Last month, we mentioned some interesting new fiction coming out later this year and I’ve been alerted to two other major titles to look forward to. Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan has a new novel in September, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which borrows its title from the Japanese poet Basho’s seventeenth century travel memoir. It’s partially set in a Japanese labour camp in 1943.

Chris Womersley, author of the acclaimed Bereft also has a new novel due in September, Cairo. It centres around the theft, and return, of Picasso’s Weeping Woman from the National Gallery of Victoria. Chris’s publisher, Scribe, will be publishing Cairo under their UK imprint.

Scribe publisher Henry Rosenbloom has always had an interest in featuring international books on his lists (last year, for example, he acquired the National Book Award-winning Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo). When a slot came up at the Faber Factory Plus, a sales and distribution service in the UK for independent publishers, Henry jumped at the chance, although not without some trepidation. Scribe plan to publish a small list overseas. This will consist of their Australian releases, like Cairo, where appropriate, and they have also started acquiring rights to publish international titles in the UK, Europe and Australia.

At the recent London Book Fair, Scribe picked up UK and Australian rights to some major US titles. They included the New York Times bestseller, The Way of the Knife by Mark Mazzetti, which describes how the lines between the CIA and the American military have been blurred, and The Book of Woe by Gary Greenberg, a critical look at the psychiatrist’s bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This comes out appropriately just after the release of the latest edition, the DSM-5, which has been ten years in the making. The DSM-5 has already been creating waves with its reclassification of Asperger’s syndrome as an autistic disorder, and is sure to cause further controversy.

Scribe are not the only Australian publisher to venture into international waters. Lonely Planet was the first successful organisation to become a truly international, Australian-based publisher. Trade publisher Hardie Grant have also had a UK presence for some years and have recently come to an arrangement with US publisher Rizzoli to move into that market. Sandy Grant, one of the principals of Hardie Grant, has extensive UK experience, having been CEO of Reed Publishing in the late 90s. Hardie Grant’s high quality illustrated books have found a niche in the UK. Scribe’s foray is different in that they will concentrate on serious non-fiction and some literary fiction. Perhaps some other publishers will follow – Text, maybe, as their new shareholders, Tony and Maureen Wheeler, maintain a base in London?

In any case I wish Scribe and our other Australian publishers well as they venture further abroad!

Mark Rubbo is the Managing Director of Readings

Saints and sinners, unique characters and clones, giant brains and dinosaur-sized ones, too: it's all in this month's wonderfully varied round-up.

Earlier I received an impassioned email from fellow children's specialist, Athina Clarke, at the Malvern store: "You have to read Cry Blue Murder by Kim Kane and Marion Roberts: I need to talk to someone about it!"

And so this thriller about abducted schoolgirls creeps closer to the top of the T.B.R. pile.

Australian authors Kim Kane and Marion Roberts teamed up to write this chilling narrative, which takes the form of emails, police statements and poems.

In her review, Athina called it: "...an important cautionary and psychological tale that is highly recommended for ages 13 and up."

You can read about Kim and Marion's working relationship in their contribution to The Way We Work series.

For some of us oldie YA fans, a book set in the mid-90s is like reading about yesterday but it's with a sense of disbelief and mild terror that I have to admit that Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O’Porter almost counts as historical fiction for our current wave of teens!

Dawn O'Porter has made a name for herself on television in the UK with her accessible documentaries about modern life. She's married to the actor Chris O'Dowd - hence the new O' in her name. One of her most notable documentaries is about breast cancer, which was particularly personal because her mother died of the disease when Dawn was only seven. These personal details might not usually be relevant except that Paper Aeroplanes is loosely based on the author's life.

I'm looking forward to reading The Originals by Cat Patrick because of its killer concept: Lizzie, Betsey and Ella are identical, born as part of an illegal cloning program. But they are forced into hiding when the program is uncovered and have to live as if they are one person instead of three in order to avoid detection. Imagine sharing your life with two identical-looking girls. (Actually, I can think of a few ways this might come in handy...)

Children's specialist Alexa Dretzke loved Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool so much that she suspects it will remain her favourite of this year.

From the author of Moon Over Manifest (which won the coveted Newbery Medal), it's a story set in the north-east of the US at the end of WW2 and features two unforgettable young characters in Jack, from Kansas, who is mourning the death of his mother, and his exceptionally clever companion Early Auden.

I'm so excited about the arrival of the second Truly Tan adventure by Melbourne writer Jen Storer: Jinxed!. Unfortunately, my nine year old daughter was equally excited and has run off with my reading copy. When she poked her nose out of the book all she said was "haunted tram" and "awesome". The first Truly Tan book was a huge hit over Christmas and it's just brilliant to have a funny, smart young detective solving mysteries in an Australian setting.

