Visiting International Publishers 2019

Meet the 2019 Visiting International Publishers and register for program events

The Australia Council for the Arts is pleased to announce the thirteen international publishers, editors, agents, and scouts participating in the 21st year of the Visiting International Publishers (VIPs) program. The program will run alongside Sydney Writers’ Festival from 29 April – 5 May 2019.

  • Ia Atterholm, Literary Agent – Ia Atterholm Literary Agency, SWEDEN
  • Faye Bender, Literary Agent – The Book Group, USA
  • Jaya Bhattacharji Rose – International Publishing Consultant, INDIA
  • Peter Blackstock, Senior Editor – Grove Atlantic, USA
  • Simon Boughton, Publishing Director – Norton Young Readers, W.W. Norton & Company, USA
  • Joanna Cárdenas, Editor – Kokila, Penguin Random House US, USA
  • Li Kangqin, Senior Acquisition Editor & Rights Manager – Shanghai 99 Readers’ Culture, CHINA
  • Job Lisman, Editorial Director – Prometheus Publishers, NETHERLANDS
  • Pamela Malpas, Literary Agent – Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency, USA
  • Stephen Morrow, Vice President – Dutton, Penguin Random House US, USA
  • Julia Reuter, Editor – Carlsen Verlag, GERMANY
  • Rebecca Servadio, Literary Scout – London Literary Scouting, UK
  • Susan Van Metre, Executive Editorial Director – Walker Books US, Walker Books International, USA

Click here to view their full bios and areas of interest.

The 2019 VIPs represent a broad range of territories, countries, genres and formats; boutique and multinational publishers; emerging and established markets; English-language and translation markets; and those with a particular interest in diversity and First Nations writing. The Australia Council is pleased to welcome a particularly large cohort of children’s and Young Adult book specialists this year.

The selection of participants was made by the VIPs Committee, in collaboration with Australia Council staff.

Register now for program events

Registration is now open for all events in the 2019 program, with the full schedule available via the link below. Places for all sessions are limited: register now to avoid disappointment.

Click here to view the full program and register for events.

Registration closes on Monday 22 April 2019 unless sessions are already fully booked.

Rights Symposium

In addition to the Visiting International Publishers program in 2019, the Australia Council for the Arts is pleased to offer a free, full day seminar program on Tuesday 30 April on the many and varied aspects of Rights Selling. The program will be convened by Nerrilee Weir, Senior Rights Manager at Penguin Random House Australia.

Aimed at all rights sellers and publishers, some of Australia’s most experienced rights professionals will lead sessions on the following topics:

·  Assessing and pitching your list;

·  Building an international network;

·  Negotiating rights contracts; and

·  Current trends and opportunities.

There will also be in-depth market briefings from some of the Visiting International Publishers who will discuss the trends and challenges in their own markets; what they’re acquiring; and how they work with scouts, agents, rights sellers and co-agents.

This is a rare opportunity for Australian-based rights sellers to develop knowledge and skills and gain deeper insight into international markets.

Places are limited: register now to avoid disappointment.

Click here to register.

Registration closes on Monday 22 April 2019 unless it is already fully booked.

To better manage the increasing demand for one-to-one business meetings with the VIPs, and ensure more targeted matches, this year the VIPs have selected the Australian publishers and agents with whom they’d like to have their meetings.

Registrations to request a one on one business meeting have now closed. The VIPs have now made their selection, and meetings are currently being scheduled.

Delivered alongside the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the VIPs program supports international publishers, scouts and literary agents to participate in a week-long schedule of business meetings, networking events, industry forums, writers’ festival events, and panel discussions with Australian publishers and agents. The program showcases Australia’s literary talent, and promotes the sale of rights to Australian titles in international markets.

The visiting delegation will immerse themselves in Australia’s unique literary culture, share insights into global publishing trends, strengthen relationships with their Australian counterparts, and expand opportunities for Australian authors overseas.

VIPs is one of the Australia Council’s signature strategic initiatives, and this year marks the 21st anniversary of the program. Since its inception in 1998, the VIPs program has welcomed 270 international guests to Australia, from 28 countries, with more than 300 Australian titles sold into overseas markets through the program.

Well-known titles sold through VIPs include ‘Jasper Jones’ by Craig Silvey, ‘The Secret River’ by Kate Grenville, ‘The Weather Makers’ by Tim Flannery, ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak, ‘The Broken Shore’ by Peter Temple, ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ by Joan Lindsay, and ‘The Far Side of the World’ by Stephanie Bishop.

Click here to view the details of the 2018 program, and here to view the VIPs alumni.

In 2016 and 2017, the Australia Council conducted a five year longitudinal evaluation of the VIPs program from 2011-2016, which included a survey of Australian publishers and agents. The report is now available here.

The evaluation revealed that for every $1 the Australia Council invests in the VIPs program, $5.45 is generated for the Australian literature sector – a 445% return on investment.

The evaluation also revealed:

  • More than $4.1 million in rights sales has been reported over the five years ($3.8 million in direct sales to VIPs who attended, and a further $300,000 in indirect sales through referrals from VIPs to other international publishers);
  • Participation in the VIPs program in 2016 accounted for 15% of all rights sales for Australian publishers;

The Australia Council and the Copyright Agency have partnered with Macquarie University to conduct further research into the demand for contemporary Australian books internationally.

The research will survey both publishers and agents and collect data about the successes of Australian books around the world over the past ten years; aiming to increase opportunities for Australian publishers and writers in the future.

For more information on the project please contact Dr Paul Crosby at paul.crosby@mq.edu.au.

Key program dates

Tuesday 30 April: Rights Symposium
Wednesday 1 May: VIPs industry forum, networking events
Thursday 2 May: One on one business meetings
Friday 3 May: One on one business meetings

Contact

For more information on the VIPs program, please contact Karen Le Roy on 02 9215 9054 or k.leroy@creative.gov.au.

The 2019 Visiting International Publishers program is delivered in partnership with the Sydney Writers’ Festival and Writing NSW.