News

Hello and welcome to June. You may have noticed we’ve got a picture at the bottom of our newsletter that lets you know we’re a not-for-profit publishing house. So what is not-for-profit publishing?

Recorded at Perth Festival’s Literature and Ideas Weekend, this podcast is a live recording of the seminar ‘A Day in the Life of Bestselling Authors and Booksellers’, hosted by Holden Sheppard, with guests Natasha Lester, Michael Earp, Allyce Cameron and Aisling Lawless.

Readings staff members have selected Holden Sheppard’s Invisible Boys for the shortlist of this year’s Readings Young Adult Book Prize. Established in 2016, the prize recognises exciting emerging voices in Australian young adult literature.

In 2015, I was well and truly sick of my book. The History of Mischief had been lingering with me since 2006, and progress was slow. It was often left for months, only for me to return to it, tinker a bit, and then abandon it for another lengthy period of time. I needed something to […]

For Yuot A. Alaak, stories were a way of distracting himself from the fear of enemy attack, starvation and hardship, and to keep hope alive. In this episode, Yuot discusses his City of Fremantle Hungerford Award shortlisted memoir, Father of the Lost Boys, which tells the story of his family, especially his father, Mecak Ajang […]

What happens when you conference call with four talented Western Australian writers who are equally committed to short fiction as to long? Loads! Hosted by Susan Midalia, this episode of Love to Read Local Radio will give you a wonderful insight into where the urge to write comes from – those turning points in life […]

It has been an amazing two months of Love to Read Local Radio, and today’s episode is no different. We’ve brought together Madelaine Dickie (Red Can Origami), Helen Milroy (Backyard Birds) and Brenton E. McKenna (Ubby’s Underdogs Series) to discuss why they love to tell stories.

I am currently reading A Notable Woman, a lifetime’s worth of ‘the romantic journals’ of Jean Lucey Pratt, edited and condensed into one hefty volume by Simon Garfield. The book was a gift given to me by my friend Andrea in the UK, who read it on a recommendation from her friend, Hilary Mantel. On the other side of […]

This week we signed a contract with Suhrkamp Verlag in Berlin to publish the German-language edition of Doom Creek, Alan Carter’s sequel to Marlborough Man. Local audiences will have to wait till December 2020 for the book, but we guarantee that Alan’s spookily prescient take on doomsday preppers going feral in New Zealand will keep you […]

For anyone who thinks writing a picture book is easier than writing a novel, picture book creator Kelly Canby suggests you first write that novel, then condense it into 500 words without undermining its meaning or leaving out key plot points. Then get your pen and ink out and draw the illustrations as well!

Fiction has always been a fluid concept: the wispy smoke of a doused campfire, the dangerous flaring of a forgotten ember, the promise of a speck of brightness in a gold pan. But these days, how the hell are you meant to imagine the unimaginable when it is surpassed most days in your news feed? […]

I’m Elaine Forrestal and Goldfields Girl is my latest historical fiction for students, teachers and history buffs of any age. My fiction, in various genres, has been published since 1983. This is my third historical fiction novel. In this blog post I will share my top tips for using your local, state or national library […]

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of Australia’s first major military action, and is also a national day of remembrance that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of Australia’s first major military action and is also a national day of remembrance that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. Though we may only be able to celebrate the Dawn Service with a candle in our front yards, […]

In this special Love to Read Local edition of the Fremantle Press podcast, novelist, journalist and Fogarty Literary Award shortlister, Emma Young, interviews her writing mentor Laurie Steed as well as her writing mentor’s mentor, Susan Midalia. Sound complicated? It’s not, it’s awesome.

Expand your knowledge with kids and grandkids by learning some fun facts about Australia’s native birds. 

How is everyone else hanging in? At Fremantle Press, we’re taking it page by page, hard at work on books while adapting to this new world we find ourselves in by providing even more online content to keep you connected.

Easter can mean different things to different people, but for me Easter is as much about books as it is about chocolate.

Jon Doust’s debut book for adults, Boy on a Wire, was Publisher Georgia Richter’s first editorial job for Fremantle Press. In this episode, Georgia and Jon talk to host Rebecca Higgie about the crucial elements of the editor–author relationship, the foremost being trust, another being laughter.

You might be going out less, but your calendar doesn’t have to stay empty – socialising with your friends, family and community is now more important than ever – and you don’t even need to leave the couch! Here’s how to invite a Fremantle Press author into your lounge room for a chat with your […]

This year, like many of our Fremantle Press authors, you might have been ready to launch your new book the traditional way, in a bookshop over some old cheese and a glass of vino, but now that’s no longer possible, why not take this as an opportunity to have fun with social media?

Helen Milroy, and her friend Honey the brush tail possum, have a special message for everyone spending extra time at home this week. They say that the best way to enjoy your time is to read some books about native Australian animals.

Classes might be homeward bound, and book launches may be cancelled, but booksellers, publishers and writers will keep on keeping on. Here are eight happenings, or potential happenings, coming to a virtual world near you. If you know of any others you’d like us to share – please keep us informed!

Whether they are in the classroom, the virtual classroom or just hanging out at home, there are plenty of free and fun activities to keep the youngest members of our community engaged.