UQP, Brisbane (2025)

13/12/2025

Congratulations to the wonderful Narelda and Karina! This week we celebrated the Naarm/Melbourne launch of 'If Qu**rs Weren't Meant to Have Kids ...' by Narelda Jacobs and Karina Natt, illustrated by Molly Hunt. 🌈⁠

Narelda and Karina were joined by Drag Race All Star Kween Kong and Victoria's LGBTQIA+ Commissioner Joe Ball.⁠
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This stunning, fully illustrated adult picture book is available both online and at your local bookstore!⁠

https://www.uqp.com.au/books/if-queers-werent-meant-to-have-kids

11/12/2025

On Friday, 5 December UQP Director Madonna Duffy was named the 2025 winner of the Johnno Award. 🏆️

Presented annually since 2001 by Queensland Writers Centre's Management Committee, the Johnno Award celebrates outstanding services to writers and writing in Queensland—particularly volunteer work and work that goes largely unrecognised by the public or the industry. This includes not only writers but teachers, arts workers, advocates and community leaders who work to promote a vibrant and diverse writing community in Queensland.

The Johnno Award is named for Queensland Writers Centre founding patron David Malouf’s debut novel and seminal Queensland story, Johnno.

Duffy described winning the award as a ‘great thrill.’

‘For a young girl who grew up on a remote cane farm in Far North Queensland reading English stories to have been able to study the work of David Malouf and other incredible Queensland writers at university and then to now be able to work with those authors as a publisher is more than I ever imagined. There is a courage, a defiance, an attitude and a vibrancy that defines Queensland writing. I’m so proud to be part of the State’s brilliant and supportive literary community,’ said Duffy.

For more information about the Johnno Award, head to our blog:
https://bit.ly/johnnoaward2025

10/12/2025

A huge congratulations to the UQP authors shortlisted in the 2026 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards.⁠ 🎉

📖 JM Field, The Eagle and the Crow
📖 Evelyn Araluen, The Rot
📖 Rachel Morton, The Sun Was Electric Light
📖 Angie Cui and Evie Barrow, My Mum is a Bird
📖 Randa Abdel-Fattah, Discipline

The awards champion and recognise excellence across a diverse range of categories and highlight the depth of Australian talent in writing and storytelling.

The winners of each Prize receive $25,000, and will go on to contest the major prize, the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature. This is the single most valuable literary award in the country.

Head to our blog to learn more and to see what the judges have to say:
https://www.uqp.com.au/blog

10/12/2025

💫ACQUISITION NEWS💫

UQP is delighted to announce that we’ve acquired K.A Ren Wyld’s novel 'Whichway Shimmering Dust'.

Nestled in a multi-generational novel of family and community persistence is a tale of an Aboriginal girl and a sentient willy-willy who assist forcibly removed Aboriginal children to return home. 'Whichway Shimmering Dust' is a work of truth-telling literary fiction that infuses factual history with speculative justice for members of the Stolen Generations.

Spanning from 1883 to 2027, it follows a sprawling family that is displaced for decades by colonial violence as its key protagonists, Pearl and Wil, find ways to reclaim their identity, culture heritage and Country.

UQP has acquired world rights and will publish in March 2027.

To read quotes from Ren and publisher Madonna Duffy on this acquisition, head to www.uqp.com.au/blog

09/12/2025

📱COVER REVEAL 🤳🏼
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‘Behind the Screens’⁠
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Written by award-winning scientist Dr Niraj (Nij) Lal

Release Date: 03/02/2026⁠

This is a particularly timely cover reveal, as today officially marks Australia's social media ban for users under 16.

Getting your first phone is a big moment – this illustrated guide empowers young people aged 9–13 to navigate the online world with awareness, responsibility and confidence.

The internet is one of the most life-changing inventions in history. But there are things happening behind the screens that are changing how we behave: influencing what we buy, what we’re interested in and how long we stay online. As we start using the internet and AI to do everything, it’s helpful to explore how the tech is using us a little too.

Written by award-winning scientist Dr Niraj (Nij) Lal, host of the ABC's kids' podcast Imagine This, and illustrated by comic artist Aśka, Behind the Screens is the must-have guide to help young people be online in the best way possible.