Children who are ready to move on from school readers will enjoy *My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson. First published in Swedish, this book has now been translated - which often makes for a really different narrative feel and one that I enjoy. The story explores a girl's first year of school and injects a lot of positivity into children's anxieties, perfect for 5+ and with line drawings throughout.

Another treat for Junior Fiction readers is Saurus Street - I've read all four in the series to my 6 year old son and we've both thoroughly enjoyed them. The mix of boy and girl main characters is really pleasing, the sentences are kept short which is perfect for new readers and the narratives are fast and fun. Watch this trailer about the series:

In Meet Mary Mackillop by Sally Murphy and Sonia Martinez, Australia's first saint is the subject for this attractive new picture book series that provides an early introduction to some of the nation's extraordinary men and women (the striking Meet Ned Kelly was published earlier in the year).

For those looking for a picture book with longer text, perfect for bedtime stories for the slightly older child (4-8), I highly recommend Amy's Three Best Things, written by the absolute legend that is Phillipa Pearce (Tom's Midnight Garden) and illustrated by Helen Craig who gave us Angelina Ballerina.

With a new series by Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer (W.A.R.P.), a new picture book by Oliver Jeffers (It Wasn't Me) and a YA novel set in Melbourne written by someone who just happens to have exactly the same name as me Steal My Sunshine - it's another great and varied month for Children's and YA.

Emily Gale is a Children’s & YA Specialist at Readings Carlton, and a Children’s & YA writer the rest of the time. Her other title is 'Mum', or more accurately 'Muuuuuuuuum!'

Lionel Shriver, best known for the Orange Prize-winning We Need to Talk About Kevin, has a new novel out this May. Big Brother is a story of siblings, marriage and obesity.

When Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at the airport, she doesn't recognize him. In the years since they've seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened?

Our reviewer Annie Condon says "at times the novel is an uncomfortable read, but this is a testimony to the quality of the writing and the compelling story".

Read Annie's full review of the novel here.

Big Brother is out now.

The winners of the 2013 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards were announced last night at the State Library of NSW.

Carrie Tiffany won the prestigious New South Wales Premier's Literary Award for Fiction for her novel Mateship With Birds (which also recently won the Stella Prize!)

The Premier's Award for New Writing was presented to Michael Sala for his autobiographical novel, The Last Thread (which recently won the regional Commonwealth Book Prize!)

See below for a full list of winners:

Christina Stead Prize for Fiction
Mateship with Birds, Carrie Tiffany

UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing
The Last Thread, Michael Sala

Douglas Stewart Prize for Non‐Fiction
The Office: A Hardworking History, Gideon Haigh

Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry
Ruby Moonlight, Ali Cobby‐Eckermann

Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature
The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon, Aaron Blabey

Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature
A Corner of White, Jaclyn Moriarty

Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting
The Damned, Reg Cribb

Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting
Dead Europe, Louise Fox

Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW Award
Don’t Go Back to Where You Came From, Tim Soutphommasane

NSW Premier’s Translation Prize
Peter Boyle

Book of the Year
Ruby Moonlight, Ali Cobby‐Eckermann

People’s Choice
Animal People, Charlotte Wood

Special Award
David Ireland AM

From Thursday 30th May to Saturday 1st June, Melbourne's children's and YA book fanatics are going to be in Seventh Heaven – and by that I mean The State Library of Victoria. Find out what Readings' specialist team are most looking forward to on the Reading Matters program.

Angela Crocombe, Children's and YA Specialist at the St Kilda store:

Alison Croggon totally blew me away with Black Spring, her fantasy re-working of Wuthering Heights last year, and I was embarrassed not to have read more of this brilliant Australian author, so I’m definitely looking forward to hearing from her. I’m also a fan of the strange and hilarious mind of US author, Libba Bray (Going Bovine, The Diviners), so I will definitely be leaning forward in her sessions to catch every word. Most of all, I look forward to discovering a whole new list of ‘must read’ authors to keep me reading late into the night.

Alexa Dretzke, Children's and YA Specialist at the Hawthorn store:

I just love two days of dedicated discussion about kids and YA books. However, having read three great books by three wonderful Aussie authors, I’m really excited about hearing Vikki Wakefield (Friday Brown), Gabrielle Williams (The Reluctant Hallelujah) and Fiona Wood (Six Impossible Things) at the conference. I have just finished and loved Fiona’s new book Wildlife and I am looking forward to hearing her talk about it.

Athina Clarke, Children's and YA Specialist at the Malvern store:

2001 was my first year in bookselling and the year Garth Nix’s second novel in the Old Kingdom series, Lirael, was published. I remember the publisher’s rep giving me a proof copy containing only 4 or 5 chapters which I read in one sitting. I hadn’t read the first book in the series, Sabriel, but, no matter, I was mesmerised! This was high fantasy at its best and I hadn’t been this excited since I’d read Ursula Le Guin! So began my love affair with Garth Nix’s writing. I’m thrilled that he’ll be a part of Reading Matters and looking forward to his contribution.

