Eighteen leading international publishers and agents are in Adelaide to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the annual Visiting International Publishers (VIP) program – and scout for the next great Australian novel.

An initiative of the Australia Council for the Arts, the VIP program will see the publishers involved in an industry seminar, panel discussions and a series of meetings and networking events during Adelaide Writers Week.

Over the past decade, the VIP program has seen more than 120 visiting publishers take part, with 300 Australian titles sold into international markets generated more than $3 million in rights sales.

Australia Council chief executive officer Kathy Keele said that the VIP program was a chance for overseas publishers to immerse themselves in Australia’s unique literary culture.

‘We’re celebrating the 10^th anniversary of VIPs with the largest contingent of publishers, editors and agents that we’ve ever brought out,’ she said.

‘VIPs helps participants get to know the Australian publishing industry firsthand through meetings, networking and events. But most of all it is a chance to do deals and take more Australian literature to the world.’

‘We’ve seen some outstanding successes from the VIP program over the past 10 years, including last year the sale of Debra Adelaide’s forthcoming novel A Household Guide to Dying to alumni of the VIP program in five overseas markets.’

Participants in the 2008 VIP program include:

• Anthony Cheetham – chairman and publisher, Quercus Publishing (UK).
• Michael Moynahan – chairman, Random House New Zealand and chair, Auckland Writers’ and Readers’ Festival (New Zealand)
• Maria D¸rig – editor-in-chief, Blanvalet Verlag and Limes Verlag, Random House (Germany)
• Sidharth Malhotra – publisher, Orient Paperbacks (India)

For more information on VIP participants, visit creative.gov.au/vip/

Media inquiries: Andrew Parker 0402 936 466