer, and Reading Australia author, Morris Gleitzman has been announced as the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2018–19. He will dedicate the next two years to advocating for the importance of stories and everything stories can offer. Gleitzman is the author of the award-winning novel, Once (2005), for which there are dedicated teaching resources […]
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On Thursday 8 February, the 2018 Stella Prize longlist was announced in Melbourne. For the very first time, each longlisted author received $1000 in prize money, courtesy of the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund. The Copyright Agency’s CEO, Adam Suckling, said, ‘The Copyright Agency is delighted to support Australia’s leading women writers and the Stella Prize with $60,000 […]
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The Copyright Agency extends its congratulations to the following members who were awarded honours on Australia Day 2018. Janet McCalman (AC) author Marilyn Lake (AO) author & academic Em Prof Michael Coper (AO) academic Em Prof Russel Lansbury (AO) academic Geoffrey Roberston QC Prof Patricia Hoffie (AM) visual arts academic EM Prof Noeline Kyle (AM) […]
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Just a few short weeks after announcing the recipient of the Cultural Fund’s $80,000 Author Fellowship as Kathryn Heyman, the Copyright Agency has announced it will provide $1.035m to 35 arts organisations in 2018. The Copyright Agency’s CEO, Adam Suckling, says: “Everything we do supports our members – authors, journalists, publishers, visual artists and educators […]
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Changing the way Australian students are taught is no easy task. Creating a literacy program that improves students’ writing scores by up to 35% seems even more challenging. Nevertheless, Australian author, and Copyright Agency member, Jen McVeity has achieved it with her Seven Steps to Writing Success program. With an emphasis on engaging and inspiring […]
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The following speech on creativity was delivered by acclaimed author Richard Flanagan at the Copyright Agency’s end-of-year event in Sydney, 30 November 2017. “In 1964 a rising young Labor politician called Gough Whitlam told a senate enquiry that there was no such thing as a publishing industry in Australia. In 1964 an Australian living in […]
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Awards for our leading journalists, photographers and cartoonists have flowed thick and fast in the past few weeks. Walkley Awards On Wednesday 29 November, the 62nd Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism were held in Brisbane. Fairfax Media’s Michael Bachelard and Kate Geraghty won the coveted Gold Walkley Award for their extraordinary work, “Surviving IS: Stories of Mosul”. Kate Geraghty was […]
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Copyright Agency’s online educational resource, Reading Australia, has more than doubled its subscriber numbers this year, reaching over 11,000 teachers every month to let them know about a wide range of classroom activities available to help them teach Australian stories to students of all ages. In the four years since its launch, the online resource hub […]
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The Copyright Agency has named multi award-winning author Kathryn Heyman as its 2017 Author Fellow to develop her forthcoming memoir Words to Live By. “The $80,000 Author Fellowship for mid-to-late career authors is Australia’s richest fellowship for writers, providing crucial financial support for the development of a new work,” Copyright Agency CEO, Adam Suckling, says. […]
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Opportunity for Author members to change current payment arrangements In December Copyright Agency will be making a payment of licence fees from universities. Some authors paid in this distribution will receive the full payment for titles that have multiple rightshholders, and will bear the responsibility to on-pay all other rightsholders entitled to a share of that […]
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The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund is a proud supporter of the upcoming Word for Word National Non-Fiction Festival in Geelong, 17-19 November. The festival celebrates non-fiction writing in all its exciting forms, genres and facets, and this year boasts an impressive line-up of internationally renowned, award-winning Australian authors. Chief Executive of the Copyright Agency, Adam […]
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The Copyright Agency and Viscopy announced their intention to merge earlier this year. This process is now underway and, as such, two Extraordinary General Meetings will be held on 2 November – one for Viscopy members (to vote for the change) and one for Copyright Agency members to vote to amend the Copyright Agency’s constitution […]
Read MoreAs part of the class action against Université Laval, a legal notice to members has been issued. Authors and publishers worldwide are invited to read it and share with their networks. Important: no action is required on your part to be a member of the group. The notice can be consulted on Copibec’s website. www.copibec.ca/en/legal-notice […]