Reading Matters for me is a fantastic opportunity to talk to like minded people – people who love books for young adults. To discover the great books I haven’t read so that I can share them with my customers, and I in turn can share my favourites.

Holly Harper, Children's and YA Specialist at the Carlton store:

Few Australian authors can claim the range or international success of Garth Nix, which makes him something of a rockstar in the world of kidlit. His Sabriel trilogy (and its much-anticipated sequels) has earned him a following that stretches far past its intended teen audience, and with each new series he manages to reinvent the speculative genre. His most recent novel is A Confusion of Princes, an epic YA space opera with healthy doses of conflict and tension, so it’s only fitting he’ll be discussing these topics for Reading Matters.

You’d be hard pressed to find many young readers who haven’t at least heard of John Flanagan’s phenomenally successful Ranger’s Apprentice series. These tales of a young Ranger named Will (think a cross between Robin Hood and a ninja) and his travels under his tutor Halt have spawned a series that spans an entire fantasy world, as well as Flanagan’s latest spin-off series, Brotherband. I have no doubt that his session on communities will make for a fascinating discussion.

Emily Gale, Children's and YA Specialist at the Carlton store:

I'll be dashing into as many talks as I can in between running the Readings' pop-up shop. The panel I'm most looking forward to is called Unleashing YA: Gayle Forman, Morris Gleitzman and Keith Gray on adult encroachment in YA, because I think the stats on the huge number of adult buyers of YA fiction are really interesting.

Many of the works by this year's panel can be found in the collection below.

You can browse the full Reading Matters program and read author bios on the SLV site.

Writing is often said to be a lonely occupation, but what happens when you co-author a work of fiction? The authors of new YA novel Cry Blue Murder, Kim Kane and Marion Roberts, share their experience.

MR: With over seven published novels and picture books between us our usual approach has been to work on solo projects. Cry Blue Murder is our first collaboration as writers.

KK: Writing to each other (as Alice and Celia write to each other in the novel), our first draft zipped along. It was like a form of literary jousting, each dashing out emails in a competitive frenzy, trying to make each other laugh. There was a real vim to the writing and the freedom did help us develop distinct character voices.

MR: Neither of us had written a suspense novel before so strategic plotting became the prime focus of the second and third drafts. We also increased the ages of the characters, which ultimately required a complete re-write and a rigorous structural edit. The initial momentum of the first draft started to slow down a little feel a little more like ... hard work.

KK: I can honestly say there is not one single line of Cry Blue Murder that hasn't been well and truly raked over. That’s the thing about co-writing a novel. It's like a marriage - you're in it for the best of drafts, and the worst of drafts, hip to hip. In fact we went through two entire editing processes before the manuscript reached an editor.

We did, however, come up with ideas we could never have dreamed alone. A mystery written for younger children with Red Riding Hood at its core became a creepy thriller for young adults.

MR: Working together meant that there was usually one of us who had a flame burning for the novel in times of despondency or frustration. Kim and I are both highly imaginative so when either of us would come up with an idea to improve the novel it usually involved significant re-writing. The logistics of this was not always easy.

KK: Our restrictions were mainly physical. I had toddler twins and Marion had teenagers...

MR: Child bride.

KK: ...and so the exact moment I was ready to log on in the evening and start revisions, was the very time Marion would be on duty.

One of the best parts about co-writing is that we each got to see another writer's process at close hand. Marion is hilarious and it was great fun to see her new drafts. When it came to re-drafting, we differed. Marion claimed I was a word hoarder, hugging my darlings but I felt she was so keen to trim she'd throw out the bath water, the baby, the bathroom and half the kitchen. I continuously combed through the debris to stick bits back in.

MR: Usually without telling me. Working with Kim was a lot of fun. We share a similar subversive wit, which was a real saviour through the tough parts. Being land-locked to our own homes due to kids meant hours editing over the phone late at night, and by email. Kim gets very attached to her words...

KK: And yours

MR: ...and while it was pretty tough convincing Kim that certain elements of the novel had to go she really did pull through at the eleventh hour. I was seriously proud!

KK: You sounded just like Alice then.

Our finest moment was the very last read-through and it was affirming to flick through the pages and see we both were concerned about the same bits. I think we were really very fortunate to share a vision for the work.

Cry Blue Murder is available now at $19.95.

The regional winners of the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize have been announced with Australian author, Michael Sala, named the winner of the Pacific region for his book, The Last Thread.

The Commonwealth Book Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize act as catalysts to target and identify talented writers, and to create environments where alliances of writers in remote places and those with limited or no publishing infrastructure, can flourish. Each regional winner has been granted £2500 in prize money.

You can read more about the prize here.

