The Sharpe Report – 31 October 2025

• There was a strange glitch that happened within the last week that appeared on Goodreads. Several books (including Ali Hazelwood’s new book titled Mate) were showing the cover of Eric Trumps’ memoir with a message in the blurb area of the platform that was a bit of a rant on how Goodreads removed negative reviews of his book. People are arguing that this is a form of censorship regarding a political person of power.
• The Australian Society of Authors has announced that Ann-Marie Priest is the 2025 winner of the Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship. You can read more here about the winner and the prize.
• The First Nation’s Literary Festival Blak and Bright has been moved to 3-6 Sept 2026. It was a strategic and curational decision.
• The publishing industry has had a positive reaction to the news that the Australian Government has ruled out on relaxing copyright rules for generative AI training. This is a big win for the creative industry.
• The literary journal ‘Southerly’ has returned after a hiatus of 3 years! For more information see here.
• The NSW State Library has announced their 2026 fellowships. The fellowships cover a wide range of original research topics. For more information see here.
• Darren Rix and Craig Cormick have won the ACT Book of the Year award for their book Warra Warra Wai.
• UWA Publishing has announced their shortlist for their Spiers Prize. This prize is a national unpublished children’s fiction manuscript prize. Winners are offered a publishing contract with UWAP and a cash prize.
• The nominees for the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award have been announced. This is awarded annually to a person/organisation for their contribution to children’s and young adult literature.

Books in the Media

National

• The Bee Sting / Paul Murray
• Dream State / Eric Puchner
• Last One Out / Jane Harper
• Shadow Ticket / Thomas Pynchon
• Not Quite White in the Head / Melissa Lucashenko
• Brave New Wild / Richard King

ACT

• The Man Who Planted Canberra / Robert Macklin
• The Underworld / Sofie Laguna

NSW

• A Woman’s Eye, Her Art / Drusilla Modjeska
• Confessions of a Minor Poet / Phil Brown
• Confetti and the Rainbow Garden / Shane Jenek
• Elizabeth Harrower: The Woman in the Watch Tower / Susan Wyndham
• Will There Ever Be Another You / Patricia Lockwood
• Unapologetically Ita / Ita Buttrose

QLD + SA

• Nobody’s Girl / Virginia Roberts Giuffre

TAS

• The Butterfly Thief / Walter Marsh
• The Family Upstairs / Lisa Jewell
• Hormonal Harmony / Karen Coates & Sharon Kolkka
• Mad Mabel / Sally Hepworth
• Quentin Bryce: The Authorised Biography / Juliet Rieden

VIC

• A Woman’s Eye, Her Art / Drusilla Modjeska
• Confessions of a Minor Poet / Phil Brown
• Confetti and the Rainbow Garden / Shane Jenek
• Elizabeth Harrower: The Woman in the Watch Tower / Susan Wyndham
• Will There Ever Be Another You / Patricia Lockwood
• Unapologetically Ita / Ita Buttrose
• Nobody’s Girl / Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Information gathered from Books+Publishing, X