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On a literary night of nights Josephine Wilson took home the Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel Extinctions. Hailed by the judging panel as a clever and compassionate novel, the story follows protagonist Fred Lothian’s experiences with ageing, adoption, grief and remorse; rescue and also resistance to rescue. Read more about Josephine’s book and the […]
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Australia’s most prestigious literary award has been bestowed on Josephine Wilson for Extinctions, published by UWA Publishing. In a year when the Miles Franklin Literary Award celebrates its 60th anniversary, it is fitting the 2017 winning novel should address the themes of ageing and survival. Established through the will of My Brilliant Career author Miles […]
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What do a taxidermist, an Indigenous writer and a poet have in common? They are the three creators who have just received funding from the Copyright Agency’s Create Career Fund. The Create Career Fund supports mid-to-late career artists and authors by providing grants that allow the time to develop new work. Grants are allocated in $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 […]
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The Big Issue released its 13th annual Fiction Edition on 25 August, featuring work by acclaimed authors Paulo Coelho, Elliot Perlman and Matthew Reilly. Popular novelist Nick Earls was recruited as a guest judge for the bumper edition, which attracted more than 550 short story submissions. Writers including Romy Ash, Toni Jordan and Anna Spargo-Ryan […]
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With just a day left before the winner of this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award is announced (7 September), the five finalists discuss their shortlisted novels. Discover the inspiration behind the stories and gain a glimpse into the minds of these brilliant writers. Read their words in this article, as it appeared in the Sydney Morning […]
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The Copyright Agency’s annual $80,000 Author Fellowship for mid-to-late career authors – one of Australia’s richest – is now accepting applications. The Fellowship was established for the first time in 2015, with author Mark Henshaw (The Snow Kimono) being the first recipient for his new work The Missing and Indigenous author Melissa Lucashenko (Mullumbimby) named […]
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The 24th Educational Publishing Awards Shortlist has been announced. Organised by the Australian Publishers Association and sponsored by the Copyright Agency, the prestigious annual Educational Publishing Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in this thriving Australian industry. The awards will be held at The Pavilion, Arts Centre Melbourne on Wednesday, 20 September 2017. Early bird tickets cost […]
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Iconic Australian playwright David Williamson wrote in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday 10 June about why copyright is so vital to him and why he and 49 of Australia’s leading stage and screenwriters have signed an Open Letter rejecting any relaxation of Australian copyright. “A lot of people used to say to me, you’re lucky to […]
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Rosie Scott was a critically-acclaimed writer, a passionate human rights activist, a creative writing mentor, a wife, mother and grandmother. Born in 1948 in Wellington, New Zealand, her childhood was spent freely roaming the crashing, wild ‘edge of the world’ with her siblings. She began writing as a child, her curiosity and imagination likely inspired […]
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The Copyright Agency has awarded a total of $50,000 to a Western Australian artist, an author from Brisbane and a graphic novelist from Melbourne, through its ‘Create’ Career Fund. The fund provides mid-to-late career writers and visual artists with crucial financial support needed to write, research and create their next work. Recipients of the latest […]
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The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has funded research by Deakin and Murdoch Universities into teenagers’ reading behaviour. Called Teen Reading in the Digital Era, the research is a pilot study of Australian teenagers’ practice using traditional print and digital platforms for recreational reading. The project’s literature says, “Research shows reading for pleasure is linked to […]
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As Australian students and teachers begin the school year, one of the remotest publishing houses in the world, Magabala Books in Broome (WA) is gearing up to bring new Aboriginal perspectives to primary school classrooms all over the country. With a grant of $33,550 from the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, Magabala Books will soon deliver […]
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Just before Christmas last year the Productivity Commission’s final report on Australia’s IP arrangements was released by the Government. The report recommends a number of damaging changes to Australian copyright including introducing ‘Fair Use’ and removing parallel import restrictions on books. The Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science is accepting submissions on the final […]
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Georgia Blain, author of Births Deaths Marriages, and her mother Anne Deveson, who penned Tell Me I’m Here, have sadly passed away within days of each other. Georgia was diagnosed with brain cancer at the end of last year and had been recording her life with illness in a column in the Saturday Paper called […]