'This book should be mandatory in our schools. It’s armour for the digital age.' Todd Sampson

'A terrific book, so needed. It is clearly and fluently written and most readable. It should be in the hands of every teacher, parent and child who is ready to use the internet.' Dr Patricia Edgar AM

Cover designed by Aśka
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Available for pre-order online or in-store. Head to the UQP website to secure your copy today: https://bit.ly/_behind_the_screens_

09/12/2025

The 2026 Indie Book Award longlists were announced today, and we are delighted to share that Nova Weetman’s Sonny & Tess has been longlisted in the Young Adult category. 🌟

The Indie Book Awards celebrate the finest Australian writing, with titles nominated and judged by independent Australian booksellers.

We look forward to seeing the shortlist in mid-January 2026! Read more here:
https://www.uqp.com.au/blog/sonnyandtess-shortlisted-indiebookawards-2026

04/12/2025

THE BIG BOOK DROP GIVEAWAY⁠ 💧⁠
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To celebrate a stellar 2025, we are giving away our ENTIRE list for the year. That’s right, one copy of every book we published in the last 12 months. That’s a total of 37 books valued at over $1000!⁠
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To enter the draw, simply:⁠
📓 Follow us ⁠
📓 Like this post.⁠
📓 Share this post to your story.⁠
📓 Tag a friend.⁠
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The lucky winner will be notified on December 19, 2025.

*Please note, you must be a resident of Australia to enter this competition

02/12/2025

The first bound proofs of The Boy and the Dog Tree by Fiona Wood have been safely delivered into the hands of booksellers across the country! 🐕️

Magical. Whimsical. Wild. This exceptional middle-grade novel about the special bond between a boy and his dog will set your heart free.

Learn more about this exciting title here:
https://bit.ly/theboyandthedogtree

01/12/2025

The reviews are in: Evelyn Araluen’s ‘The Rot’ is a hit! But don’t just take our word for it… check out all this wonderful praise.

'The Rot' is available in-store or online. Head to the UQP website for more information: https://www.uqp.com.au/books/the-rot

01/12/2025

✏️COVER REVEAL✏️
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‘Life Drawing’⁠
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Written by Emily Lighezzolo
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Release Date: 03/03/2026⁠
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An award-winning and provocative novel about women’s bodies, s*x, autonomy – and the power of the image.

Hypothetically, would you want to live forever but invisible, or a short life seen?
Hypothetically, would you give up wine forever or s*x for ten years?
Hypothetically, would you show a friend someone else’s n**e?

Maisie and Charlie meet at a life drawing class as undergraduates: she’s the model, he’s an artist. Their immediate connection carries them across two decades as they navigate the slippery dynamics of friendship, estrangement and family.

Maisie’s story is every woman’s, and Emily Lighezzolo’s bold debut interrogates the collision of art and gaze, desire and consent, muse and meaning. This is a love story. At its core: a woman’s body – seen, touched, loved, hated, commodified and reclaimed. 'Life Drawing' is an award-winning and unflinching novel for our times.

PRAISE FOR 'LIFE DRAWING':

‘A tender story of learning how to live and how to love. Emily Lighezzolo writes with her whole heart on the page’ – Allee Richards

‘Moving and insightful, Life Drawing picks up on contemporary debates about bodies, control and volition.’ - Queensland Literary Awards Judges' Comments

Cover design and internal illustrations by Christabella Designs
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Available for pre-order online or in-store. Head to the UQP website to secure your copy today: https://www.uqp.com.au/books/life-drawing

27/11/2025

☀️MONTHLY WRAP🌈

November involved a lot of domestic and international travel for UQP and its authors!

Narelda Jacobs and Karina Natt have been touring across the country with ‘If Qu**rs Weren’t Meant to Have Kids’. The launch on Gadigal Country even featured a red carpet!

David Brooks was honoured with the Patrick White Literary Award.

The Marketing and Publicity team have been busy dropping off bound proofs for Ian Kemish and Fiona Wood’s exciting 2026 titles, Two Islands and The Boy and the Dog Tree.

While browsing bookstores across Italy, our Editor Lauren Mitchell came across an Italian translation of Jordan Prosser’s ‘Big Time’!

In addition to all of this action, Evelyn Araluen, Randa Abdel-Fattah, and J. M. Field have been on the road with their latest books.

27/11/2025

It's time for our weekly instalment of praise for 'If Qu**rs Weren't Meant to Have Kids ...'.⁠
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For our final week, we're hearing from Reuben Kaye and Jennifer Robinson.
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‘If Qu**rs Weren’t Meant to Have Kids …’ is available now both online and at your local bookstore.

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