Here is the full list of winners:

Africa - Sterile Sky by E.E. Sule (Nigeria)

As the gifted young Murtala comes of age in Kano, violent riots and his family’s own woes threaten to erase all he holds dear. Stalked by monsters real and imagined, desperate to preserve a sense of self and the future, Murtala hunts for answers in the wreckage of the city – and gives us a unique insight into modern life in northern Nigeria.

About the author:

E.E. Sule is the pen-name of Dr. Sule E. Egya who is an associate professor in Department of English, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Nigeria. His poems, short stories, and critical work have appeared in numerous journals, anthologies and literary magazines. Sterile Sky is his first novel.

Asia - Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera (Sri Lanka)

Island of a Thousand Mirrors follows the fate of two families, one Tamil, one Sinhala as they straddle opposite sides of the long and brutal Sri Lankan civil war.

Narrated by the eldest daughter of each family, the story explores how each woman negotiates war, migration, love, exile, and belonging. At its root, it’s a story of a fragmented nation struggling to find its way to a new beginning.

About the author:

Nayomi Munaweera is a Sri Lankan-American author and artist. Having migrated to Nigeria when she was very young and later to America, she continued visiting Sri Lanka regularly, witnessing the devastation wrought upon her country of birth by civil war. These experiences led her to write her first novel, Island of a Thousand Mirrors, which was published by the Perera Hussein Publishing House in late 2012.

Canada and Europe - The Death of Bees by Lisa O’Donnell (United Kingdom)

Two young sisters attempt to hold the world at bay after the mysterious death of their parents.

Marnie and her little sister Nelly are on their own now. Only they know what happened to their parents, Izzy and Gene, and they aren’t telling. While life in Glasgow’s Hazlehurst housing estate isn’t grand, they do have each other. Besides, it’s only one year until Marnie will be considered an adult and can legally take care of them both.

As the new year comes and goes, Lennie, the old man next door, realizes that his young neighbours are alone and need his help. Or does he need theirs? But he’s not the only one who suspects something isn’t right. Soon, the sisters’ friends, their other neighbours, the authorities, and even Gene’s nosy drug dealer begin to ask questions. As one lie leads to another, dark secrets about the girls’ family surface, creating complications that threaten to tear them apart.

About the author:

Lisa O’Donnell won the Orange Screenwriting Prize in 2000 for her screenplay The Wedding Gift. Recently she took a break from screenwriting when she moved to LA with her two children. Her debut novel, The Death of Bees was published in 2012.

Caribbean - Disposable People by Ezekel Alan (Jamaica)

Ten year old Kenneth Lovelace often went to bed without dinner. Instead of feeling hunger, however, what he mostly felt was fear and shame, knowing that his family’s poverty was the reason he had no food.

Kenneth also recalls his bitterness whenever his parents locked him out of their tiny, one-room house to act on their ‘urge’. This was in the 1970s, when Jamaica’s socialist regime was dragging the country into bankruptcy, and when an Old Timer had told him that he was cursed since birth.

Beginning with his earliest memories, Disposable People traces the life of Kenneth Lovelace, now a consultant living in the USA. After a string of failed marriages, bad relationships and other misfortunes, Kenneth looks back at his life in his old, hateful village with hopes of finding the roots of his latest tragedy. What comes out is a story of mischief and adventures, sex, prejudice, evil spirits, adversities and, progressively, violence.

About the author:

Ezekel Alan was born and raised in rural Jamaica and spent his formative years under the Socialist regime of the 1970s. He currently lives with his wife and kids in an architecturally noteworthy house in Asia, has a good, reliable dog and a satisfyingly abundant supply of sweet, juicy mangoes. Inspired by true events, Disposable People is Ezekel’s debut novel. He is currently working on his second.

Pacific - The Last Thread by Michael Sala (Australia)

The Last Thread is Michael Sala’s fascinating life in fiction. From his early years in the Netherlands to growing up in Australia during the 1980s, Michael recalls the secret surrounding his estranged Greek father and how scandalous events from the past fractured his family.

This is a moving chronicle of a boy’s turbulent relationship with his bullying stepfather, aloof older brother and adored mother, whose cheerful apathy has devastating consequences. As his life unfolds, Michael – now a father – must decide if he can free himself from the dark pull of the past.

Reminiscent of the great autobiographical novels of JM Coetzee and Michael Ondaatje, The Last Thread is a beautifully crafted work from an exceptional new writer.

About the author:

Michael Sala is an Australian writer and teacher. His short fiction has been published in various anthologies, including The Best Australian Stories three times. In 2007, he was shortlisted for the Australian/Vogel Literary Award. The Last Thread, published by Affirm Press in 2012, is his first novel.

You can read more about the regional winners here.

The judging panel, which included our very own Books Division Manager Martin Shaw, will announce an overall winner on May 31 to receive £10,000 in prize money.