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Thirteen talented writers have been selected as mentorship recipients under the ASA’s Emerging Writers’ and Illustrators’ Mentorship Program. Twelve of these mentorships are supported by Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, while the thirteenth is funded by the income from the collected works of acclaimed children’s author, Edel Wignell. Each recipient receives a 25-hour free mentorship to develop […]
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Australians are about to get a glimpse into the creative worlds of well-known celebrities as part of a new social media campaign aimed at encouraging Australian audiences to support and respect creative rights of writers, musicians and artists. Mental As Anything musician and Mambo artist Reg Mombassa, international crime author Tara Moss and The Project […]
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UWA Publishing today announced the 2016 Dorothy Hewett Award Shortlist for unpublished manuscripts. The award, now in its second year, attracted 85 entries of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, which were judged by poet Lucy Dougan, critic James Ley and UWA Publishing Director, Terri-ann White. The judges were thrilled that three of the shortlisted manuscripts have […]
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The Copyright Agency awarded an unprecedented $160,000 for its Author Fellowship and four Publishing Fellowships, along with two NAVA Visual Arts Fellowships at the inaugural Copyright Agency | Viscopy annual showcase in Sydney tonight. “This year’s fellowship announcement will award a record $160,000 providing crucial financial support for the pursuit of creative excellence and innovation […]
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The Copyright Agency’s annual $80,000 Author Fellowship, honouring the work of Australia’s best mid-to-late career authors has today announced its shortlist. The fellowship, which has doubled in value from $40,000 in its inaugural year, is now the flagship endowment for mid-to-late career authors providing valuable financing so they can develop their next work. “The calibre […]
Read MoreThe first tranche of the Universities distribution will go out to members in December along with the individually licensed educational institutions. Online member area revamped We’ve recently upgraded our online member portal so you can access your information on-the-go through a mobile or tablet. As a result, all members have to update their passwords. If you haven’t done so yet, please click here to create your […]
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Award-winning children’s book author, Hazel Edwards, writes in today’s Australian about the height of her literary career – the transition of her book into a musical after 38 years. She writes: I am not an economist but I know that if I were unable to make money from my work as an author that I would […]
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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Melbourne Writers’ Festival 2016 Opening Night Speech by Kim Williams on the Miles Franklin Award What does it take to produce a superb work of literature? Talent, intelligence and the perseverance of an explorer, perhaps even a fictitious one such as Johann Ulrich Voss. A writer needs patience, time and a quiet place to encounter an […]
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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 MoreAn author who completed a Copyright Agency-funded ASA mentorship in 2014 recently had her first novel published in Australia, the UK and the USA. When she won her mentorship, Aoife Clifford, was an award-winning short-story writer with a second draft manuscript for a novel: All These Perfect Strangers. Aoife says she couldn’t put a price […]
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The Copyright Agency’s annual Author Fellowship for mid-to-late career authors has doubled its award from $40,000 to $80,000 this year, making it one of Australia’s richest fellowships for writers. Copyright Agency CEO, Adam Suckling, says, “This is now the flagship fellowship for mid-to-late career authors, providing valuable financing so they can develop their next work. […]
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Celebrating the haunting, shocking and heart-breakingly honest must read Australian novels for 2016 The shortlist for the prestigious 2016 Miles Franklin Literary Award, announced today by Perpetual and Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, will take lovers of Australian literature on an emotional journey, allowing readers to celebrate and reflect on Australian life – the good, the bad and […]
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Canadian novelist, poet and Executive Director of The Writers’ Union of Canada, John Degen wrote a no-nonsense piece debunking the five lazy lies routinely deployed about copyright. We have republished it with John’s permission. 5 Seriously Dumb Myths About Copyright that the Media Should Stop Repeating By John Degen I get it — copyright is complex and, frankly, not all […]
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The Copyright Agency’s response to the changes proposed by the Productivity Commission has been published in The Australian Financial Review Copyright Agency chief executive Adam Suckling said the introduction of a long-debated US-style “fair use” exception for the use of copyright material would curtail the production of Australian content and destabilise an industry that contributed $7.4 billion to the economy. Read the […]
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The U.S. Supreme Court has today denied to review an appeal to the case Authors Guild v. Google The decision leaves standing the view that copying and providing access to some millions of copyright protected books for profit-making purposes and without payment to authors is “fair”. “Today authors suffered a colossal loss,” said Authors Guild president Roxana Robinson. […]
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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First let me say that I am passionate about freedom of speech, freedom of thought and freedom of expression. I also want to laud the digitalisation of media as one of the greatest breakthroughs in history. Until a few years ago, despite being translated into 23 languages, my psychological thrillers were accessible to a relatively […]
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The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund gives $5000 to each shortlisted Miles Franklin Award author each year. We asked two of them about their writing processes; how such a payment benefits them; and what copyright means to them. CRAIG SHERBORNE, author of Tree Palace: “In the morning when everything’s quiet, I do 200, max 500 words in […]
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It’s a sad fact that over 93% of books in the world are not published in accessible formats for blind, visually impaired or print disabled readers. In June 2013, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) adopted the Marrakesh Treaty to help solve this book famine which has become a human rights issue. Australia has signed […]
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Technology is now enabling educational publishers to create resources that deliver personalised learning to students. Discovering and nurturing the talent within each student is the new paradigm in the classroom and Australian publishers’ are offering innovative products and solutions that equip students with the skills they will need in the new digital economy. Each year […]
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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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The Copyright Agency has awarded its inaugural $40,000 Author Fellowship to Mark Henshaw. The announcement was made at the Australian Society of Authors Congress dinner on Friday, 11 September 2015. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Henshaw chose a career as a curator at the National Gallery over the penurious writer’s life, despite his first […]
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American best-selling author and former President of the US Authors’ Guild, Scott Turow, addressed the Australian Society of Authors’ Congress recently. He urged authors to stand united to retain their rights and for readers to back them through buying their books. Read this edited version of his engaging and informative speech, which was published in […]
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US author and lawyer Scott Turow, who is known as a champion of authors’ rights and whose books have sold more than 30 million copies, is in Australia to speak at the Australian Society of Authors’ Congress in Sydney tomorrow evening and then in Canberra on Monday. Turow’s ASA keynote, Under Siege in the Digital […]
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As a writer, the challenge is always to find the right form and structure.
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Australia’s book industry: authors, publishers, booksellers and rights managers have welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to reduce the Low Value Threshold on offshore purchases to zero from 1 July 2017. The Australian Society of Authors, the Australian Publishers Association, the Australian Booksellers Association, the Copyright Agency and the Australian Council of Small Business called for […]
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
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The Copyright Agency has awarded a total of $40,000 to five publishers to undertake inaugural research fellowships in the 2015/16 financial year. A suite of fellowships – for publishers, an author, and legal researchers – were announced in 2014 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the agency, and honour its founding members. The inaugural Copyright […]
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As the country’s teachers dive into Term 3, the not-for-profit Copyright Agency is calling on 60,000-plus teachers of English and Media to back Australian stories and authors in the classroom. “Term 3 is traditionally the time for teachers to choose the novels and other texts their students will explore in 2015,” says Copyright Agency’s Zoë […]
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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In a first for Australian schools, teachers can now source dedicated teaching resources for Australian stories, from Kindergarten to Year 12. Reading Australia , set up by the not-for-profit rights organisation, the Copyright Agency, provides teaching resources for books, plays and poetry anthologies from top Aussie authors such as Tim Winton, Jackie French, Peter Carey and […]
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